 I was first introduced to Andy Blow and Precision Hydration many years ago, but I really got to know their philosophy and science in 2020. When the pandemic hit, I took the opportunity to get as much sports science and coaching education that I could. One of the certificates I earned was through Precision Hydration and TrainingPeaks. While this field continues to evolve, the basic tenants of Precision Hydration, which are grounded in science, practice, and good sense, have stood up to the test of time.
Here’s great listen about hydration, sodium, and cramping: https://extramilest.com/blog/extramilest-show-43-andy-blow/ Despite it being a running focused podcast, the principles can certainly be applied to cycling and other endurance sports. I’d love to hear your thoughts, questions, and general musings! Cheers, Coach Brian
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 I've never met an athlete that did not want to perform better. Can a performance advantage be gained by something as simple as eating within a fixed period of time after your workout? Maybe...or maybe not. I can't recall the first time I heard the term "glycogen window." I've also heard it called the "window of opportunity", the "carbohydrate window", the "metabolic window", and I'm sure there are others. I feel like this was a "truth" that was taught to me many, many years ago and since then has been reinforced. And certainly something I practice. If you're not familiar with any of these terms, it's the notion that your muscles are most receptive for glycogen (the stored form of glucose (sugar) that is made up of many connected glucose molecules) replenishment within the first 30 minutes upon completing your endurance exercise. Many experts in the field suggest a 3 or 4 to 1 ratio of carbs to protein to maximize the uptake. Since carbs and protein both have 4 calories per gram, one can simply look at the number of grams of carbs and compare it to the number of grams of protein. For example, if the food item at 40 grams of carbs and 10 grams of protein, that would fit the bill of a 4:1 ratio. That's right, 3 or 4 times as many carbohydrates as protein. So you may want to reconsider if a protein shake or bar is your go-to recovery food after that hard cycling workout. Please understand that these recommendations are for after intense and/or "long" bouts of exercise. A 60 minute Zone 1 recovery spins doesn't need major refueling. A spin to the coffee shop on the beach cruiser while on vacation won't need any refueling. But a ride or event where you're putting down the power or riding for over 60 minutes with a fair bit of aggression, your muscles will get tapped of their glycogen. And that's a notion that is not argued by many. However, there are some instances where exercise less than 60 minutes may require some attention to refueling, such as a 'cross race, crit, or TT. Back to the "window"... If you dive into this and do some research, you'll find more than one source that says this window does not exist, or if it does, it is much, much longer. I've seen as long as 24 hours after completion of exercising proposed. Personally, I subscribe to, and try to practice the 30 minute window. I also recommend this to the athletes I coach. I don't have any muscle biopsies to back up my thoughts, but I do have decades of practical experience with three main points why I think it's a good idea to eat within 30 minutes. 1. Almost everyone I work with is busy. It's part of our culture. We cram more and more into our days. If you make it a habit of eating/drinking within that 30 minute window, it will get done. I've had more than one client tell me how they "forgot" to eat when they got done or "ran out of time" or "didn't have anything handy" and ended up going for many hours or worse, going to bed without refueling. Almost without fail, they didn't feel great during their workout the next day. And maybe even days after that. So if you make it a routine and maybe even have your recovery meal or drink prepared ahead of time, you'll be sure to get it in every time. 2. If we eat something sensible and planned during that 30 minutes, we're less likely to raid the cabinets and refrigerator and make bad choices later on. Those bad choices can often lead to filling our bellies with non-nutritious food, only to be hungry again after a very short period of time. Get in a good recovery mean or drink, and you'll set yourself up for better choices later on. 3. You will recover better and feel stronger on your next ride. Again, this is purely anecdotal for me, but I've worked with many athletes since becoming a coach in 2005, and have heard both successes and failures. Often those failures can be traced back to poor refueling the day before. I know I've certainly put myself behind the eight ball after not being prepared or cutting my time to close to properly refuel. Better to end your ride 15 minutes early and get some food than to push it and put