NUTRITION

GUIDE
WELCOME
Cycling is fairly unique as a sport in that it’s relatively easy to keep fuelled while you’re
doing it. You can carry a veritable picnic in your jersey pockets and this makes incredible
feats of endurance possible. However there is a lot of confusion and misinformation about
how best to fuel your riding and how to use nutrition to optimise your cycling performance.
Working with the riders on the Great Britain Cycling Team, it’s only with solid nutritional
support that they’re able to consistently train and perform at the highest level. Similarly,
if you fail to fuel your cycling correctly, you’ll be compromising the quality of your training
and limiting your performance on event day.

In this E-book, we’ll focus on fuelling for a sportive or long training ride. We’ll look at the day
before, breakfast, eating on the bike and how to utilise nutrition to maximise your recovery.
We’ll also discuss considerations for vegetarian and vegan cyclists, weight loss and
supplements. With this information, you’ll be able to plan your perfect nutritional strategy,
refine and practice it in training and then implement it on event day.

Eat right and ride strong,

Lauren Delany and Kathryn Brown, Great Britain

Cycling Team Nutritionists
THE DAY BEFORE
For a sportive or long training ride, what you eat the day before can have
a big impact. The importance of good nutrition the day before increases
depending on how early the next day you’re starting riding. So, if it’s a
crack of dawn start, like many sportives are, what you eat the day before
is key.

Little and often Avoid Rule of thirds

Aim for a good carbohydrate intake to Avoid strange, new, unusual or highly For your evening meal, something like
ensure full energy stores but spread it out spiced food if you’re not used to it. It’s also chicken, rice and vegetables is ideal. Think
throughout the day with quality meals and sensible to keep fibre intake moderate to about the rule of thirds with a third of your
regular snacking. Stick to foods that you’re low and to steer clear of high fat foods as plate covered by colourful vegetables or
familiar with, keep it simple and easy to this can slow digestion. salad, a third by carbohydrates like pasta,
digest. rice or potatoes and a third with protein like
Plan for travel chicken, fish or beef.
Hydrate
Ensuring you’re well hydrated the day If your ride is very long or starts especially
Ensuring you’re well hydrated the day before is very important, especially if you’ve early, you might want to consider upping
before is very important, especially if you’ve an early start and limited time for hydration the carbohydrates to half the plate, having
an early start and limited time for hydration in the morning. Drink little and often and a healthy low-fat dessert or maybe a bowl
in the morning. Drink little and often and monitor the colour of your urine, aiming for of cere-al before turning in.
monitor the colour of your urine, aiming for a light straw colour. If you find the fluids are
a light straw colour. If you find the fluids are passing through you too quickly, add some A massive bowl of pasta with a relatively
passing through you too quickly, add some electrolytes. small amount of sauce won’t fulfil the
electrolytes. rule of thirds and is a bit old school.
Sleep tight You can only store a limited amount of
Avoid drinking excessive fluids in the 60- carbohydrates and if you’ve eaten well
90 minutes before going to bed. Camomile throughout the day, you don’t need huge
tea and warm milk can both help with amounts to fill it. Also, if you’ve been
getting to sleep and research has shown tapering into the event, your energy stores
that cherry juice, such as SiS REGO Cherry will probably only require topping up.
Juice, which contains a natural source of
melatonin, is also good.

Recipe suggestions:
Peppered beef and vegetable stir-fry
PRE-RIDE BREAKFAST
What you eat and when you eat breakfast can have a profound
effect on your ride. As with all aspects of cycling nutrition, follow the
advice below but tailor it to you individual requirements, physiology
and the ride you’re doing. Practice your routine in training and then
stick to it for events.

When?
General advice is to eat 2-4 hours before
you start riding. However, along with your How much
individual preference and tolerance, this Carbohydrates are the priority and you
can vary. should be looking to consume 1-2 g/kg of
body-weight. For a typical sportive, you’d
Intensity also has an effect. If you know probably be looking at the middle of that Protein
that the ride will start at a fairly sedate range.
pace, you can probably get away with a It’s not all about carbohydrates. Even
later breakfast. Conversely, if you know it’ll For an 80kg rider that would translate to endurance athletes should be looking to
be hard from the off, you’ll want to ensure 80-160g. A large serving of porridge with consume 20-40g of protein every 3-4
your breakfast has had enough time to be milk and a large banana would get them hours to protect lean tissue mass and
well digested. into that range. facilitate adaptation to training.

