Finally, I've read a book which offers comprehensive yet comprehendable nutrition advice for cyclists.
It's practical, right down to providing a daily menu - what weight of which food you should eat. There's even a shopping list.
I thought I'd share this with you, but please note, I get absolutely no kick-back from this, financial or otherwise. I'm just sharing the info.
Oh, but you might win a free copy. So if you want to learn what you should be eating, please keep reading.
I heard nutritionist Kelli Jennings answering questions from listeners and the 'experts' on the
Cycling360 podcast I mentioned yesterday. I was impressed, not only because she has all the right letters after her name, but because her approach was practical and accessible.
I subscribed to her
FuelRight blog and poked around her website
ApexNutritionLLC. I discovered Kelli works one-to-one with athletes (and others) who want to loose weight or improve their nutrition for different types of events.
Eventually, I got hold of her $20 eBook
Fuel Right, Ride Light Sports Nutrition Plan. You can go deeper and get one-on-one advice, but for me, that will have to wait.
However, you could get a free copy of this eBook, so please keep reading.
Kelli breaks eating down into two types - Daily Nutrition and Training Nutrition.
[Kelli explains this better than me in this short pdf. There's a little more detail in the Cycling for Optimal Weight pamphlet she co-authored for Loving the Bike.}
The book goes into detail about the science of carbs protein and fats, and why certain types of food are better than others. If you thought carbs were carbs, and the only difference was the GI, then you will be as enlightened as I was. Oh, and you might not eat white pasta again. Vitamin supplements, probiotics and more are all discussed at a level which I could understand and which kept my interest.
But it's the practical stuff which is... well, very practical.
With the help of online calculators that account for age, weight, activity level and other variables, you establish your daily calorific needs.
And those
online calculators are here, free to use.
However, the book gives you the access codes to the members area of the site, where you download the appropriate eating plan to deliver those calories.
Breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, mid-afternoon snack, and evening meal: each one is set out like a menu, right down to portion size. It's exactly what I wanted - all the background info yet practical "eat this" advice handed to me on a plate. Literally.
OK, so measurements are in "cups" and "ozs" which is a pain in Europe, but it's simple to buy some
measuring cups
to get it right.
Training nutrition is easy.
Most cyclists know what they have to eat before, during and after a ride.
Daily Nutrition is the tough one to get right, and this book has helped me, a habitual snacker, with mental strategies too.
OK - so how to get a free copy.
Kelli will give three free copies of her book to the first three people who leave their email address in the comments below.
If you're worried about getting Spam think:
1. how many times you give out your e-mail address when ordering stuff
2. you can disguise it from bots by using AT and DOT
3. quickly set up a disposable Hotmail or Gmail address
If there are three or more comments, then I'm sorry, you're too late. But Please check out Kelli's site.
. So I've shot this video (almost) entirely on that camera using the on-board mic. There are a couple of GoPro shots in there but very few. Otherwise it was me, the Sony, a GorillaPod
, and lots of running around. The video is also on YouTube.
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