Winter Hydration
Hydration
It can be challenging to properly hydrate in the fall and winter training weather with cooler temperatures. However, hydration is still important. Dehydration can occur at cooler training temperatures because you typically feel less thirsty and have a lower sweat rate so you are not reminded to drink as much as you may normally. While it’s likely that you need less sodium and fluids in the fall and winter training months; you still need fluid, carbohydrates and electrolytes for optimal hydration. (see hydration blog here)
Tips for Fall and Winter Hydration
You can consider purchasing an insulated water bottle, like the popular “Bivo” brand. Not only will it keep your water ice cold in the summer but it will also keep fluids warm in the winter. Flow Formulas makes an excellent Apple Cider drink mix that tastes great warm! Use Emily20 for a discount!
If you don’t normally drink on cold rides, try to get in the habit of taking frequent sips. It can be less than you normally drink, but still try to consume something.
To rehydrate post ride, drink warm fluids like tea and hot chocolate. You could even rehydrate with soup, along with grilled cheese, for lunch or dinner! Remember to sip on fluids throughout the day and don’t rely on thirst solely as a reminder.
Happy Fall!
🩷 Emily
Mid and Post Ride Gas Station Stops 101
Pre-packing your ride food and recovery snack is generally healthier and more economical than buying gas station snacks. However, there can be many scenarios during or after a bike ride where you may find yourself at a gas station in need of food and have no idea what to buy. The big gas stations can be overwhelming with choices and the small-town ones may not have many options. You could be out for a long ride and need more fuel or you may be bike packing and rely on gas stations to restock.
The Fear of Processed Foods
Generally, I encourage people to choose foods that have fewer ingredients and words that they recognize. Less processed foods are generally the better choice. However, choosing some snacks at gas stations that have artificial colors, flavors or dyes for the occasional mid ride snack is not going to harm you. A well-balanced diet includes all your meals and snacks for the day. Eating a slightly more processed snack is not going to derail your health. Eating something that is more processed and prepackaged at a gas station mid long ride is better than nothing.
Mid Ride Snacks
During your bike rides you want to choose products that contain mostly carbohydrates with a little bit of fat and protein for satiety. Some healthier options are bananas, pretzels, fig bars, or granola bars. However, it is okay to have some foods that are considered more processed as well as long as they aren’t the staples of your diet. My favorite gas station snacks are Goldfish, Chex mix, chips, Sour Patch Kids, and Cheez-its. Also, if I eat these snacks at gas stations, I generally don’t buy them for home and don’t snack on them throughout the day. I would also grab a cold drink with electrolytes and sugar, like Gatorade, to sip on as well especially if it is hot out. Don’t forget to refill your water bottles as well.
What to Avoid
While the greasy rotating hot dogs and other hot foods may entice you, I would avoid those. They are typically high in fat and can cause gastrointestinal distress as you continue your ride. Choosing something with caffeine like Coke Cola is okay and may provide a good mid ride energy boost but, avoid the extremely high caffeine containing energy drinks. If you are looking for snacks to take with you, I typically avoid anything containing chocolate as it can turn into a melted mess on the trail.
Post Ride Snacks
While it is great to pack a recovery snack or drink ahead of time, you may have forgotten or just didn’t have time. Look for something that has a mix of carbohydrates and protein; a 3:1 or 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein. An ideal recovery snack has about 15-20 grams of protein and 45-80 grams of carbs. However, don’t get too caught up in the numbers, you can look for something that has a mix of the two macronutrients. My favorite gas station recovery snack is chocolate milk which contains both protein and carbs. It can also help rehydrate you. If you purchase a protein bar make sure to have a source of carbs with it as well like a banana or pretzels. The same applies if you buy yogurt; make sure to add a carb source. Another great recovery snack is trail mix. The nuts provide protein and the dried fruit and chocolate provides carbs. If the gas station has Subway or another sandwich store adjacent to it, a sandwich is a good choice as well. Choose something with lean meats like chicken or turkey and avoid the fried options.
Try to plan ahead when you are able to but don’t be afraid of gas station stops. You need fuel during your rides in order to perform well. Having a snack at a gas station is much better than bonking on the rest of your ride. Eating or drinking something from a gas station for recovery is better than arriving home famished and ready to eat everything in your house; plus also missing the 30 minute recovery window.
