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| Estimating your Caloric replacement needs is always a challenge. |
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And as
CHANGE IN WEIGHT (IN LBS) = (CALORIES BURNED - CALORIES CONSUMED)/3500
you will see the results reflected in the bathroom scales.
Regular physical exercise will help to protect your muscles (at the expense of fat) during periods of negative caloric balance so you will not lose significant muscle mass even if you underestimate your calorie needs. However, if you overshoot on the calorie replacement, and especially if you have been exercising at a slow pace (which will preferentially burn fat calories while maintaining muscle glycogen stores),any post ride carbohydrate loading may find muscle glycogen stores already "filled" and any additional carbohydrate calories will be converted directly into fat.
The bottom line
a high carbohydrate, low-fat diet is best for endurance performance, coupled with weight training to maintain upper body muscle mass. With a regular exercise program, a modest weight gain should be in muscle mass and any weight loss from fat.
Fluids
Although water does not provide caloric energy, adequate hydration is at least as important to athletic performance as the food you eat. One of the biggest mistakes of many competitive athletes is failing to replace fluid losses associated with exercise. This is especially the case in cycling as rapid skin evaporation decreases the sense of perspiring and imparts a false sense of only minimal fluid loss when sweat production and loss through the lungs can easily exceed 4 pints per hour.
For a successful ride, it is essential that you start off adequately hydrated, begin fluid replacement early, and drink regularly during the ride.
Body fluid losses during exercise has a direct effect on physiological function and athletic performance.
But as a word of warning to those who practice the philosophy of "if a little is good, a lot is better", there are also risks with overcorrecting the water losses of exercise.
Weighing yourself regularly will help you tailor YOUR OWN PERSONAL replacement program. A weight gain of more that 1 or 2 pounds will indicate that you are overcorrecting your water losses and may be placing yourself at risk.
Visit your local gym for more advice on fitness training and nutrition.
Information with kind permission from 'e-cobr'
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