Head down, ass up? You need to think about what you’re doing and look after yourself on and off the bike.
Cycling coach Jonathan Gibson talks us through 10 common sense tips for getting the best out of ourselves covering all aspects of the sport, from clothing to training and diet.
1. Under & Over Hydration
Both under & over hydration will lead to disruption in the salt levels in your blood and massively impact your performance. Research has suggested 500-750 mil/hr will deal with most athletes’ needs under general conditions. Remember that both too little and too much liquid will cause you to underperform. If you need to consume over 850mil/hr it is recommended that you pay particular attention to additional electrolyte in your liquid in order to prevent dilution of the salt levels in your blood. Remember, some days you may only need to consume 500-700 mil/hr and others it will be 600-800 mil/hr. So use your training to evaluate your own personal requirements. The values here are relevant to a 75kg male athlete.
Advertisement
2. Not Eating Protein During & After Exercise
In order to prevent your body from wasting lean muscle tissue it is important that you consume some protein on rides longer than two hours. For some riders it might be as low as 1hr 45mins and for others may be as long as 2hrs 30mins into their training session before their body starts to utilize protein to fulfil its energy requirements. Protein could end up providing anything between 5 per cent & 15 per cent of your energy requirements. A simple and easy way to ascertain if this is happening to you during your ride is to smell your base layer post training. If it has a high ammonia smell then you’re deficient in carbohydrates and using protein for fuel. There are various products on the market for dealing with this problem.
3. Wrong Food Type Consumption During Exercise
Eating too much solid food close to an event will cause bloating, nausea and lethargy. It will also divert blood away from the active muscle to the stomach to digest the food. In addition to this the digestive enzymes, fluids and time involved will reduce your performance capabilities. Research has shown that liquid food and gels have not reduced performance as much as solid foods have. It is understandable in long stage races that solid food must be eaten but this is done on a controlled basis by the professionals and years of experience have thought them to eat what suits them best. For the one-day racers and sportive riders the liquid product affords the best performance benefits. So eat your last solid meal three hours before you start and then continue on the liquids and gels until the finish.
4. Wrong Pre Race/Workout Fuelling Strategy
Don't stuff yourself the night before an event in the name of carbo-loading. Excess carbs will be stored as fat. For an athlete to maximize glycogen stores it takes many weeks of training and post workout refuelling techniques to fully load glycogen stores. Your pre race meal should only top off what you have burnt off from your meal the previous night. You should only top off what you have been burning and allow the main meal to be digested.
5. Doing or trying something new for the first time
The most important thing that you do on race day is to be consistent with your strategies and habits pre, during and post race. Use the strategies that have worked for you in the past. This is the wrong time to be introducing some new element into your racing strategy. It could go well or more often than not it could go pear-shaped. If you have a new or novel idea and think that it might benefit your performance try it out in training and see what advantage it gives you. And also think about the practicalities of trying to introduce it into a race scenario of 150 riders tearing down the road.
Related News
6. Staying true to your strategy
Once you have landed at your race and are committed to your strategy, stay committed. One of the fundamental things athletes do wrong is to doubt themselves or their strategy and then change it half way through a race or even before it has begun. You might have decided to TT at a particular heart rate or you might have decided to watch a particular athlete who is performing well. If you have chosen a strategy, commit to it; stick with it. It is understandable that at times one might have to change a strategy because of external factors. But in the main the athlete should have full commitment and belief in his or her own strategy. You can always change it after the race and improve it for the next event through your post race debrief.
7. Too much pre race training and not enough recovery
Once the racing season starts, athletes tend to keep training at pre race season levels and don't allow enough recovery time during the week between events. This leads to a build up of stress in the body and eventually will bring the athlete deep into the valley of fatigue. Once this happens the athlete’s performance will decline, global mood disturbances will become apparent and the desire to race will diminish. It is always good to be fresh when racing. Be sure to monitor fatigue levels and take a rest week every month. As you age, you require more time for recovery so keep this in mind.
8. Poor General Body Maintenance
Simple things like not cleaning shorts can lead to saddle sores, even if only used for a few minutes. Poor hand hygiene can lead to stomach upsets, not getting a massage very often can lead to tightness and trigger points developing throughout the body and lead eventually to imbalances and injury. Not dealing with a little niggle in the knee can lead to maybe full blown tendentious. So because you are using your body at a high level and introducing a high level of stress it is important that you listen to your body and have your checkups done regularly.
9. Correct Clothing for the Event
When racing or competing in a sportive it is important that you are as comfortable for the day as possible. Always check the local weather for the day and ensure you have enough clothing needed for the conditions. It is easier to take clothing off than put it on. If you have a problem doing this I recommend you go to a quiet road and practice how to put a rain cape on and off. Do the same with gloves and overshoe. If nothing it will help you improve your bike handling skills. Service cars, team cars and even marshals will all take a rain cape off you. You can even put your race bag into the team car which might contain arm-warmers or heavier gloves should conditions deteriorate during an event. So be smart and be ready.
10. Don't believe everything you hear
The world of sports is full of stories from the hero to the man you only and will only ever meet once. Most of what you hear will be fiction; from guys not training and being off the bike for 10 years and winning, to guys working 40 hours a week and doing 25 hours on the bike. Be fair to yourself and develop what works for you. If you need answers, contact a coach or someone with experience in the field you’re enquiring about. Seek out people currently looking after top athletes, as they will be the ones with the most up to date information.
Jonathan Gibson is a racing cyclist and runs his own coaching and athlete testing business – Sports & Exercise Engineering. He is a certified strength & conditioning coach and has a diploma in orthopedic massage & injury management. A former Irish squad rider, he was also a schoolboy international swimmer. As well as his current work with cyclists he has also worked with swimmers and gymnasts.
Topics
