Archive for the ‘Nutrition’ Category:
Creatine and MX
Everybody loves to be in shape and look good. Body builders are always flexing their muscles and trying to get “swoll.” This is where creatine monohydrate comes into play. Some have dubbed this powder as important as protein powder. Because creatine draws water into the muscles, it makes you appear to have more muscle mass than you normally would. That is why most muscle heads use this. However, I was reading a forum and topic came up about Davi Millsaps using creatine. This got me thinking about the benefits of creatine for motocross.
Creatine monohydrate is a naturally occurring, organic acid that is in animals and humans. Creatine was not invented; it was made popular in the 70’s and 80’s through professional body builders. The liver produces creatine and most of the time, it ends up in your skeletal muscles. It aids in the production of ATP, one major source of energy for the body. This source of energy is mainly used when you are doing explosive exercises and/or in the anaerobic heart rate range. Remember, this range is when you are weight training or in the more intense intervals.
Okay, so our own bodies have creatine and we can get some very small amounts from meats…do we need to go to GNC and get some creatine monohydrate powder? In my opinion, not really. Since most of the time, you are using creatine to produce ATP and ATP is used in the anaerobic ranges, it really isn’t useful for motocross. Sure, we have times when we are using some explosive movements that require this sort of energy, but we need a balance of aerobic ranges as well. Creatine, for the most part, benefits sprinting and weight lifters.
When training, motocross racers do not need to concentrate only on those things. As I have said before, the off season is used to build up strength because you may not be on the bike that much and we need to do longer, less tedious cardio sessions. As you move into race season, high intensity intervals are a good thing to have, but the weight training is not as required. The products on the market don’t have substantial research behind them to show that creatine can benefit endurance athletes. Power lifters and track stars are not endurance athletes and although a 20 minute moto is not considered by many to be long, it sure isn’t an explosive, 30 second race.
One last thing that concerns me about creatine powders is that is draws water into your muscles. Sure you will look bigger, but this might draw water away from other parts of the body. I have not taken it personally, but my roommate takes it and he has to have a bottle of water with him all day or he feels extremely thirsty. It sounds good because you are drinking plenty of water, but you are also not hydrating your whole body, just your skeletal muscles. So, I do not believe that creatine is really necessary for motocross.
Training while Sick
Everyone get sick. This is the perfect time of year for colds, the flu and any other crazy sickness there is. The weather here is Florida changing from warm to cold, and then back to warm. It is wrecking my body’s immune system! I recently came down with a small bug that left me with a sore throat and a little tired. Despite lots of rest and liquids in me, I woke up yesterday feeling a bit groggy and still a bit weak. It was the first day of my workouts for the week and I was a bit hesitant to go to the gym.
So I looked and asked around and found that if you are feeling up to it, then go for it. However, there are a few things to take into consideration. Remember that I had gotten plenty of rest and was just feeling a bit tired. I was not running a fever and I was able to get out of bed and go to class. Training with a fever is something that is not advisable. Your body is running a higher than normal temperature as it is and elevating the temperature could lead to a more serious illness.
If you have a head cold and can barely get off of the couch, you are better off to stay on the couch. Once, you start to feel better, you still have to take it easy with the exercise. I have learned this the hard way a few years ago. I was sick for a few days during the week and started to feel better on Friday. I was wanting to race on Saturday and convinced my dad I was feeling better. Although I had an okay finish that race, the next day I felt terrible. I had the cold again, but it was twice as worse.
So, really what I am trying to say is that if you can perform everyday activities fine, then take it easy in the gym. You have start listening to your body and you will know when you can and can’t train/ride. Light cardio is probably the best idea because you are not exerting a lot of force on the body. Just remember to have plenty of water with you before, during and after your workout. It is even more crucial when you are sick. If you are good from the nose up, you should be okay. Just be smart about it!
New Link
What’s up guys. I came across a site that has a lot of great info on bike maintenance, upcoming race date and a bunch of other stuff. Check it out!
4 tips to keep you going at the track
Maintaining a steady diet is essential for motocross. Not only do you provide your body with the right nutrients for throwing down good motos, but you also help keep your energy levels up. There is no need to be on some ridiculous diet that disregards a whole food group. Having a spread of different foods when you are riding, keeps your energy up and prevents you from wearing out during your time at the track.
Here are 4 tips to help you ride at your best:
Good Breakfast – Eating something in the morning gives your body fuel for the day. If you are skipping out on breakfast, you are seriously hindering your chances at having a couple good motos. You are “breaking the fast” your body enters each night. Think of it this way, you wouldn’t line up on the gate with no gas in your tank would you? A few good foods for breakfast are low sugar cereals, fruits, juices and egg whites.
Staying Hydrated – Although it is still cold out, drinking plenty of water is still a must. Even if you are wearing a hoodie while riding, your body is exerting force and at work, resulting is heat and sweat. You might not feel as thirsty, but your body needs to replace those fluids. At lunch time, you can even mix a little bit of a sports drink in your water.
