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WHAT IS A HEALTHY DIET?
A healthy diet is one that contains the right amount of nutrients to meet the needs of your body. If you generally feel full of energy, sleep well, get up in the morning without having to drag yourself out of bed, maintain a healthy weight, have the energy to take part in the sporting and leisure activities that you choose and live a healthy, disease-and-illness-free life without being paranoid about every item of food and drink that passes your lips, then you are obviously eating a diet suited to you as an individual.
BMI CATEGORIES: |
Underweight = less than 18.5 |
Normal weight = 18.5 - 24.9 |
Overweight = 25 - 29.9 |
Obesity = 30 or greater |
CALCULATE YOUR OWN BODY |
MASS INDEX |
BMI = Weight in kg / height in metres2 |
For example, a woman who weighs |
55kg and is 1.60m tall would have a |
BMI of 55 / 1.602 = 21 |
You can also calculate your BMI on |
line if you visit: |
MAINTAINING A HEALTHY WEIGHT
It seems that almost everyone is on a diet. This comes as no surprise since we are becoming a nation of fatties.
Obesity not only has a major impact on quality of life and life expectancy, but it can have major psychological implications too.
In order to maintain a healthy weight we need to either eat fewer calories, do more exercise, of both. Forcibly restricting nutrient or calorie intake should not be encouraged, and the many fad diets – whether for weight loss or performance enhancement – which are available today may help in the short term but do not educate anyone to eat a healthy diet as part of a lifestyle.
ARE YOU THE RIGHT WEIGHT?
The Body Mass Index (BMI) is used to calculate healthy body weight. It is an approximate measure of body fat based on height and weight (see table at top). But BMI does have its limitations as it may overestimate body fat in athletes who are very muscular, as muscle weighs more than fat. It may also underestimate body fat in those who have lost muscle mass. But for the majority of people it is useful.
Body fat percentage is an important factor in assessing nutritional status. It is calculated using skinfold measuring calipers. Fat percentage scales for home use bioelectrical impedance analysis. Accuracy in results does vary and so this should be borne in mind when using body fat percentage tables or scales (see table below).
The best test is the ‘waistband test'. If what you normally wear comfortably feels that it is getting tighter, then it is time to act.
People who are constantly dieting make the mistake of weighing themselves on a daily basis. If you are overweight, the best thing to do is to weight yourself once a week at most.
Be realistic with your goals and seek the advice of a nutritionist. Exercise as often as you can, doing something that you enjoy and try to stick to a healthy diet.
BODY FAT PERCENTAGE CATEGORIES |
||
|
Female Fat % |
Male Fat % |
Essential Fat |
10- 12% |
2 - 4% |
Athletes |
14 -20% |
16 - 13% |
Acceptable level |
25 - 31% |
18 - 25% |
Obesity |
32% |
26% |
MAINTAIN HYDRATION
Very few people drink enough water. In general, you should drink two litres a day. This needs to be increased if you are exercising. There is a good deal of scientific research proving that dehydration can have a detrimental effect on sports performance.
Every time you train or take part in sporting activities – at whatever level – you will lose a considerable amount of water.
Signs of dehydration:
If you notice any of these signs, you're already dehydrated:
- Dry mouth
- Dry lips
- Feeling thirsty
Feeling tired during training or taking part in sport, or dizziness can also mean dehydration. The best way of checking whether you are well hydrated is to check the colour of your urine: very pale yellow urine means you are well hydrated, whereas dark brown or green means you are dehydrated and this is not good!
WHAT ARE THE BEST DRINKS TO TAKE?
Water is very good, but even better are drinks with small amounts of carbohydrate in them. These help the body absorb the fluid more efficiently. Drinks to avoid are very sugary ones such as colas, lemonade, high-energy etc. as they are too concentrated for the body to absorb the water in them quickly.
Drink little and often – at least 500ml at breakfast, 500ml two hours before training and 1,000ml during training and 500ml after. Drink a minimum of two and a half litres of water a day if you're in training.
Water carry packs, such as CamelBak or Platypus bags, are a great way to ensure hydration on long rides or treks.
CARBOHYDRATES – ESSENTIAL BODY FUEL
As with any sport, it is important to maintain energy levels, prevent fatigue and maintain blood glucose levels. Carbohydrates are the most efficient fuel for energy production, and as they can be stored in the liver and muscles they function as a readily available energy source for prolonged strenuous exercise.