However, the intensity and duration of your If you’re having breakfast 2 hours before
ride and how you’re intending to fuel on the you head out and then riding for 4-5 hours,
bike will also impact on how much you need you’ll need some protein at breakfast
to consume at breakfast. and some on the bike to prevent muscle
breakdown.
What to eat
Porridge is the go-to breakfast for a lot of
our riders as oats are a great slow release
carbohydrate source. You can make it
with milk and stir in Greek yoghurt or SiS
Whey protein to meet your protein needs.
Alternatively some eggs are an excellent
protein accompaniment to your porridge or
you could try a smoothie.

Hydration
Even if you’ve hydrated well the day
before, it’s not unusual to wake up slightly
dehydrated. You should therefore aim to
sip on fluids throughout the morning. Don’t
forget that fruit juices or a sports drink can
also help to up your carbohydrate intake.

Coffee
Many cyclists can’t function, let alone ride,
without a coffee and caffeine does have
proven performance benefits and will help
to ensure you’ve cleared your gut before
heading out. However you don’t need huge
amounts and need to be careful of how you
time drinking it.

Away from home

If you’re staying in a hotel, check when you
book what time they serve breakfast and
what’s on offer. If it’s too late or not suitable,
plan to be self-sufficient. If you have a
fridge in your room, overnight oats are
probably the easiest. With a kettle, porridge
pots provide another easy option.

Recipe suggestions:
Porridge
Overnight Oats
Porridge Bread

Porridge
Overnight Oats
Poached eggs and smashed avocado on
toast
ON THE BIKE
Fuelling on the bike is all about eating little, early and often. It’s
important to remember that you’re not eating for that moment but
for 10-20km down the road. As with all aspects of cycling nutrition,
practice and perfect your on the bike fuelling strategy in training and
stick to it on event day.

How much?
As a general rule of thumb, for a sportive or training ride up to around the 4-5 hour mark,
you should be looking to consume 30-60g of carbohydrates per hour. Below are some
examples of how you could hit that requirement:

• Two SiS GO Energy + Electrolyte gels (22g of carbohydrates each) = 44g

• Five fig rolls (12g of carbohydrates each) = 60g

• One mini white pitta breads with tbsp honey = 34g

• Two British Cycling Rice Cakes (17g of carbohydrates each) = 34g

• One British Cycling banana and oat muffin = 33g

• Two slices of malt loaf (25g carbohydrates each) = 50g

Don’t forget protein When and how often? Gels vs food?

For rides over 5 hours, you should also be Don’t wait until you start to feel hungry A mixture is best as too many gels can
looking to take on some protein. This will or flat to start eating. It’s important to eat definitely be an irritant to the gut.
help to prevent muscle breakdown and every 30 minutes right from the start of the
help you to feel fuller. A ham sandwich or ride. If you tend to forget, set an alarm. Real food has the advantages of making
an SiS Whey20 protein gel, delivering 20g you feel full, a tasty snack can be
of protein, at the mid-point of the ride is The route you’re riding or if you’ve got some motivating and the energy will be released
probably easiest. efforts planned can also impact on when steadily. Gels are convenient and can give
you should eat. Take advantage of flat roads you a fast energy boost.
and descents to eat and, if you know you’ve
got a hard climb or an effort coming up, 10- Choose real food when you know the
15 minutes before it can be a good time to intensity will be lower, again, check out
pop a gel. route profiles. Opt for gels when the
intensity ramps up or if you need a fast lift.
Hydration
Even in cold conditions, it’s important to keep well hydrated. How much you need to drink
will vary significantly based on individual physiology, conditions and riding intensity. As a
rough guide, most riders will typically drink between 500ml - 750ml per hour.

You can test your needs in training by weighing yourself naked before and after a ride. If
your weight has dropped more than 2%, you could do with drinking more. Aim to maintain
your weight before and after a ride.

A decent guideline though is to try and take a good sip from your bottle every 10 minutes.

You can obviously drink straight water but it makes sense to drop in an SiS Hydro tablet
too for electrolytes, especially in hot weather.

Don’t forget that your bottles can also be a source of carbohydrates to. A 500ml bottle
of SiS GO Electrolyte will provide 36g of carbohydrate and key electrolytes. On a sportive
you can easily put a few individual sachets in your jersey pockets to mix with water at aid
stations.

The café stop

A 4-hour ride with a 30 minute café stop in the middle is very different physiologically from
a 4-hour ride straight through. The stop will allow you to re-fuel, re-hydrate and re-set.

