diff --git a/_posts/2022-08-08-cycling-calories.md b/_posts/2022-08-08-cycling-calories.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..037e62a --- /dev/null +++ b/_posts/2022-08-08-cycling-calories.md @@ -0,0 +1,52 @@ +--- +layout: post +title: Cycling through calories +tags: +- cycling +--- + +I never really paid attention to the calories burned during cycling until +recently, and it's still somewhat shocking when I look at it. With my love of +cycling rekindled by [AIDS/LifeCycle](https://aidslifecycle.org) I have spent a +lot more time in the saddle this year. Between short criterium races, my +longest at 140mi, or the most elevation with the [Death +Ride](https://deathride.com/), I have needed to be very mindful of my nutrition +before, during, and after these rides. In short, cycling can burn a **lot** of calories. + +The "nutrition facts" panel on commercially sold food typically accounts for a +2,000 calorie daily allocation. This is a rough approximation of what the +average American should eat. Reasonable I suppose, but let me share some of the +calorie _expenditures_ estimated on my recent rides: + +* Patterson Pass Road Race, 43mi, 4,400ft elevation: **2,400** calories +* Sonoma Parks tour, 140mi, 6,700ft elevation: **5,122** calories +* Death ride, 103mi, 14,000ft elevation: **7,557** calories + +The numbers are insane! I expect that I need almost 3,000 calories a day just +to keep my weight and activity levels normal. That means for these more +significant rides my body requires 3-4x the average daily suggested intake. + +"I wish I could eat like you!" + +I will frequently get comments about my appetite. Eating 3-5k calories a day is +quite the challenge! Are you sure you're up to it? 😄 + +Because I have no idea what a thousand calories look like, I have had to enlist +the help of a calorie tracker. In doing so I have learned a few things: + +* Making each meal ~1k calories is *hard*, especially challenging when eating vegetarian. +* The day needs four meals, not three. +* Feeling hungry during the day is a sign that I'm behind. +* "Palate Fatigue" is a thing. + +Nutrition science is something I am learning more serious athletes +spend a *lot* of time thinking about and experimenting with. Logically it makes +sense: if your body is the engine, food is the fuel and something you should be +optimizing to improve performance. As a lay person it is still surprising to me +how rudimentary my own nutrition education was, remember the food pyramid? + +There's still a lot to learn and tune with my own nutrition as it relates to my +weight and performance. I wish I had useful tips to share, but the experience +is so individualized that I think you may be best suited exploring what works +best for you. Keeping track of calories, macronutrients, and expenditures is a +start, but there's a _lot_ worth exploring!