Thank you for reading! 💖
Emily
Airplane Travel Nutrition
School is out and summer is here! You may have some exciting trips planned. Traveling and packing for your trip can be stressful without even considering what to eat on the go. You may have your clothes, toiletries, and other gear packed and think you are all ready to go. But what about food? Airport food can be so expensive, options are limited, and you may not have time to grab something to eat while running to make a tight connection. Here are a few tips for good nutrition while traveling! These recommendations can also be applied to car trips; however, you do have a few more options if driving and taking a cooler.
Non-Perishable Snacks
Pack some snacks that don’t need to be refrigerated and are easy to stick in your bag. Pack these even if your travel day is short incase your flight gets delayed, or the day doesn’t go as smoothly as planned. Always pack extra snacks because they will hold you over until you have time to go to a grocery store upon arriving.
Trail mix
Nuts
Pretzels
Granola or protein bars
Cereal/granola in baggies
Beef jerky
Dried fruit
Individual serving oatmeal cups (ask for hot water)
Fresher Snacks
If you have a long travel day you can also pack some snacks that are eventually perishable but are okay to be out of the fridge for a little while. Try to eat these snacks sooner than the non-perishable ones. However, remember if you are traveling internationally to check the rules because you are not allowed to travel with some foods, like fruit, across the border.
Babybel or string cheese (or any cheese, these are just convenient)
Fruit (apples, oranges, grapes)
Apples and single serve peanut/nut butter
Nut butter and jelly sandwich
Fresh veggies (carrots, bell pepper slices, etc)
Hydration
Flying at high altitude in the dry air dehydrates you faster than on the ground. Pack a reusable water bottle to fill up after you go through security and save money from expensive airport bottled water.
Packing foods you like to eat and your body is used to will help you feel better and stay more fueled throughout the day. Plus, most of the snacks above are healthier for you and much cheaper than expensive airport food. There are a lot of stresses while traveling, eliminate food stress by doing a little planning before your trip. Add snacks to your packing list! You will arrive at your destination well fueled and ready to go!
Have a great weekend!
Thank you for reading!
💖 Emily
Hydration
Hydration. Its’ importance is often overlooked which is surprising considering 60 to 70% of the human body consists of water. Water regulates our body temperature, aids digestion, lubricates our joints, and helps remove waste among many other critical functions. You may wonder, what should I be drinking during my training or racing? Just plain water? Electrolytes? Sugar?
Water, Carbohydrates, and Electrolytes
You need both carbohydrates (sugar) AND electrolytes for optimal hydration while training. Choose a sports drink that contains some carbohydrates (sugar) and salt. Plain water is fine for shorter bike rides or other exercise that is approximately under 1.5 hours. If it is really hot out, you are going for a ride over 1.5 hours, or you are riding at an intense pace, choose a sports drink over plain water all of the time. Using a sports drink will also help you get more carbohydrates in during your training. See article on Fueling Training and Racing Here to learn more.
Salty Sweat
Are you a salty sweater? Do you get salt stains on your clothing, skin, or helmet straps? Do you crave salty foods on or after rides such as chips or pretzels? You may be someone who loses extra salt in your sweat. You need to replenish that salt! You may need to use a sports drink with a higher amount of sodium. Eat other salty snacks afterwards like pickles, pretzels or watermelon with salt. I use Flow Formulas Drink Mix and they make a High Sodium Drink Mix. You could also add Liquid IV to another drink mix you prefer to use. A general recomendation is to aim for 300 to 700 mg of sodium per hour while training. However, this is a general recommendationbecuase outside temperature, intensity of training, sweat rate, and saltiness of sweat all effect this. You may want to experiment with higher in that range if you experience excessive salt stains on your clothing and skin, experience bloating, cramps, headaches, or nausea and vomiting during training. You may want to try lower amounts of sodium per hour if you experience stomach rot, feeling full, swelling, or heart burn while training.
How much water am I losing?
Unsure how much you are sweating or if you are drinking adequate amounts of fluid on the bike? You can use a house hold scale to figure it out! Weigh yourself before and after you ride. For every kilogram you lose you should replace it with approximately 1 to 1.5 liters of fluid. (remember 1kg= 2.2 pounds) This doesn’t just have to be through only drinking, water in foods, such as in watermelon counts as well. This is also a good way to see how you hydrated during your ride. If you weigh more than you started, you overhydrated and can back off a little next time. If you weigh a few kilograms less after your ride, increase how much you drink next time. Don’t get worried about weighing yourself before and after every ride; just practice a few times to learn how much you sweat. Also, try doing this in the summer and winter so you can compare the differences.