This isn’t necessarily a problem and can be a good thing but, if you’re training for an event
that won’t have such a significant stop, you’ll have to reevaluate your fuelling and pacing
strategies.

Train your gut

You might not realise it but you can actually

train your digestive system to tolerate more
fuel on the bike and at higher intensities.

If you don’t fuel well in training and give

your gut the chance to adapt, when you try
and fuel to higher levels in an event, you’ll
be bound to suffer.

Recipe suggestions:
Porridge Bread
British Cycling Rice Cakes
Homemade energy bars
Banana Oat Muffins
 BETA FUEL
A revolutionary new product for fuelling long rides.

Upping the carbs Dual substrate

For the majority of rides, conventional The main limiting factor for carbohydrate utilisation is the transportation across the
fuelling, delivering 30-60g of intestinal wall. The channels that transport maltodextrin (glucose), commonly used in
carbohydrates per hour, as outlined sports drinks, become saturated at 60g per hour. However, by including fructose in the
earlier, is fine. However, for rides over 2.5 mix, which utilises different channels, total carbohydrate absorption can be increased.
hours in length and including sustained
climbs or higher intensity efforts, 60- Easy on the stomach
90g of carbohydrates per hour is more
appropriate. One 84g serving of Beta Fuel 2:1 ratio maltodextrin/fructose drinks aren’t a new concept but were historically delivered
mixed into 500ml of water will deliver 80g in hypertonic solutions, which often resulted in stomach issues. Beta Fuel is isotonic and
of carbohydrate. pH neutral and so is very easy on your stomach.

Convenient Beta Fuel Tested

Beta Fuel allows you to fuel from your British Cycling Insight Zone Editor Nikalas
bottles alone. One sachet mixed with 500ml Cook tried SiS Beta Fuel
of water provides fuel for one hour.
“Tackling a 5-hour ride, that included the
We’ve found it to be great for some of sea level to 2600m climb of Mount Teide
our Para-cyclists, who struggle to eat on in Tenerife, seemed like a good test of
the bike. It’s good for long and hard rides Beta Fuel. It felt quite strange just fuelling
during the winter, where gloves can make from my bottles and, although part of me
fiddling with food and wrappers difficult. On expected to hit the wall at any moment,
any rides, where traditional fuelling might it never happened. I felt strong, well
be difficult, it can provide a convenient fuelled and hydrated throughout the ride. I
solution. suffered no gastric issues at all and oddly
had no empty stomach feeling despite
For sportives, you could carry a few sachets not taking on any solid food. Given the
in your jersey pocket and simply mix with massive carbohydrate hit, the lemon/lime
plain water a feed stations. This would avoid flavoured drink wasn’t overly sickly sweet
the risk of using unfamiliar products and and, despite warming up over the course
the need to carry pocket loads of bars and of the rides in 20C temperatures, remained
gels. palatable and encouraged drinking.”

Find out more about Beta Fuel here

British Cycling Members get a 30% discount off the SiS range
POST-RIDE
Post-ride is all about recovery. This means replenishing your body’s carbohydrate stores,
rebuilding with protein and rehydrating with fluids and electrolytes. Fail to do this and it’ll
negatively affect both your adaptations to the ride you’ve just done and your performance
on your next.

When?
If you’ve paced and fuelled your ride well,
you should be hungry but not ravenous.

People often talk about a “20-minute

window of opportunity” but the urgency
of recovery nutrition is largely down to the
length and intensity of the ride you’ve just
done and, more importantly, when you’re What?
next intending to ride.
You should try to consume approximately
20g of quality protein and 20g of fast
If you’re going to be riding again within
absorbed carbohydrate.
8-12 hours or are doing a multi-day event,
getting your recovery started as quickly as
If you’re able to have a meal soon after
possible is vital. However, if you’ve got a
getting back from your ride, a tuna
couple of days until your next ride, it’s less
sandwich, jacket potato and cheese or
crucial.
some rice and mixed beans would all be
good options.
Your body is primed for replenishing
carbohydrate stores for up to 2 hours post
However, at the end of a sportive, especially
exercise so aim to try and consume your
if you have a journey home, or if you just
recovery meal within this timeframe.
don’t fancy food for a while after a ride,
that’s when a recovery drink, such as SiS
REGO Rapid Recovery, can be ideal.

