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Post by Muller on Aug 22, 2014 14:39:56 GMT
How Often Should I Train on Hills? This is a good question for every roadie who's able to choose between hilly and flat training rides. It's important to get the balance right. Too much climbing deadens legs and makes you slower on the flats. But always spinning on flat roads won't give you the strength and power to climb better. Here are two guidelines: Know your goals. If you want to do well in hilly group rides, centuries or races, you need to include climbing as part of each week's training. Generally, two days a week is recommended in hilly terrain. Put at least one easy recovery day between them. Of course, some riders live in areas so hilly that climbing is part of every ride. They can't do easy spins on flat roads. The solution (besides using an indoor trainer) is to have a gear low enough so you can pedal easily enough to minimize uphill efforts on rides meant for recovery. Gear down and "walk" the bike uphill. Know yourself. To decide how much to train on climbs, you need to determine your "limiters."
If you climb poorly, you either need to spend more training time on hills and reduce body weight, or you need to decide you'll never be a good climber (for genetic reasons) and stick to flatter group rides and events where you perform better. Even so, don't avoid hills. You may never fly up them like you wish you could, but your ability will improve, and so will your overall fitness. Riding hills will make you stronger
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Post by Muller on Aug 28, 2014 22:36:33 GMT
Sports Drinks Linked to Weight Gain
In the last few years at least 20 studies have associated sugared soft drinks with weight gain. Many people have stopped drinking sodas and started drinking sports drinks instead, on the mistaken belief that they are more healthful than sodas. A new study has followed 4,121 females and 3,438 males, ages 9-16, for seven years and found that each year BMI increased by .1 in girls and by .11 in boys for every 8-ounce serving of sports drink per day (Obesity, July 14, 2014). For a 5'6" female that is .62 pounds per year for each serving per day. (The formula to convert BMI to pounds is BMI/703 x (height in inches) x (height in inches) = weight in pounds). Sports Drinks Cause the Same Weight Gain as Any Other Sugared Drinks Athletes use sports drinks because they need sugar during competition or hard training. Sodas provide the same benefit. However, if you take sports drinks when you are not exercising, they cause the same amount of weight gain as sodas or any other sugared drink. Sports drinks are advertised and labeled to make people believe that they are somehow healthful, which may lead some people to drink more than they would of ordinary soda, so they will gain even more weight. Why Athletes Use Sports Drinks The primary sources of energy for your muscles during exercise are sugar and fat. You have almost an infinite amount of fat in your body to drive your muscles for many days. However you have only a limited amount of sugar stored in your muscles and liver. You start to run out of sugar after 70 minutes of intense exercise and have to slow down. So all athletes learn, sooner or later, that they have to take sugar during any competitive event that lasts more than 70 minutes. When blood sugar levels drop, you bonk, and when muscle sugar levels drops, you hit the wall. Bonking: In sports, the term bonking refers to low blood sugar. Your brain gets 98 percent of its energy from sugar in your bloodstream, so when blood sugar levels start to drop, you feel weak, tired and dizzy and can even pass out. There is only enough sugar in your bloodstream to last for three minutes at rest, so your liver must constantly release its stored sugar (glycogen) into your bloodstream. However, there is only enough sugar in your liver to last 12 hours at rest. During intense exercise, you start to use up liver sugar at 70 minutes. Your liver then must make new sugar from certain protein building blocks, or you have to take in a source of sugar in food or drink. Your body cannot make sugar from fat. Hitting the Wall: How fast you can pedal a bicycle over distance depends on how much sugar you can keep in your muscles. The limiting factor to how fast you can run or pedal is the time it takes for oxygen to get into contracting muscles. Sugar requires far less oxygen than fat does to power your muscles. When your contracting muscles run out of sugar, you have to slow down. This is called hitting the wall. The greater the percentage of sugar that your muscles burn, the faster you run. Sugared Drinks All Have the Same Concentration of Sugar Soft drinks, sports drinks, sweetened tea, most fruit juices and other sugared drinks contain close to 8 percent sugar. This is the concentration at which sugared drinks taste best to most people. Unsweetened cranberry juice contains only 4 percent sugar, so it tastes sour. Sometimes manufacturers add artificial sweeteners to their sports drinks and advertise that they contain reduced amounts of sugar. If they want to make a diet drink or low-calorie beverage, they should stop calling it a sports drink because the only useful function of these drinks for sports is to provide sugar to help power muscles. Why You Should Not Take Sports Drinks When You Are Not Exercising When you exercise intensely for more than 70 minutes, you should take sugared drinks or eat sugar-added foods. You will have a better workout and do better in competition. However, I think that it is foolish to take sports drinks or any other sugared drinks when you are not exercising, because the extra sugar will just increase your chances of gaining weight and becoming diabetic. When you take sugar in its solid form, such as in a cookie, you usually eat less of other foods. However, when you take sugar in a drink, your brain does not recognize the extra calories and you do not reduce your intake of other foods. Sugared drinks in all forms tend to make you fatter than the same amount of sugar taken in solid food.