yourself in a hole. Consistency is going to pay off more than intermittent solid workouts. Dr. Allan Lim is one of my favorite exercise scientists to read and listen to. Not only is he extremely knowledgeable, experienced, and interesting, he also delivers down to Earth, practical advice. You probably know his company, Skratch Labs, and may have come across his books. Here's a great quote from his Feedzone Cookbook. WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT After racing or training more than 4 hours, it’s critical that you eat at least 4 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight within 30 minutes of finishing. For exercise lasting less than 2 hours, the goal is 2 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight. This amounts to about 500 to 1,000 kcals for a 150-pound athlete, depending on the duration of training. Generally speaking, this means that you will eat as much as possible right after getting off the bike if it has been a hard day of training. After an easy day of training, you will eat enough to take the edge off. We need to eat immediately after exercise because our muscles are extremely sensitive to insulin during this time. Insulin brings carbohydrate into the muscle, where it can be stored as glycogen. Consequently, eating right after exercise helps to better restore muscle glycogen. “The Feed Zone Cookbook: Fast and Flavorful Food for Athletes,” by Biju Thomas & Allen Lim Much like I wrote about a cool-down, I have not seen any literature or research that says it's detrimental to take in a recovery meal or drink within this 30 minutes. The biggest downside I see is perhaps taking in too many calories at this time or slamming a big recovery shake after an easy or very short ride. However, if you keep in mind the notion of the recovery meal or drink is for long and/or intense rides, you'll probably be in a good place. Below are some other great listens and reads you can use as resources to help make your own informed decisions about your refueling practices. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dr. Allen Lim on The Gravel Ride https://thegravelride.bike/dr-allen-lim-founder-of-skratch-labs-talks-gravel-nutrition ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ What Post-Workout Nutrition Looks Like by LENTINE ALEXIS https://blog.strava.com/post-workout-nutrition-16547/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Truth About The Post-Exercise Fueling Window from Women's Running https://www.womensrunning.com/health/food/the-truth-about-the-post-exercise-fueling-window/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ And if you really want to "nerd out", check out this article: International society of sports nutrition position stand: nutrient timing https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-017-0189-4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I also found one article where they referenced a study that noted eating anything, even something "unhealthy" is better than nothing at all. https://www.bicycling.com/health-nutrition/a20014558/what-to-eat-after-a-ride/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Remember that there are plenty of real food options out there that will work well for recovery foods and drinks. Chocolate milk is great in a pinch, too. However, those recovery powders and bars are certainly convenient and going to be better than nothing. Until next time, fuel ahead of time, fuel during, and re-fuel after. And the rest of the time try to practice healthy nutrition. If you have a question or comment, please post below. Cheers, Coach Brian Chocolate milk and a swig of maple syrup is the best recovery meal! Chocolate milk is GREAT in a pinch for sure! And like a true Vermonter, MAPLE SYRUP! https://untapped.cc/ Ted King Rocks! Caffeine...some people can't operate without their first cup of coffee in the morning, and others hit it all day long. Some folks can fall right asleep after a full cup of high test (side note: studies have shown that this may not be quality sleep) and others are wired out of their mind.
Caffeine has long been a supplement used by athletes of all disciplines, and certainly not excluded are the endurance athletes. I've been reading quite a few articles recently that shed some new light on how caffeine interacts with our bodies. This is a great article on Training Peaks by Carrie McCusker out of Portland, Maine. Check it out and weigh the ups and downs yourself! ***Make sure you always consult with a medical professional about your own sensitivity or intolerance to caffeine.*** Caffeine: How it Works For and Against Your Performance And a second article at Precision Hydration by Sports Scientist Abby Coleman: Why do athletes use caffeine? Now, it's time to go get that afternoon cup o' jo...or not? Cheers, Coach B.L.  Just like we train with specificity to best meet the demands of our events, we should also fuel with specificity. What does this mean?