Don’t double up
An important consideration, especially
if you’re trying to keep an eye on your
waistline, is that, if you are able to have a
meal within 1-2 hours, there’s probably no
need for a recovery drink as well, unless you
have another training session that day.
The importance of protein
Although the importance of protein for strength and power athletes
has been accepted for decades, it’s only really in the last 10 years
that its role in supporting endurance training has been fully
appreciated.

Whereas, for strength and power athletes, the protein is important

for muscle growth, for endurance athletes, it’s used for both
muscle repair and producing more mitochondria. Mitochondria are
the powerhouses of your cells and are where energy is produced.
Protein is also important for protecting and preserving your lean
tissue during periods of hard training.

You should try to consume 1.5 - 2 g/kg body mass/day of protein.

This should ideally be spread throughout the day, consuming 20-
40g every 3-4 hours. Some examples of protein sources are listed
below:

3 medium egg omelette = 18 g

100g small sirloin steak = 25g

Tuna sandwich, 1 drained can = 27 g

X2 turkey breast steaks = 43 g

500 ml of whole milk = 16 g

Cottage cheese, half cup = 18 g

1/2 tin baked beans = 10g

1 serving SiS Whey Protein = 22 g

If you find you struggle with your protein

intake, a supplement such as SiS Whey
Protein can be useful.

Obviously, it’s impossible to consume

protein every 3-4 hours during the night
and so a slow release protein such as Greek
yoghurt or SiS Overnight Protein can be
good during periods of hard training.
VEGETARIAN AND
VEGAN CYCLISTS
A vegetarian or vegan diet can definitely support high level performance. However, to
do so, probably involves paying more attention to your nutrition and a greater degree of
planning and preparation regarding your day to day diet. This will ensure you get all the
macro and micro nutrients you require and are not suffering any deficiencies.

Energy Balance
With vegetarian and vegan diets typically being higher in bulk and fibre, it can sometimes
be difficult, especially when training hard, to consume enough calories before you feel
full. With this in mind, you should strike a balance between wholegrain and more refined
forms of carbohydrates. If you are training hard, opting for more refined or concentrated
carbohydrate sources, such as white bread, pasta and rice or dried fruit and juices, can
help you get enough calories in.

If you find you’re losing weight when not intending to, performance is dropping off or
you’re not recovering well from workouts and feeling tired, it’s a good idea to check you’re
consuming enough calories.

Protein
If you are a lacto-vegetarian (eat dairy products), lacto-ovo vegetarian
(eat eggs and dairy products or a pescatarian (eat fish), you should have
no issues at all obtaining op-timal amounts of protein.

However, if your diet is purely plant based, although there is plenty of

protein available from plant sources, some of the protein consumed
can be incomplete or of a a low bio-logical value. This refers to the fact
that it lacks one or more of the essential amino acids, necessary for the
rebuilding of protein structures in our bodies. These essential amino acids
have to be supplied by our diet as our bodies are unable to synthesise
them.

The solution is to ensure that you eat a wide and varied range of
plant based protein sources together in the same meal. Beans, seeds,
nuts, pulses, soy, Quorn and tofu are all great options. Many classic
combinations, such as beans and rice, contain the necessary full
compliment of essential amino acids.
Vitamins and minerals
As with protein a wide and varied plant based diet can provide you with most of the
vitamins and minerals you require.

Many non-dairy milk alternatives, cereals, spreads and bread are fortified with vitamins
and minerals and can help with obtaining the zinc, calcium, iron and vitamin B12 that can
be lacking in a plant based diet. This will be indicated on food labels.

Green leafy vegetables, pulses, nuts and seeds are also good sources of iron but you
should combine with vitamin C, such as orange juice, a lemon juice based dressing or
peppers, to aid absorption. Also, it should be noted that high fibre foods and tannins can
negatively affect absorption so, avoid that cup of tea or high bran cereal when eating iron
rich foods.

Vitamin D is another potential area of concern but this equally applies to everyone who
lives in the northern hemisphere as we simply don’t get enough sunlight during the winter.
Again, fortified foods can help but it’s advised that we all take a 400iu daily supplement.
However, strict vegans should be aware that many vitamin D supplements are derived
from sheep’s wool but there are suitable alternatives.

Essential Fatty Acids

One of the supplements recommended to many riders is a quality fish oil, for the Omega 3
essential fatty acids they contain. As well as a number of health benefits, they also have
impacts specific to training and performance. Most noticeable is an anti-inflammatory
effect, which has obvious post-workout recovery benefits.

