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Riding the Iron Horse? It’s time to train your metabolism

The countdown has begun for those of you training for the 50th annual Iron Horse Bicycle Classic.

You have seven weeks before you pedal your little heart out, ascending and descending two mountain passes en route to Silverton. You’ve either started your physical training, or you’re going into this overconfident and undertrained.

It’s not too late to get in a few hill rides. It’s also not too late to start training your metabolism so you have the energy to ride 50 miles with 5,700 feet of elevation gain (gulp!).

The high mountain nature of this course ensures an intense workout. Huffing and puffing like the train, you’ll require a significant amount of energy to fuel your engine. Unlike the train, you won’t use coal. Instead, you’ll rely on stored glucose (glycogen) and fat (triglycerides).

The ability to gradually fluctuate between different substrates to produce energy (ATP) for your muscles is truly amazing! Not to mention beneficial. During low to moderate exercise, where your VO2 max is below 65%, stored fat is used to make ATP. What does that mean? It means when you’re exercising, but can still talk with relative ease, you’re oxidizing fat for energy. It will be the downhill portion of the race.

During high intensity exercise, VO2 max greater than 65%, your body uses stored glucose. Consider this the climb or the push to pass on the flats. Glucose will be supplied by muscle glycogen, so long as it’s available. Another contributor is your liver which engages in a process known as glycogenolysis. This process converts stored glycogen into free glucose for all the cells to use.

For most, you don’t have to worry about storing fat in advance of the race. We do it easily (too easily?), and we can store a lot of it. Glucose is a different story. It’s complicated by the fact that we have a limited storage capacity and we use it every second of the day for basic functioning, such as breathing.

Thus, your goal is to maximize glucose storage before an event, moderately replenish during an event and fully replenish after an event.

Fans of the low-carb approach will disagree. Just know that studies consistently demonstrate performance, capacity, endurance and mental acuity are not improved on a low-carb diet (<25% of energy). Elite athletes who consistently consume a low-carb diet have shown an ability to perform close to a comparable athlete, consuming a higher-carb diet (65% of energy intake). However, most will experience a diminished performance capacity.

Note this is not promoting a “high-carb diet,” it just happens to be the higher end of the dietary guidelines (45% to 65% of energy from carbs).

A 2022 position by the International Society of Sports Nutrition makes the following recommendations. Use these strategies two to three days before a big training ride and on the day of the event. Females and nonelite athletes opt for the lower end. All other days can follow current dietary guidelines.

  • Maximize glucose stores by consuming 8 to 12 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight, dispersed throughout the day.
  • After 70 minutes of high intensity exercise, ingest 30 to 60 grams of carbs every 10 to 15 minutes. Ideally in fluid form or with fluids containing electrolytes (12 ounces) to promote hydration.
  • Within 1 hour post exercise, consume carbs and high quality protein (hello chocolate milk), to replete glucose and promote muscle repair.
  • As always, consume well-balanced meals to ensure adequate nutrition, including electrolyte balance.

Knowing there are about a thousand variables contributing to this advice, your needs may differ. If anything, experiment with different carb sources, quantities and timing. This too is part of your training. You’ll figure out what feels best for you and that’s the strategy you should follow on race day.

To save you some hassle, choose low-fiber carbs within four hours of exercising and don’t experiment with something new on race day. Your guts will thank you. And so will the person drafting behind you. You’ve got this!

Nicole Clark is the family and consumer science agent for the La Plata County Extension Office. Reach her at nicole.clark@colostate.edu or 382-6461.

More information

Meal planning template for Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Training and Race Day: https://www.co.laplata.co.us/departments/csu_extension_offices/nutrition.php

ServSafe Certified Food Protection Manager Training, April 18-19. Register in advance: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/234329254107.