Event day is NOT the time to experiment with new energy and hydration sources. We want to have fun and perform well, not be dealing with gastrointestinal distress. Or perhaps it’s a mix that doesn’t bother our gut, but tastes so terrible you have no desire to drink it. While a fun farm to fork fondo type of event might be more forgiving if you’re riding casually, you still don’t want gut issues. How can this be avoided? (Nutrition? Fueling? See: Fueling vs. Nutrition) If you’re providing all your own fueling for the event, start dialing in what you’re going to eat and drink at least 8 weeks out from the event. Practice with this fuel on different training rides, especially rides that replicate part or all of the event. Can you open up the food when going hard? Does it take forever to chew (which can be good or bad, actually)? Is it fine at an endurance pace but as soon as things heat up your stomach revolts? Does it taste pretty good 2 hours in but after 6 hours in you’re tired of it? All things to think about that can be investigated through deliberate practice. If some or all of the refueling will be provided by the neutral support at the event, make sure you find out EXACTLY what will be offered. If not clearly outlined on the registration page, find out directly from the promoter, not what your buddy that did it 5 years ago remembered. If you’ve used their products successfully before, GREAT. If you’ve never tried them, go get yourself some and practice as I wrote about above. Obviously if you’ve used and it didn’t sit well with you or just wasn’t effective for you, you're going to want to carry your own fuel and, if available, have your drop bags stocked up. I had a teammate that could not stand what one of the big endurance mountain bike events in our area had in the hydration jugs at the aid stations. Instead of using what they offered, he would carry small plastic bags of the drink mix that worked for him, and then just add water at the aid stations. Slower at the aid stations? Maybe, but better than the time you may lose from not drinking during a super-hot race of 8+ hour duration. For either situation, try to practice under similar environmental conditions, as something that sits well at 40 degree Fahrenheit might be a gut bomb at the 95 degree venue. Try these foods and drinks on the trainer when you’re really cooking as we all know it’s easy to get hot riding indoors. Or maybe the bar or waffle that’s soft and chewy at home turns into a brick at the frigid event. Obviously the different conditions are not always available, but something to consider. Even if you’ve got your plan dialed in and find “your products,” I encourage you to continue to experiment and try other things. The wider the range of products that you know work for you the better. You’ll make yourself much more versatile lower maintenance with the flexibility. You also may find that a new product came out that works better for you, or you’ve changed with time and respond better to something else. Buying box of bars or jugs of mix that you might not like can get expensive, with a little creativity you can save some dough. You can make trades with riding partners, buy singles at your local bike shop, or check out The Feed. I’m not sponsored by The Feed or anything of the like, I just simply know that some of my clients have enjoyed purchasing samplers to figure out what they like and what works. www.thefeed.com While you're experimenting, also work on the amount of the fuel that you're taking in. Are you getting enough calories (energy)? Can you push it up to 60 grams per hour? 70? 80? Find what works for you, but also be ready to adapt the plan based on the duration and intensity of the event. I can help you dial in your plan and find a good range that works for you. I had some teammates who could race up to 10 hours with all liquid based calories. And others, like me, that needed and preferred a mix of liquid and solid calories. Find what works for you and keep in mind that different durations may yield different “optimal” plans for you. Here are two solid resources to help you get DIALED: https://www.trainingpeaks.com/blog/how-to-optimize-carbohydrate-absorption/ https://cyclingmagazine.ca/sections/training-guide/training/pro-cyclists-share-their-race-day-nutrition-plans/ As always, find what works for YOU! So keep practicing and leave as little to chance on event day as possible, especially not what’s going to keep your turbo diesel engine humming along! What are your best practices for fueling during your event? Post these or any questions below. Fuel like a champ! Coach Brian KEEP YOUR WATER BOTTLES FROM FREEZING ON YOUR COLD WINTER RIDES I can remember the first time I rode long enough in temps that my water bottle started freezing up. At first I didn’t believe it, but I unscrewed the top and sure enough, I had made my own personal slushie. It was a bit of a badge of courage, until I really needed a drink and then it was just annoying and keeping me from hydrating. I have to admit that I still get a kick out of riding in conditions to freeze bottles, I also take... a very easy step to make sure some of my water stays water. Very simply, I rotate bottles in and out of my back center pocket. If it’s super cold, I’ll make sure to have two outer layers with pockets and put my bottle in the pocket under the outer layer. This technique works amazingly well to keep your fluids fluid. One key is to make sure you start with one of your bottles in your pocket so it doesn’t even start freezing. Then, after 15-30 minutes, depending on how cold it is, rotate your bottle from your bike cage to your pocket and vice-versa. Keep this rotation going, drinking all the while, and you’ll be less likely to be chipping away the ice from the inside of the bottle in pursuit of some liquid satisfaction. By sticking to a timeline, you’re also possibly more likely to drink on these cold days were we don’t always feel like we need or want to drink, but its super important. Here’s a good read on the importance of staying hydrated in the winter: https://pezcyclingnews.com/toolbox/toolbox-winter-hydration-for-better-training/ What’s your best winter hydration tip? What do you do to keep your bottles freezing? Leave a comment or question below. May your water stay water! Coach Brian I got a pair of GCN thermoses that will accept hot liquids (or warm) and they are basically soup or coffee thermoses. Not cheap but they keep liquids at acceptable non solid/frozen temps long enough to outlast any ride and are designed to fit in bottle cages! Sounds like a worthy investment. Thanks, Alberto!  