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Post by Muller on Sept 1, 2014 20:28:57 GMT
Remember! The 75 percent rule... Research from the European University of Madrid supports the theory that the greatest gains in performance occur when more than three-quarters of your training is done below 75 per cent maximum heart rate (MHR).
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Post by Muller on Sept 17, 2014 15:22:49 GMT
The definitive guide to etiquette when riding in a groupOkay, Okay; so we all want to be leaner, fitter and to go faster. But whether we’re chasing goals or simply out riding in a group this winter for a bit of craic, we really need to make sure we follow some simple cycling etiquette. The sport of cycling is one steeped in tradition and old wives tales. A lot of it is nonsense and one squad that has simply put much of it aside and applied common sense practices to preparation is Team Sky, with spectacular results. But some of the rules/guidelines for how cyclist’s should behave when riding in a group have endured for decades because they are so valuable. We all want to stick together, get some good training in and all get home in one piece having contributed fairly to the workload of the group. Who wants to cause a crash, spit on a fellow rider, "half wheel a club mate to death" or abandon a buddy hit by a mechanical or the hunger knock? The video below quickly skips through some cycling etiquette that you might want to familiarise yourself with and then stick to. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODmB9LyYzKM&list=PLUdAMlZtaV11U9AtszkMh0bpRqM4dtlDC&feature=player_embedded
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Post by Muller on Sept 18, 2014 13:00:56 GMT
The 10 most common mistakes by riders in sportives
Avoiding these mistakes will make you a better sportive rider, but you can also apply every one of them to your winter training.
1. Not Using the Gears
Your bike may have twenty gears or more – but those won’t do you any good if you don’t use them. Besides looking bad, poor gear use can place heavy stress on your muscles and put your joints at risk for injury. Don’t be afraid to use your full range and get confident; make your gears work for you.
2. Letting Yourself Overheat
Especially if it’s warm out, stave off the heat by wetting your clothes in key areas, such as the neck, armpits, and backs of the knees, to cool you off. Just be careful not to get too cold by doing this before a downhill stretch.
3. Forgetting to Hydrate
Even relatively minor dehydration can handicap a rider by up to ten or twenty percent, and puts you at much higher risk for injury. You will be sweating no matter how cold it is, so be vigilant and drink often.
4. Going Too Hard Too Soon
It takes time for your heart rate to raise to the optimum level and for your muscles to warm up. Not allowing your body warm up can lead to muscle weariness in even the most well-trained athletes.
5. Poor Pedaling Technique
Pedaling isn’t just about how hard you can slam your foot down. The best pedaling puts power in to the gears on all 360° of the movement. Use a mirror or video camera to monitor your feet, and strive toward a smooth, circular motion.
6. Matching Other People’s Pace
Even if someone else is going a certain speed, it might not be the right pace to take. Stay with your personal pace and ride in your zone, or risk burning out or injuring yourself.
7. Neglecting Injuries
If your body is sending you pain signals, listen to it or risk permanent damage. Stop what you are doing, rest for more time than you think is necessary, and start back out slowly.
8. Taking the Inside Bend
When going uphill, your first instinct can be to take the shorter route on the inside of the curve. This is the point with the steepest grade, and you can save your stamina by swinging around on the outside, where the gradient is more forgiving.
9. Poor Positioning
When taking curves, especially downhill, learn your lines and make sure you are positioned so that you can see oncoming traffic. You can get all the speed you want, but if you get hit by a car your time won’t be worth much.
