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!