Races are wrapping up, and in many parts of the continent, the cold weather is starting to cut down the group rides. Athletes are starting to “shut it down”, transition to more off the bike work, and maybe even take a little break. As we enter this shoulder season, there is often the opportunity for plenty of holiday gatherings. And often with these festive occasions there will be an abundance of delicious food. Maybe not so “healthy”, but delicious none-the-less. It’s so cliché but I truly believe that moderation is the key. Depriving yourself of these holiday meals and treats during your social gatherings can often backfire. Healthier eating does not need to be a toggle switch, where on one side you're eating like a small bird and the other is throwing in the towel for complete gluttony. Your “diet” is a continuum; find that happy medium where you can enjoy some of the holiday food without guilt, but at the same time over indulging. Then, after the holidays, you can transition back to your personal center with a sustainable, energy appropriate diet. A notion that I read in an article a few years ago was “that second piece of pumpkin pie (or substitute whatever you’re considering for another service) won’t taste any better than the first.” So go ahead, have some of that great food. Be in the moment and really enjoy it with no guilt. And then be satisfied when you’ve had your fill and don’t eat more just for eatings’ sake. Looks like Microsoft Word doesn’t think “eatings’” a word, but I’m going with it. This concept really resonates with me, as I used to always be the guy going back for seconds and thirds, when in most cases my firsts was enough. Now, I’m still the guy for seconds from time to time, but I’ll make sure to really take my time and check in with myself first. For me, my typical weakness at the holiday table is more the savory foods during the main meal such as stuffing, potatoes, and turkey all with plenty of gravy. I try to ensure that after that first usually overflowing plateful, I take a moment and ask myself, “are you hungry, or did you just like the taste and want more?” before going back up for another load. If I’m really not done, I don’t hesitate to get some more. But if I’m not, I’ll just sit and enjoy everyone’s company. It works for the most part with the mental re-framing of “the second plate won’t taste any better or enhance my experience from the first.” Here’s a nice article with 5 Quick Tips brought to you from the find folks over at TrainingPeaks: Surviving the Holidays: 5 Quick Tips for Healthy Eating https://www.trainingpeaks.com/blog/surviving-the-holidays-5-quick-tips-for-healthy-eating/ I think there are some really good points made here such as not saving up your calories, making sure you stick with your normal rhythm of eating, and making sure you don’t go into situations with the indulgent food overally hungry. So, as the article suggests, don’t be afraid to enjoy yourself and get involved, but it’s doesn’t have be an all or none situation. In my search for meaningful articles on the topic, I found it interesting that the suggestions on the sports related sites are very similar to just general guidelines from the medical and health community. Here’s another quick read from the Mayo Clinic News Network: 10 Healthy Holiday Nutrition Tips https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/10-healthy-holiday-nutrition-tips/ What’s your best tip for suriving the holiday decadence? Post a comment or question below. Thanks for reading and happy holidays! Coach Brian This is a great inspiring article. I am pretty much pleased with your good work.You put really very helpful information  I’m a fast drinker. I’ve always been. It’s not a great habit, and I learned recently that it may actually be detrimental to my performance. And while I’m actually better with not chugging while riding than off the bike, it’s important both during and outside of exercise.
I’ve often read that it’s better to sip water slowly throughout your ride than to take in large gulps or to chug, but I never really knew the reason why. Of course there’s the “sloshing” that some folks will experience in their stomachs with taking in two much liquid at one time during exercise. This is worse for runners than cyclists, but can still be a problem for cyclists. It can also upset your stomach or make you feel bloated if you drink too quickly. An underlying scientific reason to not drink large amounts quickly is that it can actually dehydrate you as it will activate the kidneys. According to, Coach Cindy Stonesmith ACSM HFS, “It’s important to sip throughout the day, because ingesting a large amount of fluid over a short time will over activate the kidneys leaving you more dehydrated.” As someone who’s spent hundreds of hours riding and racing on rough terrain, I fully recognize that sometimes you just have to drink quickly when you get a chance. An example would be a short dirt road section between challenging singletrack sections in a mountain bike race. On that smoother section, you need to get in what you can. But largely, it seems beneficial to sip your fluids while staying true to your hydration plan. If you’re targeting 30 ounces an hour, taking in 5-6 ounces over 6-5 sips through the course of the hour is quite likely more beneficial, and not detrimental, compared to slamming 15 ounces twice. Something to experiment with both on and off the bike. It might lead to more effective hydration, and, if nothing else, it could mean less trips to the little boys’ or girls’ room. Here are two great, quick reads that might shed some light on your hydration strategies and make it more effective. https://time.com/5646632/how-much-water-to-drink/ https://www.precisionhydration.com/performance-advice/hydration/how-much-should-i-drink/ Sip that drink! Coach Brian Fueling. Nutrition. Two terms that are thrown around seemingly interchangeably. I'm certainly guilty of this myself. I've written to my athletes about dialing in their ride, race, event nutrition strategy but also about their fueling strategy. For best performance and more importantly, health, it’s perhaps best to consider these two terms independently.
