Yes, there it is again, the black sausage. Or white sausage, or alternatively red sausage or blue sausage. Every time you take off your jacket, it swells out at your hips. Depending on the colour of the jersey, in every conceivable shade. But why do you have a bulge of fat over your waistband where Markus Kaufmann or Karl Platt have taut muscles? Why do you have to agonise on the climbs when others are cranking along in paradisiacal ease? Is it because the pros train so hard or because they skilfully navigate through the jungle of nutritional sins?
If you read on, you quickly realise that both have their part to play - but also that anyone could be this well-trained. Why? Because you have made it this far, because your great-great-great-great-great ancestors were fit enough to escape the sabre-toothed tiger and survive war and famine. Incidentally, your ancestors also managed to reproduce despite all the hardship. And now you are sitting here, the selection of the strongest genes that have been trimmed for survival, asking yourself: How do I awaken my turbo gene pool? Quite simply: by giving it the right stimulus.
Nutrition plays a huge part in this. Because only those who eat according to their needs will realise their full potential. Our ten commandments are designed to show you how you can use the right food to elicit your performance reserves and banish the excess weight. We take on nutrition myths and show you what is really true. The truth often lies in the middle, and any radical form of nutrition - whether it's an abundance of vegetables or too much sugar - has negative consequences. If you avoid the ten biggest nutritional sins with our tips, you will build up your fitness and soon feel like you're in a biker's paradise. Then you'll no longer have a bulge of fat hanging over your waistband. Even if you treat yourself to a veal sausage every now and then.
1. you should not give up sweets in the evening
In the evening, insulin levels react less sensitively to carbohydrates and promote a good night's sleep. You know the advice: no carbohydrates in the evening. Amateur athletes who only train in the evening can safely put this idea out of their minds, because this is when carbohydrates can work wonders. After sport, bikers benefit from the quick energy of carbohydrates. The release of insulin (insulin is the most anabolic hormone in our body) repairs damaged structures more quickly and the athlete has energy again the next day. In the morning, however, you should avoid carbohydrates (if you are not doing sport), as the body is otherwise primarily programmed to use carbohydrates as a source of energy.
2. you should eat under full load
The biggest mistake that many bikers make: They don't eat enough under high exertion. If you push hard on the pedals, you easily burn 1000 to 1400 kilojoules (at a rider weight of 75 kilograms). Because our body has an efficiency of around 25 per cent, we have to consume 4000 or more kilojoules (around 1000 calories) to do this. Our muscles and liver store about 500 to 600 grams of energy in the form of glycogen. This is sufficient for one hour to a maximum of 90 minutes under high exertion. Therefore: Under full load, eat 90 grams of carbohydrates every hour from minute 20 onwards (our intestines cannot process more than this) so that the tank always remains reasonably full.
3. thou shalt not experiment
If you use new powders, gels and bars without thinking, you shouldn't complain about a queasy stomach. Gels, bars and the like were developed for one reason: to provide as much energy as possible in a short space of time. But our digestive system has to be able to cope with this. The high-energy mixtures buy their energy density with ingredients that can sometimes be quite harmful. A lot of fructose can massively impair digestion. Too much dextrose leads to a bloated stomach. Medium-chain fatty acids also have a laxative effect if the dose is too high. If you want to show off your form during a race and don't want to end up in the loo, you should test out the quick fixes beforehand.
4. thou shalt not plunder
Night eating syndrome particularly affects active athletes who cannot control their food intake. Although well over 70 studies have already looked into NES, scientists are not really conclusive about the nocturnal binge eating. Nevertheless, if you don't raid the fridge regularly (over a period of three months), you can rest assured. Athletes usually have a lack of energy, especially if they have exercised in the evening. The solution is simple: eat more after training.
5 Thou shalt not drink water
Pure water can deprive the body of electrolytes, and that can be really dangerous. You know the saying: always drink enough and you'll be fine. However, this is only half the truth, because pure water does not remain in the body and increases the effect of dehydration. This water intoxication (hyponatraemia) can be fatal. If you sweat a lot, for example through sport, and drink too much low-sodium water (tap water), the sodium content in your blood drops. The cells in the body swell up, leading to headaches and nausea, and in the worst case hyponatraemia can even be fatal. If you want to be on the safe side on hot days, you should add 1 to 2 grams of salt to one litre of water.