10. Slacking
If you’re riding with a group, make sure to take your turn in the front. If you are the person consistently riding in the easy spots, be prepared to be asked to help out or get out.
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Post by Muller on Oct 8, 2014 15:51:32 GMT
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Post by Muller on Oct 14, 2014 16:09:54 GMT
How to start training now for next year’s sportives without overdoing it You will notice it soon; the current of Lycra-clad bodies flowing along the rural roads of Ireland. The deluge is coming from the sportive and leisure sector.
The road racers have been slogging away dedicatedly for a while now. Out to play will come the boys and girls whose sights are set on the big one-day sportives such as the Wicklow 200, the Mick Byrne Randonne, Ring of Kerry, Etape de Tour, or the multi day sportive challenges such as the Atlantic to Mediterranean.
All these events are looming on the 2015 horizon and the first rides of next year are but a few months away. So how should you go about training for sportive events?
To get the most out of your training you need to work backwards.
You must start with your event and work back from it to right now. This principal is true of training for any activity.
Step 1 – Analyse the demands the event makes on you by asking: •What do I need to be able to do to complete this event? •What you need for sportive events is bucket loads of endurance. In most sportives the ability to keep going for a long time is crucial. •So the implication for training is to gradually build up the continuous hours on the bike. •For some events such as the Etape de Tour and Marmotte climbing ability is also a major factor. •Some special hill work will be required for these events. •Multi day events like the Atlantic to the Mediterranean additionally require the ability to ride 5 days in a row. •Back-to-back long rides will be part of the training for this type of event. •For all sportive events a good level of skill is important. •You need to be able to do the basics like eat and drink while riding along. You should also be competent and safe riding in a group. Descending and cornering skills are also critical on these events. •Practice these skills and join a club where you will meet experienced coaches and riders who can help you with the skills, especially those of riding in a group.
Step 2 – Establish current fitness specifically for an event. •How far off these standards am I now? Which of the demands do I need to work on most? How much time do I have to dedicate to training? •Approaching your training by prioritising the requirements of the event will prove the most productive. •For example a rider taking part in the 5 day 600km Atlantic to Mediterranean event must first ask them self how many hours per day will I have to ride? •If the longest day involves around 7 hours in the saddle split in two by lunch you have to compare this to your current longest spin. Then plan to gradually increase your continuous cycling to around 4 hours as this is likely to be the longest you will have to be in the saddle. •Once you have achieved 4 hours continuous riding time you can have a certain amount confidence that you can cope with the duration.
Some Sample Schedules Sportive Training Week Snapshot •Tues 1hr increasing gradually to 2hrs including some hilly terrain ridden sitting in the saddle. The pace should vary between comfortable (below 80% of max) on the flat to just above the point where it is possible to hold a conversation on the hills (80-85%). •Thurs As Tue above (the second mid week training session would not be introduced until you had done a number weeks with one mid week session) •Sat 2hrs increasing gradually to 4-5 hrs ridden at comfortable pace, at which you can hold a conversation (below 80%) on flat to rolling roads •Sun 2hrs increasing gradually to 3 hrs ridden at comfortable pace, at which you can hold a conversation (below 80%) on flat to rolling roads.
If we analyse the demands of events like the Wicklow 200, Mick Byrne Randonne or Etape de Tour we see that not only must you have great endurance, (because they all involve riding for over 5 hours) but all require the ability to climb more than 3000m and complete this within a certain time.
It’s not enough to just work on basic endurance for these events. Climbing will require you to go to a higher work level and will require a different pedalling technique.
Also you can assist your climbing ability by shedding any excess kilos built up on the midriff over the Christmas period. Being lighter means less power required to lift you up the hill.
After building a good level of basic endurance the following hill session could be introduced.