Perhaps cliché, "reframing" how one approaches terms or situation is often very helpful. The podcast that I linked below from Fasttalk certainly helped me to consider these two terms in a different "frame." Within the first few minutes of the listen a light bulb went off. Fueling: what you're eating before, during, and after your workout for performance. Nutrition: what you're eating in general. Some of it will be for performance, but the vast majority of it should be focused on your health and wellness as a human being. And then we talk about "diets." For many, this elicits thoughts of terms like: high-fat, low carbs; the grapefruit diet; keto diet; the Hollywood diet; see food diet (you see food and you eat it); etc. My approach to the word diet, that is perhaps more "scientific", is that your diet is the compilation of all that you eat and drink. Then you may be practicing a specific goal based on ratios of macronutrients (fat, protein, carbohydrates), or eating x amount of specific foods per day, excluding specific foods, etc. This episode of Fasttalk: Find Balance Between Nutrition and Fueling https://www.fasttalklabs.com/fast-talk/find-balance-between-nutrition-and-fueling/ does a great job of clearing up these three terms and providing a framework for a very clean approach. One great concept to consider is that what works well for fueling is not necessarily "healthy." Just because it's athletic food or drink, doesn't mean it's good for you, and may be quite unhealthy when you're not exercising. One area I've modified my diet over the past decade is to not go for that energy bar as my mid-afternoon snack. My favorite go-to was loaded with over 20 (some flavors 30) grams of sugar. Works great as fuel for my long rides, and it's convenient for sure, but not the best snack when off the bike. Instead, now I go for a piece of fruit and maybe some peanut butter on organic corn cakes. Or if I'm in a pinch time-wise, I found some great low or no sugar organic protein bars that aren't loaded with Aspartame but are filled with healthy fats and plant based protein. Even though they're less than 200 calories (and no, I'm not counting calories), it's a very nutritious snack. The result? I find I am satiated and able to hold until my next meal or whole-food snack. I'm not hungry again in 30-60 minutes as I was in the past with foods loaded with simple, or at least not very complex, sugars. Likewise, what's very healthy for you might not be great fueling. I love when Coach Connor comments that a kale salad loaded with vegetables might be very healthy, it's not going to give you good fuel for training or racing. So mix it up, fuel up when you're going to be training or racing. When you're not training that day, your diet may shift quite a bit to focus more on "healthy" eating. In an upcoming post I'll be linking some great nutrition resources that I've come across and shared with my athletes over the years. I find they break it all down and really simplify things. If you have an comment, question, idea for a post, or random thought, please comment below or send me an e-mail. Until then, drink your water and think about what you're putting in your body. Make some small changes, create habits, and then make the next small change. You can do it! Cheers, Coach Brian Caffeine...some people can't operate without their first cup of coffee in the morning, and others hit it all day long. Some folks can fall right asleep after a full cup of high test (side note: studies have shown that this may not be quality sleep) and others are wired out of their mind.
Caffeine has long been a supplement used by athletes of all disciplines, and certainly not excluded are the endurance athletes. I've been reading quite a few articles recently that shed some new light on how caffeine interacts with our bodies. This is a great article on Training Peaks by Carrie McCusker out of Portland, Maine. Check it out and weigh the ups and downs yourself! Caffeine: How it Works For and Against Your Performance And a second article at Precision Hydration by Sports Scientist Abby Coleman: Why do athletes use caffeine? Now, it's time to go get that afternoon cup o' jo...or not? Cheers, Coach B.L. We are blasted with nutritional advice in every aspect of media, mostly with titles like "eat this" and "don't eat this." As athletes, we need to remember that what is recommended and works for the average sedentary individual may not work for us.
The best way to dial in your nutritional needs and identify any deficiencies is to work with a registered dietitian or certified nutritionist. This can save you a lot of time and energy in the long run, and most importantly, keep you healthy. And of course, help us perform better! Along the lines of differing needs for athletes is this great article from the TrainingPeaks Blog about sodium. Sodium has been taboo in much of the population, but as you'll read here it's a necessary component of our diet. Check it out, talk to your doctor and nutritionist about it, and you might see you need to make a change. Particularly during the bit of a heat wave that much of the country is experiencing now. Enjoy the read and the wonderful summer riding! Why Athletes Need Sodium JUNE 21, 2019 · BY ANDY BLOW https://www.trainingpeaks.com/blog/why-athletes-need-sodium/ Cheers, Coach Brian |
AuthorCoach B.L. is the head coach at BJL Coaching and an avid racer and cycling enthusiast himself. Categories
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