Vegetarians and vegans obviously can’t take this type of supplement, but their low Omega
3 levels are also compounded by the fact that their diets are often typically lacking in it.
It is not as simple as just looking for foods which are high in Omega 3 though, as it is the
ratio with Omega 6 which is important. You should therefore strive to increase your Omega
3 intake while lowering that of Omega 6.

To lower Omega 6 intake avoid preparing foods with corn, sunflower, vegetable and
sesame oils and instead opt for olive, avocado and peanut. To increase Omega 3 intake,
opt for flax, chia and hemp seeds. Milled flaxseed in particular is really good or flaxseed oil.
There are also algae derived Omega 3 supplements available.

Vegetarian Cycling Day Vegan Cycling Day

Breakfast: Breakfast:
Vegetarians can have the same breakfast Quinoa porridge made with fortified
that is recommend for all riders be-fore a coconut milk, chop a banana in for some
big day in the saddle. Porridge sweetened sweetness and sprinkle with some nuts and
with a bit of honey and an omelette for seeds.
some stomach filling protein. If eggs are off
the menu then consider using soya milk in On the bike:
your porridge and topping it off with a high Dried fruit , bananas and SIS Go Electrolyte
protein soya yoghurt. are good choices. Maple syrup sandwiches,
homemade flapjacks or raw fruit and nut
On the bike: bars are other tasty alternatives.
No real issues here with as most energy
bars and gels can be eaten by vegetarians. Recovery:
You could also try the British Cycling Rice Go for a smoothie using B12 fortified soya
Cakes, bananas or jam sandwiches. milk, banana, frozen berries and some
ground flax seed.
Recovery:
SiS REGO Rapid Recovery is suitable for You can find out which SiS products are
vegetarians. Add some ground flax seeds suitable for vegetarians or vegans here.
for an anti-inflammatory recovery boost.
WEIGHT
MANAGEMENT
Many riders think that losing a few kilograms is a guaranteed way to get faster on the bike
but, if you lose that weight too quickly or in the wrong way, it can actually be detrimental
to both health and performance.

Tracking your weight

If you have access to it, keeping track of your body composition using skin-fold
measurements combined with weight is the ideal. Many qualified sport and exercise
nutritionists and dieticians offer this service.

However, weight alone will still give you a good idea. The key thing to realise is that your
weight does fluctuate significantly throughout the day. So, always aim to weigh first thing
in the morning, wearing as little as possible and after you’ve been to the loo. That way
you’ll get as consistent readings as possible.

How often you weigh is very much an individual thing. Daily weighing allows you to track
changes but can be demotivating as it’s not unusual for weight to go up from one day
to the next, despite an overall downward trend. Weekly can be good but go for Monday
mornings as that will help to keep you on track over the weekend. Avoid multiple weigh-ins
during a day as this will tell you very little and any change will be down to hydration levels
and food in the digestive tract.

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a simple method to gain an idea of whether you could stand
to lose some weight. Although it can be erroneous if you’re especially muscular, for the
majority of people it’s a decent gauge. Aim for a healthy BMI between 18.5 and 25.

Plan and periodise your diet

In the same way that you plan your training, do the same with your
diet. Periods of hard training aren’t necessarily the best time to
try and lose weight as calorie restriction may compromise the
effectiveness of your training.

If you typically do three key sessions per week, maybe two

higher intensity sessions midweek and a longer steadier ride
at the weekend, fuel well for the two high intensity sessions
and then use rest days and the endurance ride to create a net
calorie deficit for the week.

Don’t mindlessly eat the same meals every day. If you

haven’t got a big ride, do you need that massive bowl of
porridge for breakfast? Fuel appropriately for the training
you’re doing. Plan your meals and snacks for 3-5 days in
advance. This will help you to stay on track with eating
well, challenge you to adapt what you eat around
training and even help you to write your shopping list for
the week.

Any weight loss should be gradual as this will have

less negative impact on your performance and help
to preserve your muscle tissue. Approximately 0.3-
0.5 kg per week is a good rate of loss to aim for.
Calories in and calories out
Accurately measuring energy intake and
expenditure is notoriously difficult. You
only have to compare the calorie burn
figures given for a ride on different training
platforms to see this. For output, an
accurately calibrated power meter will give
the best data but even this can be subject
to inaccuracies.

For logging calories in, there are some good

apps but, with user provided information,
errors with weighing and portion sizes
and other issues, it’s easy to see how
inaccuracies can creep in. However, for
many people, the process of tracking food
intake can be beneficial but it’s important
not to become obsessive about it.