Strength Endurance Hill Session •Warm up riding steady for at least 10-20min. •On a medium gradient (6-9%) increase the gear to 1-2 sprockets higher (more resistance) than you would normally use on such a hill so that your cadence is lower than normal. •Sitting in the saddle concentrate on rotating the pedals – think of lifting the knee on the up stroke). •Keep the upper body still and relaxed. •Your breathing should be strong but not gasping. •You should feel like your heart and lungs could keep going for an hour. •If you are using a heart rate monitor your HR should be approx 85-90% max. •Your leg and bum muscles should feel the extra resistance. •Continue at this pace for 4-5min (rising over 6-8 sessions to 7-9min). •Recover by lowering the gear and riding easy for the same time. •Repeat 2-3 times (rising over several weeks to 5-6 times) •NB If you live in an area where there are no hills long enough for more than 4 min riding simply increase the number of repetitions and shorten each alternate recovery slightly as you progress over the weeks. •Warm down riding easy for 10-30min. •Stretch after finishing the ride.
This session could be done once per week rising to twice per week. Leave at least 48 hours between sessions.
In all the training, apply the following – Training Rules Training must be regular •Three to six times per week depending on age and experience. This should be every or most weeks through out the year.
Training must be specific •This means that the training you do must resemble the activity you are training for. If you are training for bike events you need to train on a bike. There is no point in training in a canoe for cycling. If your event is over several hours then you need to train over several hours. •Sprint training is of little benefit to a cyclist attempting to complete the Atlantic to the Mediterranean Challenge. The closer you get to the event the more specific your training should be. •Gym work, running, football may be of benefit during the off season but they are dropped from training as the season approaches. Training also needs to be specific to you. It must suit your age, ability, experience, free time, commitments, etc.
Training must be progressive •This means the work load you do should increase gradually towards the event for which you have chosen to peak. The body adapts to training by improving the systems stressed by that training. If you keep doing the exact same training month after month then the body will adapt and you will stop improving. •Doing new types of training or increasing an aspect of training places a new load on the body and forces it to adapt. It is not a good idea to increase too many things at the same time. •If you are increasing the number of sessions (frequency) per week then you should keep the speed (intensity) and the mileage (volume) the same or lower. When you increase the speed it is usual to decrease the mileage.
Training must be balanced with recovery •This is probably the most important rule. When you train you actually break down or damage parts of the body (think of the muscle soreness after a hard training session). •When you are resting after the training session the body repairs it self (recovery) and goes a bit further to try to avoid being damaged by that training again. If you don’t get enough rest the body cannot complete the repairs. The improvements don’t happen and your fitness will deteriorate or stagnate. •The rate of recovery can be affected by several things. In general the longer and harder the training the greater the recovery time.
Someone doing hard manual work will recover slower than someone who works sitting in an office. Stressful jobs/lifestyles will be detrimental to recovery.
Good nutrition helps recovery. Regular early nights and a generally healthy life style help recovery. Professional cyclists spend a lot of time resting and are very attentive to their nutrition.
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Post by Muller on Oct 17, 2014 14:50:53 GMT
Be willing to leave your comfort zone. The greatest barrier to achieving your potential is your comfort zone. Great things happen when you make friends with your discomfort zone
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Post by Muller on Oct 25, 2014 20:46:09 GMT
Winter group rides should be about •Learning to dress appropriately (check the weather forecast the night before and have your kit ready) •Learning how to ride in a single or double pace line. •How to ‘pull’ at the front of the group without ‘half wheeling’. •How to hold one’s line while cornering. •Getting comfortable with riding in close proximity to others. •Learning how to look around without altering course. •How to get out of the saddle without endangering the rider behind. •Developing on-bike nutrition strategies to keep fuelled. •Practising changing clothes on the move •Building team spirit and trust!
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Post by Muller on Nov 11, 2014 16:13:13 GMT
Older riders are limited by attitude, not ageing Cycling is a sport where huge improvement gains can be made well after the mid 30s and where riders are still cycling in Ireland well into their 70s and even into their 80s. Just for you, Paul K
The increased number of older people involved in cycling has become a phenomenon in many parts of the world.
The trend in Ireland is similar, with the recent surge in cycling very much focused on riders aged 30 to 35 years and older.
Cycling is also the preferred option for those moving on from other sports and wishing to remain active and competitive.
Mass participation events like sportives, grand fondos and the l’Etape du Tour are dominated by older riders and some of these events have a strong quasi-competitive element.
Getting Older – The Good & Bad News
We know the bad news. All aspects of performance deteriorate gradually after a certain age – strength, speed, endurance, power and so on. So let’s not dwell on this too much
The good news is much more palatable and there is a lot of it. The main message is that the decline in performance results as much from reduced activity as it does from the natural ageing process.
