Page 107 - AMB Freelist

OVER 50? HOW TO USE
NUTRITION TO BOOST
YOUR PERFORMANCE
ON THE BIKE
Regardless of your mountain bike experience, if you’re over 50 and want to perform on the trails, good nutrition is essential. Try these tips to nail your nutrition and maximise performance on the bike.
WORDS ZOE WILSON PHOTOS MIKE BLEWITT, NICK WAYGOOD
With ageing comes changes to our bodies and brain which can be exciting or frustrating. Knowledge and wisdom can be great, but a slower metabolism, reduced bone density or more painful joints, not so much. If you want to ride well, maximising nutrition is one key to improving performance especially as you age, not to mention the flow-on benefits to physical and mental health.
Specific age-related changes to the body that can negatively impact performance on the bike include reduced bone density, reduced muscle mass often resulting in weight gain, decreased thirst perception, and reduced flexibility and strength. Thinking carefully about what you eat and when will help to mitigate these changes and pay big dividends on the trails and to overall health.
EATING TO MATCH TRAINING NEEDS
As you age, protein needs increase, but carbohydrate and energy needs decrease slightly. This means eating to match training is important to manage body composition, energy levels, mood and ultimately performance. A 2021 study published in Nutrients suggested older athletes should aim for at least 1.2g protein and 8g carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight per day for optimal health and performance.
The same authors also suggest making sure you are eating enough to cover training, so the body still has adequate calories to function optimally and fuel daily activities. This means if you’re trying to lose weight but protect health and performance a more nuanced approach is needed rather than just eating less every day.
Do try this at home:
On rest, recovery or light training days, fill half your plate with vegetables, a quarter with protein and a quarter with quality carbohydrates at meals to reduce overall calorie intake.
On heavy or high intensity training days, shift the ratio a little to a third of each and focus on food around training to provide enough fuel for training and recovery.
FUELLING BEFORE TRAINING
Regardless of age, eating well before training and races will help you get the most out of the session and ensure a speedy recovery. Carbohydrates are the best fuel for the body, so include these prior to rides. You can also kick start recovery before you even start the session by including a little protein – this is especially important for women.
Do try this at home:
Eat easily digestible carbohydrates and a little protein before training/racing especially if an hour or longer. Good options include cereal, yoghurt and fruit, toast or rice cakes with peanut butter and honey, or a muesli bar.
FUELLING DURING TRAINING
Fuel and fluids remain the most important factors for performance regardless of age. Carbohydrate stores are finite so will run out if not topped up during a long or high-intensity session and dehydration negatively impacts performance. However, as you age, there are slight differences to take note of. As you get older less carbohydrate is needed during exercise than as a younger athlete and the type of carbohydrate tolerated by the gut may change. Ageing also reduces thirst, which increases the risk of dehydration impacting on performance during a session.
Do try this at home:
Aim to eat or drink 30-60g carbohydrate per hour during a ride (up to 90g if very high intensity or long rides). However, practice in training to find what amount works for you.
Shift away from high fructose carbohydrates to glucose options if eating during rides is becoming more difficult for the gut. Check the labels on sports products or go for more whole food options like sandwiches or muesli bars which can be easier on the gut.
Test your sweat rate by weighing yourself before and after an
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