Fitness
and other factors. A balanced
diet should give you all the
antioxidants you need. Most
governments and health
organisations recommend
consuming at least five servings of
fruits and vegetables each day.
One portion equates to 80g of
the particular fruit or vegetable —
for example, a medium-sized fruit
(apple or banana), two or more
small fruits (e.g. two plums, two
kiwi, three apricots, six lychees,
seven strawberries, 14 cherries);
half a grapefruit, one slice of
papaya, melon or pineapple. One
portion of dried fruits is equivalent
to 30g of raisins, figs, prunes, dried
banana chips.
With regards to vegetables, one
portion equates to two broccoli
florets or four heaped tablespoons
of cooked kale or spinach; three
tablespoons of carrots or peas;
eight cauliflowers florets; one
medium tomato or seven cherry
tomatoes. Never forget, though,
that variety is crucial — different
coloured types contain different
nutrients, so eating five bananas
in a day doesn’t mean you’ve hit
your minimum five portions.
On-bike hydration:
500-1,000ml per hour
The human body is 60 per cent
water, and as little as a two per
cent drop in bodyweight (1.6kg for
an 80kg person) through sweating
can cause a fall in performance.
With a drop of seven per cent,
you’ll start to get into serious
trouble. Thankfully, your natural
thirst mechanism is usually
powerful enough to safeguard
against serious dehydration —
but you should still bear in mind
the guideline figure of 500-1,000ml
per hour while riding, taking
heat and sweat rate into account.
In warm weather, aim to drink
from the start of the ride two to
three good-sized gulps every
10 -15 minutes.
If you’re out on the bike for an
hour or less, just plain water is
enough to replenish your fluid
loss. However, the longer you ride,
the greater the need for replacing
energy — this is where sport
drinks come in. What about those
mythical electrolyte additives?
“Elecrolytes are salt, nothing
more, it’s just a fancy word,”
says Jeukendrup. “The only
electrolyte that you really need to
worry about is sodium. And the
only reason you need to worry
about sodium is that it helps the
absorption of water. It makes you a
little more thirsty, so that it’s easier
to drink a little bit more. I think
that all the rest around electrolytes
is a lot of hype.”
You don’t need to replace salt
while exercising: you can replenish
afterwards with a meal, adds
Jeukendrup, with one caveat,
“unless we’re talking about ultra-
events and ultra cycling — longer
than 24 hours on a bike — where
supplemented salt might be useful.”
Less than that, even for a four or
five-hour ride, you’re fine to wait.
“The research indicates that fluidsHYDRATION
Per hour
while riding
BODY FAT
Optimum %
Male / female
Lettuce (100g). Kcal: 15. Protein: 1.4. Fats: 0.15. Carbs: 3.
Pork loin (chopped, 117g). Kcal: 232. Protein: 23. Fats: 14. Carbs: 0.
Beef (tenderloin, 100g raw) Kcal: 274. Protein: 18. Fats: 21. Carbs: 0
Chicken breast (1 breast, 100g raw). Kcal: 130. Protein: 13.70. Fats: 7.90. Carbs: 0.10.
Yogurt (50g pot). Kcal: 30. Protein: 1.7. Fats: 1.6. Carbs: 2.3
Pizza (1 slice, 100g). Kcal: 268. Protein: 10. Fats: 10. Carbs: 25.
Potato (1 large, 369g raw). Kcal: 284. Protein: 7.56. Fats: 0.33. Carbs: 64.54
Brown rice (1 cup, 185g cooked). Kcal: 679. Protein: 14. Fats: 6. Carbs: 141.
Broccoli (1 cup, 44g raw). Kcal: 15. Protein: 1.24. Fats: 0.16. Carbs: 2.92.Nuritional values
42 | February 8, 2018 | Cycling Weekly