In other words, "with appropriate training the physiological impact of ageing can be hugely reduced."
And older cyclists can achieve levels of performance beyond their imaginations. A great amount of research has been done on older athletes in recent years. There are still gaps in our knowledge. But the research available to us, along with smart training and the wisdom gained from having so many older riders still very active, have led us to a place where performance gains can be huge well beyond our mid 30s.
For example, in the 60 years and older group, those riders who have maintained good training habits can routinely ride at over 40kph.
What is ‘old’? When we talk about the ‘older cyclist’, what do we mean by ‘old’? There’s really no definitive answer. In very general terms, assuming that you train right, performance drops by approximately 1 per cent each year from the mid 40s to the mid 60s, and accelerates somewhat after that.
KEEP CYCLING GUYS
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Post by Muller on Nov 14, 2014 12:38:05 GMT
Without self-discipline, success is impossible, period.” Go out and push yourself to be the best you can possibly be. Remember a winner never quits and a quitter never wins
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Post by JonnoMarshall on Nov 14, 2014 13:30:48 GMT
Copy (and paste) that, Noel!
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Post by Muller on Jan 15, 2015 13:16:17 GMT
For us "OLDER" members Cycling Keeps You Younger Than Your YearsNewsflash: Don’t believe all the hype about being over the hill. Sure, we are all going to get older and eventually bid our adieu. Scientists have a fairly good grasp on the general human lifespan. What they know less about is the human “healthspan,” how quickly—or not—we slide into a state of serious decline. The problem is that, to date, our “models” for aging have all been pretty much couch potatoes. Which is the wrong approach, say researchers of a recent study published in The Journal of Physiology, who contend that the model for optimum aging should be highly active folks—like cyclists. To make their point, they rounded up 125 male and female cyclists ranging in age from 55 to 79 and put them through a battery of tests to determine the health and strength of their heart, lungs, muscles, mind, hormones, balance, mood, and more. What did they find? Though there is a wide range of health and ability even among very active folks, in general, those who maintain a high level of physical activity will be better off over time. Even the oldest among the cyclists had generally healthy markers of cardiovascular and metabolic health such as healthy normal glucose, insulin, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. Their actual max heart rates were higher than what age-based models would predict. They had excellent balance. They were happier than their non-active peers. And in the most basic test of functional ability—standing up, walking a stretch, turning around and sitting back down—the 79 year olds in this study performed far better than the “norm” and were able to do basic everyday tasks with the same ease as healthy adults a fraction of their age. And in the end, that’s something worth riding for. Pedal on
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Post by Muller on Jan 22, 2015 17:53:32 GMT
Recovery Rides or Rest Days? The general rule is to do whatever it takes to arrive at a "hard" training day with as much energy as possible so the training is truly taxing and useful. This often means not riding at all some days, especially as we age and recovery time lengthens. There's nothing wrong with short rides for recovery if you spin gently for 30-45 minutes. Kept easy to loosen your legs and mildly elevate circulation, these rides will make you ready for the strenuous training that actually promotes improvement. But if it's difficult to fit in short rides, " you're better off staying in the sack instead of getting up early and riding easy for 45 minutes".
Continuing to force those rides may compromise recovery in two ways -- less sleep, and the tendency we all have to ride too hard or too long on easy days. Remember that no training program should be set in stone. Each of us has different daily schedules, responsibilities, goals and capacities for recovery. Modify any training plan so it works for your unique situation.
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Post by Muller on Jan 28, 2015 16:20:55 GMT
The Coffee Stop Rules – When to stop and why; what to have, what not to have
There has been much written on cycling principles and the merits of various intervals. But the most important interval of all has been over looked; the interval between the time we park our bike outside the coffee shop and the time we re-mount.
This is the ultimate coffee stop guide
Should I stop for a coffee?
There are a couple of considerations to bear in mind when deciding if you should stop for a coffee. •Firstly, you need like-minded cycling partners. Nothing is worse than a cycling partner who refuses to stop for a coffee or nags you to get going thus reducing your enjoyment of the aromatic, liquid gold beverage. •If the session is over two hours in duration or you are on a recovery day you should always stop. •On wet days it is acceptable to forego the ritual coffee stop.