Use the information you have to get a

ballpark figure but don’t try and eat or
exercise down to the precise calorie.

Track your weight and body composition

and use changes in that over time to then
tweak your diet and training.

Don’t ignore the power of power to weight

Power to weight, usually a rider’s Functional Threshold Power (FTP) divided by their weight
in kilograms, is a metric that’s frequently talked about by cyclists.

It’s very easy to get obsessed by the weight side of the equation but, if that weight loss is
at the expense of power, performance can actually go down.

This particularly applies if you’re focusing on the track, flat time trials or a flatter more
power focused sportive such as Paris-Roubaix.

Simple weight loss tips

For many riders simply cutting out non-essential calories will create the calorie deficit necessary for weight loss.
Alcohol is an obvious one along with sugary and high fat snacks and treats such as cake and biscuits. Also be
aware of what you eat in the evening times after dinner, this tends to be a common time when we snack mindlessly,
ignoring satiety cues.

Cut portion sizes. Using a smaller plate is a simple trick that works. Remember, that even “healthy foods”, such as
nuts, seeds and avocados, can be calories dense and need to be eaten in moderation too. If you find yourself still
hungry after meals, try adding an extra portion of low calorie vegetables or a bowl of soup.

Make sure all your plates follow the rule of thirds; 1/3 Carbs, 1/3 Protein and 1/3 Fruit or Vegetable. A big bowl of
pasta with a tiny bit of sauce doesn’t follow this and will almost always result in overeating.

We try and encourage our riders to follow an 80/20 rule. This means they’ll be super disciplined about their diet 80%
of the time but a bit more relaxed for 20%. However, if your 20% falls on the weekend, it can be easy to let things
completely unravel and to undo all the good you’ve done during the week. Try to be a bit sensible and introduce
some structure and routine.
SUPPLEMENTS

Supplements
As long as you’re eating a balanced and varied diet, it’s definitely possible to get the vast
majority of macro and micro nutrients from your diet without the need for supplements.
There are a few supplements though that can be beneficial at specific times.
Vitamin D
As we’ve already mentioned, in the northern hemisphere, during the winter months, it
can be difficult to obtain enough sunlight to synthesis sufficient vitamin D. A daily 400iu
supplement is recommended.

Omega 3
If you eat plenty of oily fish (2-3 portions per week), obtaining enough Omega 3 fatty acids
shouldn’t be an issue. However, if you don’t like fish, a supplement can be a good idea.
Vegans can get their Omega 3 from flaxseed oil or algae derived supplements.
Multi vitamin/mineral
If you’re travelling and you don’t think that you’ll be able to get enough fruit and vegetables
or that your diet might be a bit more hit and miss than usual, a quality broad spectrum
multivitamin and mineral can be a good idea.
Zinc Lozenges
There’s some good evidence that, on the first signs of a cold, sucking zinc lozenges can
help speed recovery.
Get tested
Fatigue, poor recovery from training and unexpected drops in performance can be due to
a whole range of deficiencies and conditions. Although these may include iron and B12, it’s
important to resist the temptation to self-diagnose and start self medicating.

It’s a simple process to get a blood-test through your GP, discuss your symptoms and any
treatment that might be needed.
More isn’t More
Many supplements are now available in super high doses but
these are rarely necessary. In the case of water soluble vitamins
such as vitamin B and C, you’ll simply pass any excess. However,
fat soluble vitamins, A, D E and K, can build up to toxic levels.
From a training perspective, there’s some evidence that high
levels of vitamin C can reduce endurance adaptation.

It can also be very easy to double dose, especially if you’re taking

a multi vitamin and mineral and then taking specific products in
addition.

Gut Health
You can have the best diet available but, if your gut isn’t
functioning properly, then you won’t be benefitting fully from it or
performing optimally.

Cyclists often tend to normalise gut issues but, if you regularly

suffer from indigestion, bloating, constipation or GI distress on or
off the bike, it should be looked into by your GP.

One of the most effective steps for boosting gut health is to

ensure a varied intake of pre and probiotics. Prebiotics feed the
good bacteria in your gut and include vegetables, especially
onions, garlic and leeks. Probiotics are the good bacteria and, by
consuming a range of fermented products, such as dedicated
probiotic drinks, live yoghurts, kefir, kombucha and sauerkraut,
you can help to maintain a healthy population. Alternatively,
you can take a probiotic supplement but it’s important that it’s
evidence backed and delivers a range of strains.