Snack Right – I love going for the concession stand at the track between motos, but most of the time, that stuff is fried or covered in powdered sugar. Having a few snack foods from home will keep your stomach full and prevent you from getting too hungry. When I say snack, it doesn’t have to be a complete meal; you can get some fruit, vegetables or a granola bar. For skinny guys, like me, keeping calories in while exercising is important because our metabolism is so high. We burn food off quickly and it needs to be replaced, before the body starts taking glycogen from our muscles for energy. This is when you start to feel tired and weak.
Meals at the Track – Lunch (and dinner if you stay long enough) should be light like the snacks. Meats like turkey and chicken are great and throw in some vegetables and you’ve got a nice sandwich. You don’t want to be bogged down when you are done with lunch, so eating a little bit will help keep you light on your feet. If you are still feeling hungry, grab a banana or something to hold you over during your moto.
There you have it, 4 tips to keep you going throughout the day at the track. Although track food maybe delicious, you are better off to eat some food brought from home. There will be less sugars, sodium and crap to bog you down during the day. This isn’t a crazy diet, just smarter choices that will pay off at the end of the day. And probably less trips to the nasty Porto-potties.
Top 5 Tips from 2009
When I started this blog about 6 months ago, I never anticipated where it would take me. It helped me realize what I want to major in college and what I plan to do after school. Moreover, it has helped me learn as well. I have written ways to help improve your training and help you ride safer, smarter and longer. However, there are some really important things to remember when training for motocross. Here is a list of the Top 5 MX training tips from 2009:
Eat and drink a lot
Eating numerous small meals throughout the day helps provide your body with the necessary energy to keep going. Instead of the traditional 3, big meals, you will keep your body from getting in the “sugar crash” mode. When you wait to eat those 3 meals, you wait too long and starve yourself. When you do finally get to eat, you gorge yourself with massive portions. Eating every few hours, your body will metabolize your food faster and more efficiently.
Drinking a lot does not mean drink more beer. I mean to drink plenty of water throughout the day. Get a water bottle and sip on it. Chugging water before a workout makes you feel bloated and you are not properly hydrated. If your piss isn’t clear…drink more water!
Don’t Body Build
The difference between bodybuilding and training for motocross is simple; muscle isolation. When training for MX, you want to use multi-joint exercises such as the clean and press, dead lift, pull ups and front squats. This moves the body in a manner that is close to the way you ride. Muscle isolation focuses movement over a single joint, like using curls to work the biceps.
Remember that the main muscle groups for MX are legs, core, back, and chest. Your arms are more of a hinge connecting your upper body to the handle bars. Sorry, but your arms are not as important as you think (no guns to show off!). Your legs can take a greater load over a longer period of time. That is why you squeeze with your legs to relieve your arms; so they don’t get arm pump.
Change it up
Confusing your body is a great way to make gains in your training quickly. If you do the same cardio routine for months on end, you will grow stagnant and won’t continue to improve your training. That is why training seasons work so well. In the off season, you do longer, less stressful cardio and in the spring (pre/race season) you start to hit the interval sessions again.
Incorporating a few variations of cardio will also keep you fresh and wanting to train. Varying your days as well makes a big difference. If you are used to doing cardio Mondays and Wednesdays, try to do it Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Get some R&R
Rest is not only a time for your muscles to rebuild, but it gives you a chance to relax. If you are going and going and going at a break-neck pace, you will get burnt out. However, most importantly, you could over train and lose all of your progress. For strength training, wait at least 48 hours to give your muscles a rest and for cardio, no more than three sessions per week.
As far as sleep, 8 hours minimum. Sleep is a time for your body to grow and get stronger overall. If you are doing cardio every day, you are not giving your legs, heart and lungs a chance to recover. Make some time to rest and it will pay off.
Have fun!
Why are you training? To ride longer or to get better results? Just remember that for most people, the sport of motocross is a hobby. Have fun with it and you will reap the benefits from the time in the gym. Use the training as an outlet for your stresses so you don’t take that to the races. That way, you can enjoy what all us do as well, riding with our friends!
Training Resolutions
2010 is upon us. Ready or not, it’s here. As fast as this year went by, I couldn’t be more stoked for it. It is a chance to start fresh and start to implement those goals or “resolutions” you’ve had for the past few months. However, the whole idea of New Year’s Resolutions got me thinking. I was talking to a personal trainer at the gym I work at and we discussed that if someone was committed to losing weight, why wait till the New Year to start implementing it?
This applies to training as well. If you have a certain aspect of your riding or fitness you want to work on, waiting until the 1st only gives you less time to prepare for the next season. Granted the New Year is only in 2 days, but if you want something bad enough, you shouldn’t need to wait for a holiday. This is the time of year where you can really gain some ground on your competition. While they are eating themselves into a coma with left over stuffing and chugging champagne, you can keep training and get a step ahead.
Granted, this doesn’t mean to train like the pre-season with intervals and sprints, but this is where you work on your weaknesses and change your program if it wasn’t working too well for you. This goes along with the other posts as last week; if you wait till the New Year to get your Off Season training started, you have already lost half of the time. So don’t wait till the ball drops and bottles are popped, get on that new program ASAP!