Overhydration
Can you overdo it? Yes! You can drink too much water, especially plain water. You can become hyponatremic, a condition that occurs when the level of sodium in the blood is too low. Your body holds onto more water and you may appear edematous or swollen. Symptoms of hyponatremia are nausea, fatigue, and confusion.
Sip water throughout the day and have a water bottle around as a reminder but don’t force it. Don’t drink large amounts of water to hide hunger. Urine color can be a good indicator of hydration status. Clear can mean over hydration. Pale yellow to yellow is ideal. An amber or dark yellow color urine may indicate you need to drink water immediately! If you are sweating a lot, it’s really hot out, or you just completed an intense ride, put some extra salt on your food or drink a sports drink.
Thank you for reading!
💖 Emily
Energy Availability
Do you have enough energy to support your daily activities and your workouts? Are you recovering optimally, or do you feel tired all the time? Energy Availability is the amount of energy left over for your body’s functions after energy used for training is subtracted from energy from food.
Food Energy Intake – Exercise Energy Expenditure =
Energy Availability
Ideally, we get all the energy we need from food to keep us well fueled and feeling good. However, sometimes we negatively affect our energy availability. We may do this by increasing our training and not eating enough to support it. For example, we might skip meals and snacks as we rush through our days. We may just forget to eat. Or, we might intentionally not eat enough because we’re trying to lose weight.
Are you suffering from low energy availability? Look out for these symptoms:
Anemia
Frequently get sick
Repeated stress fractures or injuries
Depression
Increased anxiety/irritable
Disordered eating thoughts
Unable to gain muscle/strength
Training harder with no improvement in performance
Females: Absent/irregular periods
Males: Low testosterone
Excessive fatigue
Gastrointestinal problems
Unintentional weight loss
Low vitamin D, B12, folate and iron
How to fuel your body well?
First, if you’re concerned you might have low energy availability, consult a registered dietician.
Athletes generally need 3 meals and 2-3 snacks a day. Feel like 2-3 snacks are too much? Make them smaller. Try to eat every 4 hours. If you get hungry sooner, eat. Often, people ignore hunger because they don’t think they “deserve” to eat. For example, they didn’t reach their step or activity goal. Keep in mind smartwatches can be very inaccurate for steps, calories burned, etc. Some days you may be more hungry and some days less hungry and that is ok! It all balances out. Athletes often under eat on rest days too because they think they’re not burning calories. But remember: if you under fuel on rest days, your recovery won’t be optimal. And your metabolism doens’t change in one day!
20-30% of the energy we consume fuels our brains. If you under fuel, it will affect your mood. If you’re feeling irritable, cranky and stressed all the time, you might be suffering from low energy availability. If that’s the case, I highly recommend consulting a registered dietitian.
Thank you for reading!
🩷 Emily
Fueling Training and Racing
Do you ever wonder what you should consume during training rides or competitions to feel your best? Nutrition tends to be an industry filled with fad diets and the latest “super” food; sometimes it can be overwhelming to know what to do with all the information out there. There are three main components you need while training or racing: fluid, carbohydrates and electrolytes.
Carbs are your friend!
During a bike ride, carbohydrates are the most important macronutrient you require. Some fat and protein are okay for satiety and to keep you fuller longer but try not to overdo it. Too much fat, protein, and fiber can cause stomach discomfort while exercising. For example, a protein bar would sit heavily in your stomach, or a bunch of raw vegetables would take much too long to digest.
Carbs are essential for your muscles to perform optimally. A good rule of thumb is try to eat something about every 45 minutes during your ride. If you are more of a number person, aim for 30-90 grams of carbohydrates per hour. Avoid going over 90 grams per hour because research shows you can’t digest and absorb much more than that. Look at your food wrappers to see the grams of carbs or Google foods you are unsure about. Keep in mind, you really only need to be concerned about fueling on rides over 1-1.5 hours.
You can also consume your carbohydrates by drinking them. More and more companies out there are making drink mixes with more carbs per serving in them. This is ideal during races when it is harder to eat or even mountain bike rides. I personally like to consume my carbs through a combination of eating and drinking when training, but during races, particularly mountain bike races, I prefer drinking them.
What carbs to eat?