When Should I stop? •The coffee stop should be at around the half way point in a ride. It should be the destination and the motivation for you to do those extra few kilometers. •Cast an eye on the weather forecast, often a passing shower can be avoided by a timely coffee stop.
What should I have?
A really strong coffee served in a really small cup. None of your grande, half fat, vanilla iced frapachino’s.
Scone with jam/cream allowed
Coffee shop rules •Coffee stop can only take place at Independent coffee houses. No franchised coffee stops or garages. •When you do stop, stack your bikes neatly top and tail outside the coffee shop (saddle against handlebars) so as not to occupy half of the footway. •Don’t leave your Garmin or bike computer sitting on the handlebars for a passerby to steal •Don’t wear your helmet inside the coffee shop, you are unlikely to fall and hit your head inside the coffee shop so it’s safe to remove your protective equipment •Carry a cotton cap which shall be worn, front facing, peak down, during the stop. •De-layer once you get into the coffee shop – you’ll be thankful you did once you get back outside. The inexperienced cyclo-patron can be easily spotted sweating in the corner wearing his Gaba jacket and winter gloves. •Have a coffee shop rota, – you pay this week, I’ll pay next week. Nothing makes a barista’s life more difficult than five riders all lining up to pay for a single shot of espresso separately and each with a laser card. •Have a light rain jacket folded away in a rear pocket. This extra layer is very useful in helping you acclimate to the outside temperature. •Alcohol is generally not recommended on these stops (Ballinhassig)
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Post by Muller on Jan 30, 2015 12:56:56 GMT
How You Lose Weight
When you lose weight, you breathe off 84 percent of the lost fat weight as carbon dioxide from your lungs and lose 16 percent as water in your urine. The lost fat is not lost as heat. It is not converted to muscle, and you do not lose weight from your bowel movements (The British Medical Journal, December 16, 2014).
Matter cannot be destroyed. It can only be altered. So in every chemical reaction, you have to have the same number of molecules after the reaction that you had before the reaction. Your body stores fat as triglycerides in fat cells and other tissues.
Triglycerides + Oxygen = CO2 + Water + Heat
The triglycerides that form body fat combine with oxygen to be converted to carbon dioxide plus water and generate heat. To lose 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of body fat, you need to breathe in 29 kg of oxygen, and breathe out 28 kg of carbon dioxide (CO2) and lose 11 kg of water (H2O).
Why You Need to Restrict Calories to Lose Weight
If you want to lose weight, you have to exercise more or eat less. Exercising without dieting rarely helps people to lose weight and keep it off. Successful weight-loss programs require taking in fewer calories as well as moving more. You can markedly reduce the absorption of calories from food by not cooking, grinding, cutting or chewing food excessively. You can also increase the number of calories burned by exercising longer and harder and moving more rather than sitting or lying in one place for extended periods of time.
How You Prepare Food Affects How Many Calories You Absorb
You can lose weight by eating foods that are absorbed poorly from your intestinal tract, such as high-fiber fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, and eating less of foods that are more readily absorbed such as those made with added sugar or flour. You can also reduce the calories that you get from food by eating it raw rather than cooked, and whole rather than ground, juiced or pulverized.
Raw Starches are Poorly Absorbed
Many of the most abundant plants on earth are poorly digested by humans in their raw state. However, cooking softens hard seeds, breaks down toxic and irritating substances in roots and leaves, and releases nutrients bound up in plant cells. Raw starchy root vegetables such as potatoes, turnips, cassava, yams and rutabagas are very low in calories. Boiling, baking or frying them markedly increases their calories, and the longer you cook them, the more calories they provide. Starchy foods such as potatoes, whole grains, beans and cassavas have 75-100 percent more digestible calories when they are cooked than when eaten raw.
Root vegetables are low in fiber and high in starches. Cooking turns these poorly absorbed starches into sugars that are readily absorbed in your intestines. Starches in root vegetables such as potatoes or in whole grains such as wheat are composed mostly of multi-sugar molecules called amylopectin and amylose. Your digestive enzymes have great difficulty breaking them down. Cooking gelatinizes starches so they are easily exposed to intestinal enzymes that break them down so they are readily absorbed.
