Professional cycling is one of the most demanding sports in the world, and diet plays a very important part in staying competitive. You have to plan your meals around cycling, and eat the right types of food to give you energy, and to build and repair your muscles. You have to eat more carbohydrates and drink more water than most people, and you need to eat significant amounts of protein to restore muscles, as well as fruit and vegetables for nutrients.
Function
Some days, a pro cyclist will race or train for 100 miles or more. This means that you will burn off around 5,000 calories. The typical man is recommended to eat 3,000 calories a day while a woman should normally eat 2,000, so pro cyclists need to eat almost twice as much as the average person just to replenish their bodies after a race. However, pro cyclists do not make up those calories with junk food, but with large portions of nutritious, wholesome food. A pro cycling diet will give you the energy to complete a race, and the nutrients necessary to facilitate your recovery. Without these nutrients, your performance will dip and your immune system will be damaged, according to bottombracket.com.
Foods
Because carbohydrates give you the energy to race and train, they should make up between 50 and 70 percent of your diet. Avoid refined starchy foods, like white bread, because they lack vital nutrients. Choose whole grain cereals, brown bread and pasta, and wild rice. Many cyclists eat brown pasta or rice for breakfast, along with toast and an omelet, according to Peak Performance. After racing, eat a meal of 100 grams of carbohydrates, and 50 grams every two hours thereafter. You need protein to help your muscles grow. Good sources are fish, turkey, chicken and lean steak. A protein source is typically eaten at dinner to help repair muscle damage. Fruit and vegetables help repair muscle tissue and give you energy, and at least five portions should be eaten either before or after cycling. Drink at least 5 liters of water per day.
Significance
Diet is just as important as training for pro cyclists. Without eating a healthy, balanced diet, you will never succeed, but to make the step up from amateur to professional, you also need to train hard. Most days, you will need to spend several hours on your bicycle in various conditions, in both indoor and outdoor environments, on flat and hilly terrain, and sometimes with weights attached to your bike. If you want to make it as a pro cyclist, it takes discipline and you need to shape your life around the sport, including making time for meals and training endeavors.
Benefits
To make it as a pro cyclist, you need to cut down on junk food like candy, potato chips and saturated fat. By doing this, you lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer. Instead of eating foods like cheeseburgers, you will need to get your fat from foods like avocados, which are high in monounsaturated fat and lower cholesterol. Bones, skin, teeth and hair will all improve from the increase in nutrients.
Considerations
Some pro cyclists incorporate supplements and steroids into their diets to help them train and build muscles. Steroids are never recommended and you should consult your doctor before taking any supplements.
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