Checkpoint Zero Training Camp
presented by ARCoach.com

More carbs, no carbs, more protein, less fat, lean meat, no meat, high fat, less protein.....Blah, Blah, Blah!

Ok, so we've heard it all. Every time I turn around someone has a new diet plan that will change your life. If it isn't the latest high protein low carb craze itâ??s something else. I just want to set the record straight so bear with me.

As an endurance athlete you need to eat a well balanced diet. You will need nutrients from all sources, Carbohydrates, Fat, and Protein. The key is balance! I recommend eating a diet that contains 60% carbohydrate, 20% fat, and 20% protein. So if you consumed 2200 calories a day it would breakdown like this: 1320 carbs, 440 fat, and 440 protein. There are certain times during your training and racing season that the percentage of fat is a little higher or lower than the 20%. In general try to keep it around the 20% mark. Just remember that carbohydrates are your primary source of energy, so make sure you are getting enough carbs to fuel your training. The protein is what rebuilds your muscles after training and helps you recover from those hard efforts.

If you are looking to drop a few pounds before the season, you have only two choices. Eat less or burn more. One pound of fat consists of 3500 calories. If you want to lose one pound a week you need to be burning 500 calories a day more than you eat. Or eat 500 calories less each day while burning the same amount of calories. It's that simple, don't get hung up on all the fad diets, they don't promote long-term weight loss!

You should be taking a good multi-vitamin and maybe a protein supplement during those really hard training days. Other than that just focus on balance in you diet.

I will address what you should be eating during a race in a future blog.

Keith Bushaw
Director of Coaching
ARcoach

Certified Fitness Trainer
Certified Endurance Trainer
USA Cycling Certified Coach
Certified Fitness Therapy