Although biking can help to make you feel a lot healthier and look a lot leaner, it definitely should not let you feel entitled to eat whatever you want all the time. The key to staying healthy and becoming a better biker in any strain of biking lies in your nutrition. By eating right, you will improve in more areas than just biking and will certainly end up feeling much better as a whole than ever before. Revelstoke heliskiing
Your best bet when it comes to having proper nutrition for biking is to consume foods which include a lot of foods that are low in fat and yet high in carbs in order to provide yourself with a good amount of energy and sufficient fluids for proper hydration. Even though many diets paint an evil picture of carbs, they are truly an essential portion of any healthy biker’s diet and help to provide necessary energy for the activity.
Embrace the “good carbs”
The kind of carbs that give all carbs a bad reputation are those made with simple sugars and refined flours. These offer little nutritional value. Get your fill of carbohydrates through fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grain breads, rice and pasta. Round out your diet with lean protein and a small amount of fat.
When you eat is almost as important as what you eat. About an hour before a ride, fuel up with a high carbohydrate snack or small meal. Some ideas might be fresh fruit and whole grain toast or a half whole wheat bagel with peanut butter.
If your ride is longer than 60 minutes, you’ll need to refuel with more carbs. Researchers recommend about 30 to 40 grams of carbohydrate each 30 minutes you ride beyond the first 60 minutes. This might be a good time to consider a sports drink or energy bar. Eating a high carb snack or meal within 60 minutes after a lengthy ride is important to replenish your body and prepare you for your next ride.
Hydrate your body
Cyclists must make a conscious effort to drink fluids before, during and after riding to stay hydrated. Becoming dehydrated is one of the worst things that can happen to you and so it is important to be proactive and push lots of fluids, even before you feel thirsty. You'll want to drink at least 8 - 12 ounces of fluid immediately before a ride, another 8 ounces every half hour during a ride, and enough when you're finished to gradually replenish those lost fluids after a ride.