Complex carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, couscous, bread and noodles should make up at least 50 per cent of the energy content of your diet. Currently, as a population we are consuming only 42 per cent of energy as carbohydrate and making up the difference by eating more fat.
SOME FATS ARE GOOD FOR YOU
Fats generally get very bad press. However, they play a vital part in a healthy diet. Essential fatty acids are important for both mental and physical well-being. Brittle nails and hair and dry skin are just two signs of an essential fatty acid deficiency. The best sources of essential fats are oily fish such as mackerel, salmon and herring.
Vegetable sources such as flax are also available but may not be used as efficiently by the body. At present, we are still consuming too many fatty foods at the expense of complex carbohydrates.
Fat should contribute no more than 35 per cent of the energy of the diet. At the moment, many people's diets contain more than 38 per cent of energy as fat.
Source: DEFRA & National Statistics (2001) National Food Survey 2000.
FIVE-A-DAY CAN BE DONE!
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends five to eight portions of fresh fruit and vegetables to be eaten every day, excluding potatoes (a portion is approximately 100g). This may seem a lot, but with a little thought it can be done:
- Drink a glass of fruit juice in the morning
- Take three or four pieces of fruit to work to eat during the day
- Take vegetable-based soups or salad boxes for lunch rather than eating sandwiches or pies
- In the evening, strive to have two vegetables with your meal or a salad
As you can see, this gives you seven or eight portions.
Fruit and vegetables are excellent sources of antioxidants – nutrients that are essential in the body for preventing degenerative diseases and premature ageing. They also contain dietary fibre that ensures regular bowel movements and a healthy gastro-intestinal system.
Vegetables and fruit can be frozen. In fact, for convenience frozen vegetables are great. And as they are frozen when very fresh you can be guaranteed the nutritional content is higher than many of those sitting in the supermarket warehouse.
For people who take part in regular physical activity it is even more important to ensure optimal antioxidant status because of the increased levels of free radicals produced from exercise.
PROTEIN – QUALITY MATTERS
Protein is essential to support every body process. Lack of sufficient good-quality protein will result in poor muscle mass and strength, a depleted immune system and fatigue. Many people traditionally turn to meat, fish and poultry to obtain their protein requirements. However, certain plant foods such as bread, pasta, rice, cereals, legumes, nuts and pulses such as beans and lentils can also contribute significant amounts to the diet, and are also low in fat. Protein should contribute about 15 per cent of the energy of the diet.
Source: DEFRA & National Statistics (2001) National Food Survey 2000.
ENSURE OPTIMAL MICRO-NUTRIENT STATUS
Nutritionists believe that everyone who lives in our highly developed, polluted, fast-track environment requires additional supplementation to ensure that their bodies are optimally nourished. This is particularly important for people who take a lot of exercise and push their bodies to achieve results.
Micro-nutrients are the vitamins and minerals that we require to maintain all body processes. If they are low in our diets this can contribute to low energy, increased infections, long recovery from illness and injury, and general reduced feelings of well-being.
Unless you know your diet is absolutely 100 per cent – which is doubtful – we recommend you take a multivitamin, mineral and antioxidant as a good health insurance policy.
A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT YOU FANCY DOES YOU GOOD
Food must be enjoyed and you should not become totally obsessed with numbers of calories, nutrient and energy percentages. As with everything in life, moderation is the key. The occasional glass of wine, chocolate bar, crisps or gooey cake is not going to hurt. It's when these become a daily occurrence that problems arise.
ENERGY FOOD AND DRINK
When it comes to training and racing, taking on the right food and drink can make all the difference to your performance.
There is now a huge range of sports drinks for the rider to choose form, and for most of us the days of putting cold tea or lime cordial in your drinks bottle are long gone. The purpose of most modern sports drinks is to replace the water lost in sweat, helping to prevent dehydration and hyperthermia (overheating), and supplying additional carbohydrates to fuel performance. There is plenty of scientific evidence to show the combined ingestion of water and carbohydrate works independently and additionally to improve performance. But what exactly should you look for in a sports drink and when should you take it?
INGREDIENTS
Most drinks provide energy from carbohydrates. These can be in the form of glucose polymers (long chains of individual glucose units joined together) or free glucose.