Easily digestible, simple carbs, with less fiber are your friend on bike rides. Some people prefer what they call “real” food in a more natural form such as bananas, dried mango or dates. Others prefer peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, pretzels, or granola bars. If you have a sweet tooth, bike rides can be a good time for foods like jelly beans, gummy worms, or Swedish fish. You could also have specific sport food; like bars, gels, chews, blocks from any of the numerous ride/sport food companies out there. Or try making the Great Granola Bars below!
In general, pack what is the easiest for you to eat and is the most appealing. Eat and drink early and often. This will help improve absorption and also decrease this risk of gastrointestinal discomfort. No one enjoys bonking and eating regularly will help your energy levels stay consistent. If you are riding back to back days, fueling well will help you feel better for the second day. On your next bike ride have fun experimenting with which carbs are your favorite!
Fluid and Electrolytes
Stayed tuned for a more detailed newsletter on hydration but a general rule of thumb for hydration is to consume about a bottle per hour. This can very depending on sweat race and outside temperature.
Also, it is ideal to consume a sports drink with electrolytes. A general recommendation for endurance athletes is to aim for 300-700mg of sodium per hour! However, this varies based off salt concentration of your sweat and how much you sweat. If you are a salty sweater and get salt stains on your kit and helmet straps you may need more, if not, you may need less sodium per hour.
Practice! Practice! Practice!
I cant emphasize this enough. Practice consuming fluid, carbs, and electrolytes before your upcoming race! If you are not accustomed to consuming carbs during training start lower at 30g of carbs. Work your way up week by week until you get to 60-90 grams of carbs/hour. You have to train your gut and it will get accustomed to digesting the carbs. You can’t just go into a race without consuming carbs during training, take in 90 grams of carbs per hour and expect that to go well! Practice ahead of time!
Thanks for reading!
🩷 Emily
Nutrition 101
Do you struggle with what to eat each day? Are you unsure what to pack for lunch or cook for dinner? Eating three balanced meals per day, along with snacks, can keep you feeling energized to get through the workday and fuel any ride plans you may have.
Ideally, each meal should contain the three macronutrients: carbohydrates, fat, and protein. Approximately 45-65% of our calories should come from carbs, 10-35% from protein, and 20-35% from fat. Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of energy. You do not need to avoid carbs, go low carb, or keto. One of the main functions of protein is to build and repair muscles. Protein breaks down slower than carbs so therefore it is a longer lasting source of energy. Eating a protein bar right before a workout is not ideal as it can feel like a rock in your stomach. It is better to eat a carb rich snack like a banana instead of a protein bar before a workout. Fat is used by the body as energy, storage for the fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K), and for the production of hormones. It is the slowest source of energy but the most energy efficient form of food since it contains the most calories per gram.
Breakfast
Don’t skip it. It’s preferable to eat a small meal or even snack, such as an apple with peanut butter, rather than nothing. Those that skip breakfast tend to overeat later in the day because they started the day under fueled. An ideal balanced breakfast contains a carbohydrate, fat and protein. Generally, the carbohydrate sources at breakfast are a whole grain or fruit. Whole grains are generally less processed and contain more fiber. Examples of whole grains are whole wheat bread, oats, and quinoa. Carb sources at breakfast can also be fresh fruit like apples, bananas, or berries. Good protein sources at breakfast are eggs (eat the whole egg), low or full fat Greek yogurt (Greek yogurt contains more protein than regular yogurt), milk, cheese, and peanut butter. All of those protein foods also contain some fat which is important to have as well.
Foods can contain more than one macronutrient but are generally classified as the one they contain most of (for example chicken is a protein) but there are some that don’t fit in one category. For example, beans provide protein and carbs. Nuts provide protein and fat.
Lunch
Lunch is also important and should not be skipped. However, since lunch can often be eaten at an office or school it can be hard to come up with ideas of what to pack. A balanced lunch should also contain carbs, fat, and protein. Ideally, it should include some vegetables or fruit as well. See examples below.
Dinner
After a long day and maybe a bike ride, dinner should contain the three macronutrients as well. Most traditional dinners contain all three macronutrients, but some examples are listed below.
Throughout the day try to keep the following tips in mind. Include whole grains as much as possible. Include plenty of fruit and vegetables. Try to make a third to half of your dinner plate vegetables. Fruit and vegetables contain many antioxidants and provide fiber. Try to choose lean proteins like grilled or baked chicken, fish, turkey, lean beef, or eggs. Remember to include healthy fats like olive oil, avocado, nuts, and seeds. Lastly, don’t forget to drink water to stay hydrated.
