The Truth about Nutrition

Over the years of riding, I have accumulated a few injuries.  Although, I have not broken anything (knock on wood), I have been knocked out one too many times and had plenty of hard get offs.  With these crashes and mishaps comes the painful morning after where every single bone and muscle fiber aches.  The abuse your joints and cartilage take each moto is more than you think.  The constant wear on these points will have you feeling the effects.  Sure you can pop an aspirin once in a while, but the chronic aches can’t be dealt with this method.

I am not one to get on medication easily, so I look for the natural way first.  One of the best pain “relievers” I have ever taken is glucosamine.  This little gem is an amino sugar that is related to ingredients in joint cartilage and synovial fluid.  Glucosamine is already in your body as it helps molecules that help repair the cartilage and other tissues throughout the body.  As you get older, you lose more and more of this molecule which leads to a decrease in resiliency in the connective tissue.  Often times, you will see the glucosamine supplements paired with chondroitin sulfate.  This draws water into the connective tissue, that the glucosamine is repairing, and gives it even more resiliency.

Often times you can find this at any grocery store or pharmacy.  It normally takes a day or two to kick in, but you will notice a difference.  I have had knee trouble since a first turn crash in 2007 and this has helped tremendously.  The capsules are usually in 1500mg.  With this dosage, I would recommend taking 2 or 3 daily.  This isn’t a miracle pill by any means, but the effects are definitely noticeable.  Like any other type of supplement, this requires you to stay consistent every day, every week.  When you miss a few days, you will start to feel those old aches coming back.

Buy a bottle, stick with it for a few days and I promise you won’t regret it.

Greek Yogurt

This is great at almost any time of the day and especially a few hours before riding.  You can throw some fruit and protein powder together and you have an awesome snack.  Greek yogurt is full of pro-biotics that keep your digestive system normal as well as higher calcium content than that of other dairy products.  This is also good for people who are sensitive to lactose and cannot handle milk.  Look for Greek yogurt that has been fortified with vitamin D as well.

Salmon

This fish is packed with omega-3 fatty acids, iron and protein.  Iron helps the body in the production of hemoglobin, which carries oxygen in the red blood cells.  A lack of iron has been known to cause a decrease in fatigue.  The omega-3 is considered to be a good fat that reduces inflammation in the body.   This fish isn’t too heavy on the stomach and is delicious when grilled.  Combine this lean fish with some greens and salsa to make a great salad for dinner.

Nuts

Go to Publix, or where ever you grocery shop, and pick up some assorted nuts.  These little guys are loaded with the “good” fats like the salmon and have plenty of antioxidents.  They are pretty calorie dense, so just grab a handful and you are set.  Munch on them between motos, at night or whenever you are hungry.  Again, like the other foods on here, you can add them to just about any meal for extra flavor and texture.

Blueberries

At my local Publix, these guys were on sale and grabbed 3 cartons.  I ended up eating a whole one in a day and went back for more.  Blueberries are one of the best berries because they are full of antioxidents, maintain blood sugar levels and some say they act as mild anti depressants.  This is a great food for those on the Paleo-Diet.  Look for cartons with darker berries; the darker, the better.

Kiwis

Dig in my friend.  One large kiwi contains your daily requirement for vitamin C, which is an immune system booster.  Not only does this fruit have vitamin C, but it also has potassium, fiber and vitamins A and E.  Just like the blueberries, this is a perfect fruit for you cave men dieters.  Mix some kiwis and bananas at the track for some cramping protection from the potassium.

One thing that I have always been taught and learned is that saturated fat is bad for you.  In fact, it is supposed to be terrible for you.  It clogs the arteries and will cause your to heart basically stop beating.  Sound about right?  Well, that isn’t exactly the case.  Think about every fresh, natural protein source.  There’s a good chance that 80% of those foods you just thought of have a good amount of saturated fat.  Did nature make it that way for a reason?  Is it meant to be that way?  Maybe.

