WHAT SHOULD THE DIET OF A CYCLIST LOOK LIKE?

Whether you are a recreational cyclist or a performance athlete the food you eat can have a big impact on your general health and performance.

However, there is so much information out there, that it can be complicated and confusing.

At Cigala Cycling, we love cycling, but we also love great food. You can buy the most expensive set of wheels out there, the lightest frame, train like a mad man or woman but a great nutrition strategy and diet is the roadbook to staying healthy, performing and enjoying cycling even more.
​Here is a short guide to what your diet should look like on and off the bike.

Nutrition is highly individualized. What works for one person may not work best for you. To help, let’s think about basic principles instead of a long list of rules. Three of the most important are carbs, quantity, and quality.

INCREASED CALORIE INTAKE

If you want to put a lot of watts out in training or racing, you’re going to have to fuel up.

You can’t expect to drive a van across the country with an empty tank. How many Calories? This depends on your training load, gender, fitness level & body composition.

Anything from 2500 kcal to 10 000 kcal.

IMPORTANT NUTRIENTS FOR CYCLISTS

● CARBOHYDRATES : the body’s rocket fuel

It is hard to stress the importance of carbs for cycling performance. Mitochondria use this simple sugar in your cells to produce ATP ( the energy source for all activity). All forms of carbohydrates you eat are converted to glucose.

When your body has more glucose than it needs, it is converted to glycogen and stored in the muscles and liver.

When glycogen stores are full, the liver converts the glucose to triglycerides, which are stored as fat.

Endurance performance is about managing these energy stores, highlighting the importance of the amount and timing of your cycling nutrition.

Depending on your lifestyle and training load, you should be eating anything from 2-10g of carbs per kilogram of body weight.

PROTEIN : the body’s foundation

Protein is here to strengthen and repair damaged tissue, muscles and allows metabolic reactions to take place, by coordinating and regulating your essential bodily functions (including maintaining appropriate fluid and pH balance).

Protein is the building blocks of muscle tissue. It makes up most of the tissues in the body, including bone, connective tissues, skin, and hair. It also serves as the material for enzymes, hormones, and hemoglobin.

Depending on your lifestyle and training load, you should be eating anything from 0.8 to 2g of protein per kilogram of body weight.

● LIPIDS : the body’s protection

Lipids are fatty compounds that perform a variety of functions in your body. They’re part of your cell membranes and help control what goes in and out of your cells. They help with moving and storing energy, absorbing vitamins and making hormones. Depending on your lifestyle and training load, you should be eating around 1g of lipids per kilogram of body weight.

NUTRIENT TIMING

It’s not just about what you eat, but when you eat it. You might be eating enough calories, but if you don’t eat them at the right times, you won’t perform.

Carbohydrates should be the biggest portion in your diet. That said, you really want to focus on extra carbs before high intensity interval sessions (Zone 4 or higher), long duration sessions (3+ hours) and of course event/race days.
Protein should be present at every meal in portion.

That said, protein is also really important immediately after a mega hard gym session, intense intervals, or a 4-6 hour ride. The timing of fat intake isn’t as imporant.It will naturally get into your cycling diet. Ideally, you’ll be consuming healthy fats like nuts, seeds, fish, and oils.

Your focus should be mainly on carbohydrates & protein.

WHAT SHOULD I BUY IN THE SHOPS ?

CARBOHYDRATES

Vegetables like turnip, broccoli, spinach, carrots, sweet potatoes

Fruits including bananas, oranges, berries, apples, kiwis

Pasta, orzo, bulgar wheat, Amaranth.

PROTEIN

Lean protein : chicken, turkey, yogurt, eggs

Plant-based protein: tofu, beans, chickpeas, nuts edamame, lentils

Fish

FATS

Avocado, Nuts, and seeds

Salmon/Tuna

Olive oil/ Rapeseed oil

THE BOTTOM LINE :

Implementing a cycling nutrition strategy is just as important as doing your intervals but most of us get lost with our nutrition. In order to get the most out of your cycling, coming up with an initial nutrition strategy is going to be essential if you want to see continued improvement and results. Having a plan in place will make it easier to form a routine and actually stick to it in order to make progress.

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It is really important to :

1. Define your cycling goals

2. Create a diet and nutrition plan

3. Stock up on sports food/supplements

Your coach, alongside with a sports nutritionist, can help you develop a nutrition strategy that works for you. Supporting your body to reach your goals.

Matteo Cigala
Founder & Head Coach