Meal Ideas
Breakfast
· 2 eggs (protein)
· 2 slices bread or a bagel (carb)
· 1/3 avocado (fat)
· Fruit (carb)
· Smoothie
o 1 cup fruit (carb)
o ½ Greek yogurt (protein and fat)
o 1 cup milk or water
o 1 handful spinach or kale (fiber)
o 1-2 tbsp nut butter (fat and protein)
· Oatmeal (carb) topped with fruit (carb), and nuts (fat and protein),
Lunch
Sandwich
· 2 slices whole wheat bread (carb)
· Meat of choice (protein)
· Cheese and/or avocado (fat)
· Spinach and/or tomato
Served with Carrots or other veggies (fiber) and hummus (protein and fat)
Grain bowl
· Quinoa (protein and carb)
· Spinach or kale (mostly fiber)
· Black beans (protein and carb)
· 1/3 Avocado (fat)
· Dressing of choice (fat)
· Additional toppings: nuts, seeds, dried fruit
Dinner- all 3 of these recipes are in this Week’s Meal Plan and all 3 contain carbs, fat and protein!
Veggie Black Bean Enchiladas
Thai Sweet Potato Carrot Soup with Grilled Cheese
Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Quinoa and Salmon or Tofu
Why Diets Don’t Work
January 2024
Newsletter
January 1st has passed and with it many Americans have chosen the New Year’s Resolution of weight loss which they plan to achieve by dieting. Approximately 45 million Americans go on a diet each year and about 33 billion dollars are spent on weight loss products.
Diets typically encourage eating far too little food which can lead to initial fast weight loss which feels rewarding. However, your body is very smart and will slow your metabolism down to account for this calorie shortage. Your body believes a famine is coming and tries to conserve as much energy as possible. Your brain becomes preoccupied with food and it is all you can focus on. Your body is desperately trying to get you to eat. If you continue to ignore feelings of hunger eventually those will go away too despite needing food. Research shows that diets have an extremely low success rate (98% failure rate) and you end up gaining more weight than you lost while also experiencing increased stress and anxiety.
Many diets categorize foods into “good” and “bad” and have “cheat” days. When you aren’t able to stick to these diets it makes you feel like a failure and leads to low self-esteem. You may fall off your diet, eat more than planned, and then try another diet tomorrow entering a vicious cycle of yo-yo dieting and weight cycling. Even if you are one of the few who are able to stick to your diet, you are likely experiencing increased stress, increased gastrointestinal issues, poor sleep, a preoccupation with food, and struggle with social eating situations.
I believe your New Year’s Resolutions should be focused on health promoting behaviors and not dieting. A few examples include getting more sleep, staying hydrated, reducing alcohol consumption, being more active when you can, and eating regularly. Make the focus be on how you feel and not what your body looks like. Your body does amazing things for you.
Eating Regularly
Eating every 3-4 hours (achieved through 3 meals and 2-3 snacks per day) increases your metabolic rate and promotes more sustained consistent energy levels throughout the day. Eating consistently and not skipping meals also promotes better sleep, increased concentration, and improved athletic performance. Sticking to a consistent meal and snack schedule will help you be more mindful about what you eat. More often, you will be able to eat and enjoy your food before reaching an absolute ravenous state of hunger. I do recommend some meal prep and planning ahead to make eating regularly an easier goal to achieve.
Thank you for reading!
🩷 Emily
Sample Day
Breakfast
Chocolate Strawberry Overnight Oats
Snack
Apples and Peanut Butter
Lunch
Turkey Sandwich with Fruit
Snack
Carrots, Crackers, and Hummus
Dinner
Lovely Lentil Soup with Greek Yogurt and Quinoa
Snack
Trail Mix
Racing Update
I have been based out of Belgium since the beginning of November racing the Cyclocross World Cups. This year my goal was to come over to Belgium for longer than I normally do and race some of the bigger races. I have been so fortunate to be able to compete in France, Ireland, and Belgium since arriving. Unfortunately, I have really struggled with sickness this winter so I had to skip the Hulst World Cup this past weekend. Next weekend I will race the Zonhoven World Cup with the iconic sand downhill and then head to Spain for the Benidorm World Cup! I am so excited and looking forward to spending some time in the warmth and sun!