To best meet the need for energy during exercise, a sustained release of glucose is required. Theoretically, glucose polymers could be better than free glucose, but the scientific evidence suggests polymers give no real performance advantage to the rider. If drinks are consumed too rapidly or are too concentrated, the rapid uptake of glucose into the blood can actually hinder performance by triggering the release of insulin. This in effect puts the brakes on fat oxidation, increasing the reliance on the body's limited carbohydrate stores and limiting endurance.
Sodium is an important component in any drink designed to prevent dehydration s it helps the body absorb water. The addition of sodium to sports drinks helps promote drinking and can also replace some of the sodium lost through sweating.
The effectiveness of sports drinks is partially dependent upon the rate at which the drink is passed from the stomach to the small intestine, where most of the water is absorbed. Some sports drinks are marketed on the basis that they are isotonic – they have the same balance of chemicals or ‘osmolality' as the body's fluids.
WHAT TO TAKE AND WHEN TO TAKE IT
In the two hours before exercise, a drink containing two to five per cent carbohydrate and about 20 to 25mmol/l sodium should be sipped regularly. This will maximise pre-race hydration and provide a small amount of energy to help preserve muscle glycogen reserves. Provided it is not consumed too quickly it will not trigger an insulin response. If a rider is already dehydrated (perhaps from an event earlier in the day), a sodium concentration of around 50 to 60mmol/l will help with hydration, however the carbohydrate concentration should still be around two to five per cent.
DURING THE EVENT
The composition of fluids used during exercise will depend on the relative needs to replace water and provide energy. In hot, humid conditions, fluid losses can reach two litres per hour. In these circumstances, the drink should contain between two and six per cent carbohydrate and 20 to 60mmol/l sodium. In cool conditions, dehydration is less of a problem than providing energy, making concentrated carbohydrate drinks more effective. Although carbohydrate concentrations as high as 15 to 20 per cent have been recommended, for many riders this is too concentrated and can result in stomach cramps.
AFTER THE EVENT
After exercise there is a need to rehydrate, restore muscle glycogen and provide some protein for tissue repair. During the recovery period more concentrated carbohydrate solutions (15-20 per cent carbohydrate) are better tolerated than during competition. These should be consumed as soon as possible after effort, when the body's ability to store ingested carbohydrate is maximal. The sodium content of drinks should be around 50 to 60mmol/l for recovery, as this results in the fastest rate of rehydration after exercise. None of the pre-mixed sports drinks provide sufficient sodium for optimal rehydration.
COMPOSITION OF POPULAR DRINKS |
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TAKEN DURING EXERCISE |
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Drink |
Carbohydrate |
Sodium |
Potassium |
Osmolality |
|
(%) |
(mmol/l) |
(mmol/l) |
(mosmol/l) |
GATORADE |
6.2 |
23 |
3 |
349 |
|
|
|
|
|
LUCOZADE |
6.4 |
23 |
3 |
280 |
SPORT |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ISOSTAR |
7.3 |
24 |
4 |
296 |
|
|
|
|
|
COCA COLA |
10.5 |
3 |
0 |
650 |
|
|
|
|
|
LUCOZADE |
18 |
0 |
0 |
658 |
|
|
|
|
|
Mmol/l – this is a measure of the concentration of specific minerals
Mosmol/l – this is a measure of the concentration of different dissolved compounds
Blood plasma has an osmolality of 290mosmol/l
Exercise increase potassium losses and the period after exercise is an ideal opportunity to replace this mineral. There is increasing evidence that the branched-chain amino acids leucine, isoleucine and valine could help recovery and they are present in some sports drinks. Taking aroung 10g of these specific amino acids has been shown to improve muscle recovery, reduce evidence of muscle damage, improve aspects of immune function and reduce infections.
FLUID FACTS
Sports drinks try to meet many different needs, and the formulation of popular products represents a compromise to meet the needs of most individuals in most situations. It is not surprising that most riders how huge variations in their ability to tolerate drinks of different composition. If you initially have problems such as stomach cramps with your chosen drink, don't despair. You could try making it more dilute and gradually increase the concentration as you start to feel happier with it.
