Do you carry some healthy eating habits and according to your needs?
Do you eat well before, during and after meals? bike outings? Discover what is sport Nutrition and how it can help you feel better and perform more.
Feed yourself properly It is not only essential to maintain good health, it is also so you can perform 100% on your bike.
The fact of pedaling for many kilometers does not justify that you can eat without control, without monitoring the quantity and quality of the food.
Just as a car performs better and lasts longer if it uses good fuel, the same thing happens with the body: with a good diet, adapted in quantity and quality to the needs of each person, you can perform better and stay in shape for a long time. more time.
Nutrients and their functions
La sport Nutrition is the science that studies what type of foods are best to eat before, during and after training or competition so that you can give the maximum and recover completely for the next session. The different phases of the season (rest, training, competition) must be taken into account, as well as the different types of training. It must be ensured correct supply of all nutrients so that there are no deficits that can cause illness, injury, chronic fatigue, dehydration...
Little by little we will delve deeper into the world of sports nutrition, but for now, it is better to start from the beginning: knowing the different nutrients and their functions main ones in our body.
The macronutrients: carbohydrates, fats and proteins.
- The carbohydrates constitute the main source of energy for our body, being decisive in those medium-high intensity exercises. They exist in your complex shape (whole grains, legumes...) and in their simple form (sugar, honey, jam, fruit juices...). The former are absorbed in a more gradual and sustained manner and should form the basis of our diet; and the latter are absorbed immediately; so we will have to evaluate them according to the moment and the effect we want.
- The fat they act like energy reserve and they are used as fuel when the exercise is of long duration and of medium-low intensity. Us interest in unsaturated fats Due to their cardioprotective and antioxidant effect, they are those that we find in foods such as nuts, seeds, oily fish, olive oil, avocado... Compared to saturated who exercise a negative effect on our health increased risk of cardiovascular disease; We find them in foods such as sausages, cheeses, red meats, pastries, processed foods, coconut, milk and derivatives...
- The proteins are structural component of our muscles and act as fuel to a lesser extent, since it is not their main function. Remember that we have sources of protein both in the animal world (meat, fish, eggs, dairy products...), as in vegetable (legumes, nuts, cereals...), the latter associated with lower fat content and no cholesterol; so it is advisable to take at least 50% of each type.
Micronutrients
Micronutrients, which although they appear in smaller quantities are no less important. The vitamins and minerals They are essential to maintain a good state of health and to avoid the dreaded anemia, lack of calcium, chronic fatigue, cramps... We will ensure their contribution by eating a variety of foods, including all food groups, preferably in season.
Along with macro and micronutrients, we cannot fail to mention Water, since good hydration is a fundamental pillar in the nutrition of every athlete, being a determining factor in performance.
So now you know, it's important to choose Within each food group, those that, apart from providing us with energy, are beneficial for our health; Only in this way will we be able to perform more and better.
Bea, sports nutrition expert