6. thou shalt not renounce
Gluten-free, lactose-free, paleo or vegan - how beneficial is food exclusion really? Basically, you can set your watch by it: Every few months, a new diet pops up that presents itself as the ultimate in health benefits. For athletes, this usually means giving up a lot of food. But is this justified? Yes and no, because a radical change can only make sense if there really is an intolerance or intolerance. In suspected cases, have a doctor test you before you change your life.
7 Thou shalt not live in want
If you don't fuel your body during training, you lose performance and training stimulus. Everyone is talking about sober training and it is regarded as the ultimate key to getting in shape. But those who train without fuel have a few things to consider. Although the body learns to metabolise fats better and reduces the build-up of lactate, the athlete must pay particular attention to the intensity and length of the fasting ride (maximum two hours, low intensity). Travelling too fast depletes the glycogen stores (carbohydrate reserves in the body) and leads to a hunger pang. As a result, recovery takes longer and the immune system suffers.
8. you should eat less fruit
Too much fruit makes you hungry and puts unnecessary strain on the liver. It's better to go for vegetables. In addition to vitamins, health-promoting plant substances, fibre and enzymes, fruit also contains fructose (fruit sugar), which is metabolised in the liver. Eating too much of it can impair the liver's ability to detoxify. 25 grams of fructose a day is not a problem - but even a glass of apple juice contains 20 grams. An overdose can lead to a fatty liver. In addition, fructose does not send a satiety signal to the body and juices provide unnecessary calories in concentrated form.
9. you shall drink coffee
It is said to dehydrate and damage the stomach, but in moderation the pick-me-up is considered to be good for your health. If you like drinking coffee and feel good when you do, enjoy it. There are currently no valid findings that coffee consumption is detrimental to health. Studies tend to show the opposite, because according to one study, the arteries of coffee drinkers (3 to 5 cups a day) are less prone to calcification than those of bean muffins. But here too, nothing has been proven, only statistical correlations are available.
10. you should keep your hands off pills and powders
Food supplements can be useful, but you can usually achieve far more with a good everyday diet. The boom in the number of new dietary supplements could be labelled a pill craze. Many athletes think that special proteins, carbohydrates or training boosters will make them better athletes. Wrongly thought, because there is often much more potential hidden in a healthy diet. Simply mixing yourself a homemade green smoothie every day improves your intestinal flora so much that nutrients are absorbed much better. It is not for nothing that green shakes are a classic therapy for cancer and HIV patients. If you also limit your sugar intake and consume more healthy fats (omega 3), you will achieve far more than any magic powder promises.
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Interview with Clemens Hesse, sports scientist:
WHY NOT EAT CHOCOLATE AFTER TRAINING?
You train Tour de France riders as well as Transalp winners. Do experienced athletes still sin these days?
Sometimes even a lot. This usually starts with what you eat in everyday life. Most of the professionals I start with have to change their diet in order to cope with the training stimuli. They often don't realise what food does to the body - they just stuff it in. But that only works up to a certain point, and if you want to play at the top, you also have to professionalise your diet.
So is this an uninteresting topic for hobby bikers?
Not at all. Recreational athletes usually benefit even more from a balanced diet than professional athletes. Take weight loss, for example: professional athletes have such a high calorie intake that they can hardly put on weight, but recreational athletes cannot. If you pay attention to the composition of your nutrients, you will quickly lose the extra pounds. Weight loss in normal mortals is 90 per cent a question of diet.
That sounds too easy to be true. Which sins do I need to leave behind?
It's simple: the right combination of carbohydrates, fats and proteins is crucial. Athletes often eat too little during exercise and too much afterwards. The equation is simple: more carbohydrates on exercise days, more fat and protein on days off. If you do this, you have implemented 95 per cent of all diet guides correctly. Weight loss is simple.
But that also requires discipline, doesn't it?
Most people fail because they start too ambitiously. My advice: it's better to get 80 per cent right than to give 110 per cent for two days and drop out frustrated on the third day. You should allow yourself time for treats. Why not eat chocolate after training, especially after strength training?