If you want the optimum sodium concentration for rehydration, you could try adding table salt (sodium chloride) to one of the popular pre-mixed drinks. A level teaspoon of salt (about 3.4g) increases the sodium content of most pre-mixed sports drinks from 23mmol/l to about 50mmol/l. With practice, most riders find that they gradually improve their ability to drink large amounts of concentrated fluids during training and competition
ENERGY FOOD ON THE GO
It's vital to take energy on board, but there are plenty of tasty alternatives to the ubiquitous little rectangles…
Energy bars are scientifically constructed to provide calories and nutrition in exactly the right amount needed during exercise. In theory this makes them the perfect food to take on rides and races. In practice, though, not everyone likes them and they can be costly if you use them for all your training rides and racing. Sometimes the texture can be difficult when you are riding, and often you crave ‘real' food.
There are plenty of cheap alternatives to energy bars available in your local shop. Look for foods that are low in fat and high in carbohydrate. Cereal bars and dried fruits are good. Always try foods in training before using them in races, take a good supply of your favourites with you when travelling to races in case they aren't available when you get there. Vary the foods you take on really long rides: it is easy to get bored with just one flavour of bar.
In training it doesn't matter so much if you fumble a bit trying to unwrap your food but in races, when you may be tired or pushing yourself to the limit, struggling to get into your food is frustrating. Always rip open a corner of the packet before you start the race, cut bananas in half in their skins so they can be squeezed out rather than peeled. Cut up malt loaf and scrunch in silver foil and carry jelly babies and dried fruit loose.
HOW TO READ NUTRITION LABELS
When buying riding food it is important to read and understand the nutrition label. Manufacturers are not obliged by law to provide nutrition information, unless they make a nutrition claim. For those that do, certain rules must be followed.
The energy value of the food in kilojoules (kJ) and kilocalories (kcal) must be provided. The amount of protein, carbohydrate and fat in grams (g) must be provided. Optionally, unless a claim is made, the amounts of sugars, saturates, fibre and sodium can be provided.
Ingredients are listed in order of weight, according to the amounts that were used to make the food, starting with the largest ingredient and ending with the smallest.
Look at the total number of calories each bar has and compare where those calories are coming from. Ideally 70 per cent should be from carbohydrates with a little fat and some protein. To work it out, one gram of carbohydrate equals four calories, one gram of protein equals four calories and one gram of fat equals nine calories.
Compare where the carbohydrates are from. Sugars are absorbed more quickly than starch, so use higher sugar contents for bars you eat during a race. Look for low fibre content as fibre slows down absorption and can cause bowel discomfort. Fat slows down digestion so for instant energy during a race look for very low-fat products.
If you are doing a very slow but long event, something with fat in it is food, as you need the extra calories and the speed of absorption isn't as important. The one fat that defies this rule is MCT – medium chain triglyceride – which provides almost the same number of calories as fat but behaves like a carbohydrate. MCTs are burnt as energy at a faster rate than fat. Coconut oil contains MCTs and is a saturated fat, so look for that in the ingredients on cereal bars.
TAPERING AND CARBO-LOADING
Sadly, there are no ‘quick' training methods. The only way to achieve better condition is well planned, consistent work over a sustained period, usually measured in months rather than weeks.
However, what you can do at the last minute is prepare yourself properly for an event, particularly if it's long ride such as a time trial of 100 miles or more, a long road race or a sportive like the Etape. Long TTs are particularly demanding in this respect, since they demand a consistently high work rate, and unlike a road race, you can't sit in and have a rest.
There are three things you need to do, if you get them all right it can make an enormous difference. You need to rest, to eat, and to drink. But before you dive under the duvet with a six pack and a packet of pork scratchings, read on.
First, rest. The training most riders do for long events includes major mileage, which produces high levels of fatigue. To produce a good performance, you have to be fresh, and to achieve that you have to rest. This goes against the ingrained instinct of most cyclists, who worry that they need to stay in condition for the weekend after the event, and the weekend after that. The only way to do this, we reason, is to keep training.
GET FRESH
Getting fit is different to staying fit, and usually all you need to do by mid-season is stay fit.
Tapering down your training for a long race requires a balance between proper rest; days off or easy, short rides; and short, hard efforts to stimulate your system and ensure your body is ready for an optimum performance. You need to experiment to find what works best for you. In the week before, drastically reduce the amount of steady, endurance-type riding, but include some shorter, harder efforts.