Diets that have a higher percentage of calories coming from saturated fat also have higher amounts of testosterone.  Typically, this hormone produces growth in muscles, strength, increased bone density, bone maturation; basically, good things that you want.  Higher levels of testosterone won’t make you go into a psychotic rage, so don’t worry.  Not only this, but think about the nervous system.  Every neurological pathway is surrounded by myelin sheaths made of fat; your brain operates on fat almost.  Interesting studies have shown that when people go on low fat diets, they often go into a depression like state.

With almost 9 calories per gram, fat contains twice as much energy as carbohydrates and protein.  That is a massive amount of energy.  This doesn’t give you permission to eat fast food.  Like I said before, this is just to shed some light on misconceived notions.  It is really food for thought…pun intended.

At night when you are fast asleep, your body runs on idle, makes repairs and prepares for the next day.  Obviously you are not eating when this is happening.  So, when you wake and have your first meal you are breaking the fast.  Hence, breakfast.  Imagine having your breakfast at 8am, then not eating until 9pm.  When you skip breakfast, this is what you are essentially doing.

I don’t know about you, but I would not make it through the day.  You are not supplying the body with energy to operate at full efficiency.  A solid, conventional breakfast would include three things: a carbohydrate, protein and fat source.  This could be a cup of oatmeal with peanut butter and a couple of eggs.  This covers all of your needs until the next meal.

Having a bowl of Cocoa Puffs is better than nothing, but the insulin spike will have you dragging a few hours later.  Complex carbohydrates will help you maintain a steady rate of energy and avoiding any crashes.  However, if you are on the cave man diet as I am, you want to skip on the grains.  You can replace the oatmeal with fruit and a higher amount of fat.  For instance, a cup of blueberries with eggs and bacon will be sufficient.

Whatever your diet consists of, don’t skip breakfast.  It sets the stage for the rest of the day and helps get you through the morning.  Something is better than nothing, but stick to complex carbs (or higher fats) and protein.

The man in the documentary actually lowered his LDL (“bad” cholesterol) and raised his HDL (“good” cholesterol) on this high saturated fat diet.  The key to this was to keep his carbohydrates under 100g per day.  When I saw this, I was thinking that would make no sense for motocross.  However, if you are not eating carbohydrates, the fat eaten throughout the day becomes your fuel.  Fat is easier to breakdown and has more caloric energy than carbohydrates.

Even more convincing is insulin resistance.  Every time you consume a carbohydrate (made of sugar), your body releases insulin.  In theory, carbo-loading constantly can result in massive spikes in blood sugar and insulin, which ultimately leads to said insulin resistance.  At this point, your pancreas has been run into the ground.  Imagine running your bike with little or no oil; you are going to burn your motor up.

The name caveman diet refers to the fact that our bodies have not adapted to the high amounts of grains we are now consuming.  In Paleolithic times, man consumed fatty animal protein, vegetables and fruits.   The food you consume through the day is provides you with energy, not the carbs eaten yesterday.  In addition to this, saturated fat has been shown in many studies to increase testosterone.  With an increase of this male hormone, subjects felt an increase in strength and energy.

After reading Coach Seiji’s blog about this diet and hearing Greg at Concept2 singing its praises, I have decided to plunge into the primal times!  I am setting up an appointment to get a blood test.  That way I will have a base line for my cholesterol, HDL and LDL levels.  I will keep updates coming weekly or daily if I feel any changes.

McDonald’s Oatmeal

When I saw that, I couldn’t help but laugh and think how many people actually believed that anything from McDonald’s could be somewhat healthy.  Burger King and Micky D’s are notorious for this sort of thing.  Put a solid, healthy meal on the menu.  Then load it with sugar, salt and/or fat.  Or in most cases, all of the above.

However, these two fine, American establishments aren’t the only ones.  Even sit down restaurants are getting to the point where it is sickening.  Some appetizers on AppleBee’s and T.G.I. Fridays are upwards of 2,000 calories!  And that is the first course of your dinner!  One thing that really stood out to me was Carl’s Six Dollar Burger…111g of fat.  No wonder we are the fattest people on Earth.

