Are you maximizing your weight management and performance?
After a break in training cyclist, runners,
triathletes, and fitness
enthusiasts are horrified at what the weight scale reveals. In an
effort to tip the scale in the other direction most individuals rush
out to pile on the mileage, add extra workouts, hammer harder, and
hammer longer. Initially there's a few pounds lost and they find
themselves hitting a plateau.
Here are a quick tip to dial in your training and to maximize your time
and results.
Get a nutrition log:
Start logging your foods and beverages that you consume. Monitor your
ratio of Carbs, Protein, and Fat. If you're an endurance athlete this
is a must. We'll use a cyclist as an example. On a long weekend ride
you may burn anywhere from 2,000 to 5,000 calories. Add this on top of
your "off the bike" daily needs and your looking at a whole lot of
calories. This is where your guesswork gets you into trouble. If you
under shoot your caloric needs you may not be restoring your glycogen
(carb) stores properly which can lead to a significant glycogen debt
which will impact your next day's workout. Chronic carb depletion will
have you breaking your body down and leave a lot to be desired for your
interval sessions. You may soon find yourself getting shelled off the
back of a group ride after 45- 60 minutes or worse sooner. Without
adequate glycogen stores (stored in muscles and liver) you'll be left
discouraged after your interval sessions. The next step in dialing in
your nutritional needs is to get your caloric readings while
exercising. This is typically a VO2 max, Metabolic profile, or VO2 submax test,
and in any case be sure to consult with your fitness professional to
insure that your getting data that you need. If you're a runner get
tested on a treadmill not a bike. Typically with such an assesment for
a cyclist you'll receive a pluthera of information ranging from heart
rate zones, wattage zone, and zone descriptions. With an assessment you
may find that you burn 11.2 calories per minute at a heart rate of 135
bpm (beats per minute) or wattage of 160w. So, if you were to ride for
120 minutes at 135 bpm or 160w you would burn approx. 1344 calories.
With this data it'll help you dial in your weight management and
maximize your performance.
Common weight management and performance pitfalls:
On weekday's with low workout volume - over consumption of calories
On weekend's with heavy volume - under fueling
Off day's - over consumption of calories
Day's with heavy volume are treated as a "cheat" day on nutrition
and fat intake is excessive