Nutritional Stuff

[jordan]

Hey, I need some help here. Recently I've gotten into riding my bike. Don't know why, just found it and started riding it and got hooked. But now I have this problem: it's getting more and more difficult each day. I try to do an intense, hilly ride one day, a few days of a more flat, easy workout and then back to the intense one and so on. But what I've found is, especially after the intense rides, it's a lot harder to ride the next day. I'm going to assume it's because I'm not eating right after a workout.

 

I usually finish and drink a lot of water and then don't usually eat much (because the water is sort of filling). Is there anything I should eat special before and after these sorts of workouts that would help?

[Yggdrasil]

After working out, the carbohydrate supplies of your muscles are depleted. Eating foods rich in carbohydrates (rice, pasta, bread, etc.) right after you work out helps replenish those supplies faster so that your muscles will have more fuel available for the next time you work out. Even something small, such as a fruit (which contains simple sugars) and a bagel (which contains complex carbohydrates), would help replesnish your muscles' supply or carbs.

[YT2095]

Potassium rich foods such as bananas are also excellent.

avoid dairy products though, as they contribute to Lactic Acid build up in joints and creates that "Ache" feeling the next day.

[coquina]

I've read that you shouldn't do the same exercise everyday, because you overwork the same set of muscles. Also, you should alternate on cardio and strengthening exercises. You could alternate with some weight training exercises on the upper body and on the side of the legs. A sports doctor told me that a lot of knee injuries occur because the muscles that support the knee from the front and back are much stronger than the ones that support it from side to side. Get some ankle weights - lay on your right side and lift your right leg as high as you can to strengthen the outer leg muscle - then raise the opposite leg which will strengthen the inside thigh muscle.

 

Do at least 2 sets of 10.

[jordan]

Hey thanks for the help.

 

coquina: I do try to alternate the endurance with the sprints but I guess it's still all the same muscle groups in the end. I'll try throwing in a few different types of workouts in between.

 

Would peanut butter be a good food to eat?

[YT2095]

Peanut Butter is a GREAT food to eat

 

and pound for pound it has more protein than best steak! so it will aid in building muscle mass as will beans and chicken (skinless).

 

pasta and starchy foods are ok in moderation if you can ensure using it all up when you "Carb Load", Rice is a much better alternative though

 

also with the penut butter, try and get a reduced salt variety, you do need salt sure, but some is really packed with it AND sugar, that`s not so good.

[Aardvark]

coquina: I do try to alternate the endurance with the sprints but I guess it's still all the same muscle groups in the end.

 

Coquina has made a very important point. If you want to build up muscles and fitness exercise alone is not enough. Your muscles need time after the exercise in which to respond to the workout and grow stronger. Simply exercising with no days of will not result in greater fitness. After a heavy workout you should allow the tired muscles at least one day and preferably two days of recovery time.

 

Just remember, recovery time is as important to muscle development/fitness as the exercise itself.

[Aardvark]

pasta and starchy foods are ok in moderation if you can ensure using it all up when you "Carb Load", Rice is a much better alternative though

 

How do you go about 'Carb loading' and what would be the problem if the carbs weren't all used up, also why is rice better? i like pasta so this worries me