Though we\u2019ve had a bit of a limp and understated start to the summer with the weather it still is race season and it\u2019s still important to know how to fuel and hydrate yourself approriate if\/ when the sun eventually decides to stick around a bit longer.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s still a few sportifs left for this season to nail your nutrition andhydration with these top tips from Ireland\u2019s leading sports nutritionist, Sharon Madigan.<\/p>\n
Sharon says that when the weather gets warmer, though there sjould be a focus on nutrtion \u2013 hydration and fluid intake should take priority.<\/p>\n
She says: \u201cIn terms of food and hydration when it\u2019s warmer weather \u2013 the focus should be on fluids \u2013 they should be a priority .\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSome people say when it comes to hydration and the use of carbs that the two go hand in hand \u2013 and that cramping can be a sign of insufficient fuel or energy for the body but it\u2019s more linked to muscle fatigue.\u201d<\/p>\n
She adds: \u201cIf you want to think of it like this \u2013 a badly serviced car will burn through oil quicker \u2013 and it\u2019s the same with your body if you haven\u2019t fuelled and hydrated yourself appropriately.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople will find they don\u2019t get the same distance in in hot weather as they would in milder conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n
The constantly changing weather conditions this summer makes it hard to anticipate and prepare \u2013 but Sharon says it\u2019s important to factor it in to both your training and subsequent recovery.<\/p>\n
She says:<\/p>\n
\u201cJust recently,\u00a0 I was in Cork for work and on one of the days it was 30 degree heat \u2013 while the day after it was 15 degrees-\u00a0 that\u2019s a 15 degree difference over the space of 24 hours \u2013 are people prepared for these varying temperatures?\u00a0 My guess would be no.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you were unfortunate enough to be out on that extremely hot evening you really need to factor those kind of varying temperatures\u00a0 – a hot evening like that will definitely have implications for your ability to recover post cycle. \u201c<\/p>\n
Energy gels are big nowadays –\u00a0 but are they the most effective way of getting carbs\/ energy in before a cycle? <\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re coming home from work and you\u2019re stuck\u00a0 and it\u2019s the gels or nothing else \u2013 but really a little bit of prep in this respect can go a long way,\u201d Sharon says.<\/p>\n \u201c You can make your own carrot cake or banana bread or even some kind of potatoes that will all keep you fuelled while you\u2019re out on the bike so you\u2019re not as reliant on gels etc\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n What about other sources of carbohydrates? <\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cWholegrains and higher fibre options are largely deemed as healthier options but Sharon has warned that – digestion can be slowed down or impeded by pre-race nerves \u2013 and it might be better to stick to something simple.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of the gels have really high caffeine content which is hard to tolerate on the stomach, and the same goes for some fructose based gels \u2013 but really, you should be practicing what works for you during your training sessions before you\u2019re in a race scenario.<\/p>\n The take home message for cyclists here \u2013 practice trialling the food\/hydration measures that work best for you when you\u2019re training \u2013 not when you\u2019re in a race scenario for the first time. <\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cIdeally \u2013 on one of your training evenings you should be practicing with different food and water\/ hyration sources and finding what works for you \u2013 and if you\u2019re going to make changes and introduce things you\u2019re not typically used to \u2013 do them slowly .\u201d<\/p>\n Sharon also recommended that if your race or event happens to be on in the evening, that having your main\/ balanced meal earlier in the day and keeping post-training snacks lighter:<\/p>\n \u201cOne thing I would say is not to skip as post training or post cycle meal \u2013 even if it\u2019s a small meal like a boiled egg on toast or something that you have prepped and ready to go like a smoothie or something that is going to tick those post training recovery boxes-\u00a0 it is crucial to refuel or you will find your ability to recover from training sessions is hampered,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n Another tip for warm warther cycling that Sharon has recommended is the use of ice drinks, or even ice lollies, as a cool down strategy, however, she has said that if using refined sugar options, to be mindful of the impact of these on dental health.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Though we\u2019ve had a bit of a limp and understated start to the summer with the weather it still is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":96,"featured_media":1006,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[67,1],"tags":[],"global-categories":[],"class_list":["post-1005","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nutrition-training","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n