FULLY LOADED
Secondly, you need to eat of the three main groups – protein, fat and carbohydrate, especially carbohydrate (CHO). Basically, the harder you exercise, the faster CHO in the form of blood glucose and muscle glycogen is used, and the larger these stores before exercise, the better the performance will be. Carbo-loading is very effective at increasing CHO stores. Doing it properly gives you a huge advantage in terms of the pace you will be able to sustain without blowing in the closing stages. The idea is pretty simple; eat a large quantity of CHO in the two or three days leading up to the competition. You can eat 500g of CHO in solid form, but it is not awfully pleasant. To make the quantity of food more bearable, cut right back on fat and protein. You probably know what foods contain too much fat already, but check that they don't contain a lot of protein. Potatoes, rice, and pasta are all good, as is white bread, and in general try to eat complex CHO rather than sugars. The last big meal should probably be at least eight hours before the event. It prevents you feeling too bloated and heavy at the start line - or at any rate, not more bloated and heavy than normal.
Finally, you need to drink more than usual. This is to ensure you are not dehydrated before the event starts, and because for every gram of CHO stored, two to three grams ??????? that during carbo-loading, body weight can increase by over two kilos. Don't let this worry you. The best guide in the two or three days before the event is to drink plenty, and ensure your urine is clear. This supply of water is released as the CHO stores are used up, which helps stave off dehydration.
The final preparation for the event is to have a meal of about 100g of CHO four hours or so before the start, and to ensure you keep hydrated. Drink about 200 to 300ml of water or energy drink on the start line, and keep drinking a suitable concentration of energy drink through the event.
SOMETHING EXTRA…
The complexity of the supplements issue stems largely from the word's definition. When spoken of in the context of nutrition a supplement is something added as an extra part of the diet. Therefore anything that is consumed in addition to the normal everyday diet could be considered is far too broad to be considered a supplement. This definition is far too broad to be considered in one article so for clarity we will look at sport and health-specific supplements, what some of the most used ones are and the reasons for and against using them.
The majority of supplements are taken to help you stay healthy and aid recovery. A high level of training puts a lot of stress on the body and can lead to a reduction in the efficiency of your immune system.
While the essential nutrients the body needs should all come from a good varied diet, this is easier said than done with modern lifestyles.
CREATINE
Creatine is an amino acid found in meat and is also produced in the human body. Stored as creatine phosphate it is involved in energy production for high intensity activity. By increasing the body's store resynthesis is sped up, allowing greater number of efforts. It is also believed to offset lactic acid production, which is a major limiting factor.
VITAMINS
Vitamins are organic substances (they aren't produced in the body) that are essential for metabolism, health and growth of the body, and are needed in very small amounts. Taking excessive amounts can lead to chronic toxicity and ensuing health problems. Although recommended daily amounts (RDA) present on labels are purely a guideline they should be taken note of. However, they are set using an average body size and type and don't take into account the increased stress the body of an athlete goes through.
ECHINACEA
Echinacea is a plant native to North America and has long been used to fight infections. Modern research has shown Echinacea to increase the number of white blood cells and their activity, thus boosting the immune system. Much current research has shown that Echinacea is best taken in liquid form as the process of making the capsules limits the herb's effectiveness.
If you think you need to take supplements then there are several things to consider.
The first thing to check is your diet. You should be able to meet all your nutritional demands through your diet; if you do not it is more important to look at why you aren't meeting the demands rather than rushing out to buy expensive supplements.
Many people do need to supplement their diets as modern farming and food preparation techniques rob much food of its essential nutrients. Also the increased levels of stress an athlete puts their body through further raises the body's nutritional demands.
Don't just buy the products that make the boldest claims on their packaging or those endorsed by famous names. If it's for health reasons you should first consider the symptoms you are displaying and work back from there. If you are still unsure as to what you need, do some further reading or seek medical advice.
You also need to be aware of mixing supplements. Taking one in seclusion often won't work, while some will inhibit the secretion of others, and too much of some will cause problems with others.
Nutrient balance is the key to health and performance – having too much can be as harmful as too little.
Most importantly, if you are a competitive cyclist and liable to any drug tests you should obtain a list of banned substances from Irish Cycling and cross-reference with the ingredients of the supplement. If you are unsure about the product contact the manufacturer and try to stick to reputable brands.
A special mention needs to be made about herbal products as the majority are not licensed and therefore are not regulated in regards to labelling and manufacturing.