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Healthy cycling food Online
As you pump your legs, climb hills, and travel long distances, being a cyclist requires much power and energy. This means giving your body the fuel it needs to keep pedaling. However, with the mountain of information about cycling food available online, it can take time to know where to turn.
You have probably heard a thousand times before that everyone needs a balanced diet. This includes incorporating foods from all basic groups, from proteins to fats to carbohydrates. When creating a diet that will keep you moving and invigorated while cycling, you must ensure your nutritional intake includes plenty of foods that will provide energy, and fruits and vegetables should play a prominent role.
The Hidden Truth about Cycling Food
When learning about foods as a child, you were introduced to probably only two food groups: healthy and junk.
Foods packed with sugars, oil, preservatives, and artificial ingredients were junk, while fruits and vegetables were healthy. Being an avid cyclist, you must know about healthy cycling food.
Vegetables and fruits are the main focus when teaching anyone – from children to professional cyclists – about nutrition. These foods can fulfill many nutritional needs for a cyclist by providing important vitamins, such as C, E, and B complex, and antioxidants.
Free Radicals Created by Oxygen
As a cyclist, you know it is important to control your breathing and provide plenty of oxygen. You may be unaware, however, that this very oxygen can cause damage by producing and distributing free radicals. These free radicals react with atoms that build our cells and tissues. This causes a breakdown of muscles that might lead to fatigue and injury.
When atoms have unpaired electrons, as oxygen does, radicals with high chemical reactivity may wreak havoc on nearby cells if not addressed. The antioxidants found in many vegetables largely work to stop the effect of radicals and keep them from being absorbed. A basic knowledge of cycling nutrition facts can save a cyclist from these harms.
Below is a table showing vegetables that are known for their high Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacities (ORAC), which is essentially a measure of antioxidant properties.
Vegetable | ORAC |
---|---|
Kale | 11770 ORAC |
Spinach | 11260 ORAC |
Brussels sprouts | 1980 ORAC |
Alfalfa sprouts | 1930 ORAC |
Broccoli | 1890 ORAC |
Beets | 1840 ORAC |
Red bell peppers | 1710 ORAC |
Onions | 1450 ORAC |
Corn | 1400 ORAC |
Eggplant | 1390 ORAC |
Cycling Food Vitamins
Diet is always paired with exercise when it comes to developing a healthy lifestyle, and understanding cycling food nutrition facts can help you go a long way when cycling. In addition to incorporating carbs, proteins, and fats into your diet, you also need to give your body plenty of vitamins when cycling. A great way to do this is by enjoying fresh vegetables and fruits.
Fresh vegetables and fruits are the best cycling food: they will provide you with healthy carbohydrates and fiber, while also rehydrating your body, but this is not always feasible. Fortunately, you can take one of many nutritional supplements to get the necessary vitamins.
Vitamin A
Especially when biking at night, you will want to keep your eyesight sharp. Vitamin A, also known as retinol, can help you maintain a strong vision and avoid night blindness. To increase your intake of vitamin A, you can add more grapefruit, mango, and watermelon to your meals. For a list of fruits and vegetables and their retinol content, check out the chart below:
Item | IU | % RDA |
---|---|---|
Sweet potatoes | 19218 | 384% |
Carrots | 16706 | 334% |
Dried apricots | 3604 | 72% |
Cantaloupe | 33821 | 68% |
Papaya | 10941 | 22% |
Mangoes | 765 | 15% |
Tomatoes | 833 | 17% |
Peaches | 326 | 7% |
B-Complex Vitamins
Healthy cycling food is needed to increase and maintain energy levels. The B-complex vitamins are the ones to look for to achieve this goal. B vitamins give you a boost and can help with brain health and coordination. Fortunately, many different fruits, including blueberries, strawberries, bananas, and peaches, are rich in B vitamins and antioxidants, to name a few.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is known for strengthening the body and the immune system, which is helpful for serious cyclists. This vitamin can reduce the breakdown of muscle tissues during biking exercise by limiting the release of cortisol. The following chart provides you with great examples of cycling food that are great sources of vitamin C:
Item | mg per 100 gram serving | % RDA |
---|---|---|
Guava | 228 | 381% |
Kiwi fruits (Chinese gooseberries) | 93 | 155% |
Papayas (lechoza, mamao, pawpaw) | 62 | 103% |
Oranges and Clementine's (tangerines) | 59 | 99% |
Strawberries | 59 | 98% |
Acerola (West Indian cherry) | 1678 | 2796% |
Black currants | 181 | 302% |
Pummelos | 61 | 102% |
Sun-dried tomatoes | 102 | 170% |
Cantaloupe | 37 | 61% |
Tomatoes | 23 | 39% |
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is beneficial for increasing strength. It can also help to reduce the amount of time that muscles need to recover. It is easiest to find high concentrations of this vitamin among dark green leafy vegetables and fruits. For example, avocados, papaya, and olives can help you meet your daily needs.
Item | mg per 100 gram serving | % RDA |
---|---|---|
Sunflower seeds | 36.6 | 121% |
Dried apricots | 4.33 | 14% |
Pickled green olives | 3.81 | 13% |
Amazing Cycling Foods
- Radishes provide more than powerful flavor – these vegetables also contain molybdenum. Molybdenum is a mineral that helps your body use carbs and sugars as efficiently as possible by boosting cell energy production.
- Sweet Potato can do more than prevent leg cramps. While the potassium found in sweet potatoes is beloved by cyclists who want to reduce the risk of muscle constriction, sweet potatoes are also a great source of healthy carbohydrates. They are easy to digest, meaning your body can quickly convert them into energy.
- Leafy greens are a real treasure of iron. Their use can increase muscle mass. Leafy greens provide iron, which is used to form red blood cells. The higher amount of RBCs means the blood can carry and transfer oxygen to every body part. This is beneficial to avoid weakness and muscle mass generation during cycling. Also, leafy greens can boost the metabolism and burn the extra fat immediately with cycling.
- Spinach helps your body to breathe. If your body does not have enough iron, you may develop anemia, which makes it difficult for the tissues throughout your body to receive oxygen. This lack of oxygen leads to fatigue. Fortunately, one cup of spinach each day can prevent this problem.
Where to Buy Cycling Food?
If you are interested in buying cycling food, you are invited to visit these trusted online stores:
Buying Cycling Food on eBay
Last Word About Cycling Food
A cyclist must know about his diet. A proper and balanced diet may prevent injuries and bring results in a short time. Fruits and vegetables must be a part of this diet plan. Save and optimize your body with healthy cycling food. There are tons of helpful fruits and vegetables out there that can provide cyclists with many additional benefits. You can improve your bicycle-riding experience by continuing to try new cycling food and creating a balanced, nutritious diet.
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