This is more of rant than anything.  But, one thing I want you to get is that eating out at fast food or restaurants should be a rare occasion for you.  Everything on every menu comes “crispy”, “breaded” and load with creamy sauces.  Even if it is grilled, chances are there is something that isn’t good for you in that meal.  Just cutting out this food will make a huge difference in your training and riding.  You will feel better when you wake up and have more energy throughout the day.  It may not seem like it, but you will actually save money by going to the grocery store, getting fresh meat and vegetables and cooking your own food. That way, you know exactly what is in your food.

Here’s some more depression for you in a list of 20 terrible foods.

Don’t Ever Eat This!

In order to maintain energy, you will need to consume plenty of carbohydrates.  If you have “carbo-phobia”, you need to get with the times and realize that is completely stupid.  Carbohydrates are made of glucose, a form of sugar.  This sugar gets converted into glycogen by the body.  The glycogen is what gives you energy and maintains blood sugar.  I recommend at least 2 grams of carbohydrates per pound of body weight.  For example, I am 180lb.  So, I would need at least 360g of carbohydrates.  These carbs should come from whole wheat breads, pastas, brown rice and fruits.

The next pieces of the diet puzzle are the proteins.  The main goal is not to build slabs of muscle.  The more muscle, the more oxygen is required to move it.  You want to maintain what you have and use the protein for recovery.  Any amount over 1g of protein per pound of body weight is going to be excessive.  Chicken, fish, lean beef, beans and nuts are excellent sources of protein and fats.  Fats seem to have a bad rep from the low fat fad a few years ago.  Unsaturated fat is essential for any athlete.  They help absorb vitamins and minerals as well as protect your organs.  To get a ballpark number on the amount of fat you need, just take .25 and multiply it by your weight.

To round out your diet, be sure to drink at least a gallon of water a day.  You will stay hydrated and ready for riding.  As with any balanced diet, eat plenty of vegetables.  This is not hard stuff.  It just takes good judgments.  Take a break from the burger/French fry combo and you will see an immediate difference in your mood, riding and training.

1.       Periodization – This is really the back bone of all professional training programs.  Establishing a strong base for both strength and cardio set the stage for the rest of your season.  For example, you want to begin with longer, less intense bouts on your road bike or rower with more frequency during the week.  However, as you enter the race season, you want to cut your frequency down, but raise the intensity with interval training.  Remember, the races on the weekend are the easiest part of your program.

2.       Flexibility – Many times, one’s flexibility is overlooked.  Common injuries in the groin, knees and shoulders can be avoided simply by incorporating stretching.  Muscle strains and joints all benefit from an increased range of motion.  Every time you put your leg out in a corner, you risk sliding out and injuring your hip, knee or ankle.  Increased mobility can help prevent these small mishaps from turning into bigger problems.

3.       Diet – The Holidays are almost done.  With turkey, stuffing and more pies than people, your week’s worth of cardio and strength training went out the window.  Throw in the flowing alcohol during New Year’s and you just got tag teamed like old fashion wrestling.  Like the old saying goes, you are what you eat.  You wouldn’t put diesel in your bike would you?  I really hope you said no.  Keep it simple with complex carbs throughout the day and don’t skimp on the protein (around .75g per pound of body weight).

4.       Variety – Change it up.  Often.  Changing exercises confuses your body and encourages more gains.  Different angles, utilizing balance boards, or completely different exercises all help you stay fresh and interested in training.  Running on a treadmill is great, but switch it up and get on a stationary bike.  Or even run outside.  Varying your program’s exercises will challenge your body to adapt and overcome.

5.      Rest – Recovery is your best friend.  Getting to bed on time before a big race and sleeping 8 hours will make a huge difference in training.  Sleep releases growth hormones and repairs the damage done to the body.  When you don’t get enough sleep, your body cannot cope with the stress you put on it and you are constantly tearing yourself down.  Not only is sleep important, but recovery days and weeks are essential.  Doing intense cardio two days in a row does not promote gains in anything.  You over train and this results in lost time and terrible results.

High Fructose Corn Syrup: Is It To Blame For The Obesity Epidemic?

It’ll make you think twice next time you order a large Coke at Micky-D’s.