Flour Makes You Fatter
Whole grains such as wheat, rye, barley and quinoa are seeds of grasses. These seeds have tight capsules that cannot be broken down by the enzymes in your intestines so they are hard to absorb. However, if you grind a whole grain into flour, it is easily absorbed. Cooking the flour increases the calories you absorb even more.
Soft Foods Yield More Calories
After 22 weeks, rats that ate uncooked cereals that were softened by being puffed with air were six percent heavier and had 30 percent more abdominal fat than rats that had been fed hard cereal pellets (Journal of Dental Research, 2003;82:491-494). This is a sign of higher blood sugar and insulin levels and risk for diabetes. Researchers showed that the rats fed hard food had a higher rise in body temperature after meals because they used significant energy in the act of chewing and digesting the food. The hard-pellet rats also had nearly twice the volume of feces, showing that they had absorbed far less of their food.
Absorption of Protein
When you eat meat, you eat mostly muscle which is made of very poorly absorbed collagen. If you ate raw, un-ground meat you would get very few calories from it. Cooking meat causes the muscle fibers to loosen and separate, making it easier to chew and digest. It also changes the structure of the proteins, causing them to unwind and become more susceptible to intestinal enzymes that break down protein to increase absorption.
However, cooking kills most of the parasites and bacteria that flourish in raw flesh and can be deadly to humans. Cooking allows humans to eat animal products more safely. A dog can eat food right out of the garbage can because dogs and wolves have the most acidic stomachs of all mammals, and their stomach acids kill most germs. If you eat spoiled meat, you can get an infection and die.
Grinding meat into hamburger markedly increases absorption and reduces the amount of time you have to chew it. Organ meats such as kidneys, liver and brains are also easier to digest because they are low in collagen so you do not have to chew them as long as when you eat muscle.
Body Builders and Raw Eggs
Many body builders and weight lifters eat raw eggs with the mistaken belief that raw eggs grow larger muscles. When you eat uncooked eggs, you absorb less than 50 percent of their protein. When you eat cooked eggs, you absorb up to 95 percent. Heat denatures protein so that the protein molecules swell and are more exposed to the intestinal enzymes that separate proteins into their building blocks called amino acids. You then absorb a much greater percentage of the protein because amino acids, not whole protein, pass into your bloodstream.
Preparing Foods to Help You Lose Weight
If you are trying to lose weight, eat more foods that are not cooked, chopped, ground or softened in any way.
* Eat lots of raw fruits and vegetables.
* You can eat cooked fruits and non-starchy vegetables also, because they are usually low in calories even when cooked.
* Eat WHOLE grains, beans, seeds and nuts that have not been ground into flour.
* Restrict sugared drinks because virtually 100 percent of their calories are rapidly absorbed.
* Restrict all sugar-added foods.
* Restrict foods made from flour such as bakery products and pastas.
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Post by Muller on Feb 6, 2015 22:25:43 GMT
Why short hard spins are better than long rides; even in winter
You need to forget traditional thinking about training for hours to prepare your body for battle. Instead, move to short sharper efforts – even in winter.
The model for cycling training is simple. Do lots of low intensity base miles, usually during the off season, before ramping up with short harder efforts to get into top condition.
The bigger your base, the higher your peak will be when you go about preparing for competition, or a sportive.
Well, that may have been the thinking for many years but the sport of cycling is changing.
Put simply; riding short and hard rather than long and easy will not compromise your peak condition. It will enhance it.
And you can even afford to take out base training completely.
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Post by Muller on Feb 9, 2015 15:59:16 GMT
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Post by Anthony H. on Feb 25, 2015 15:12:39 GMT
This might of interest to members of the club. The giant store in Ballincollig are holding 2 training nights as follows, Tuesday 3rd March - 7pm - Core strength / flexibility with colm Crowley Thursday 12 March - 7pm - introduction to training and racing with power with sean Lacey
No charge but you do need to pre register on their website and the training takes place up stairs in their store.
Anthony.
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Post by Muller on Apr 29, 2015 14:06:11 GMT
Condition of a helmet after a person collided with a van. But it saved his life. So if you know an idiot that says they don't like wearing them maybe show them this.
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