Our resident nutritionist Kelley Sloan has created the ultimate nutrition plan for Ride Challenge 20|30 to optimise performance.
Ride Challenge 20|30 is almost here! It’s time to feel the burn on the bike whilst shedding, shredding and maximising those gains with delicious and nutritious food.
There’s a big difference in eating for endurance and performance in cardio based exercise than there is in eating for strength based exercise. Before we embark, I want to explain the differences so that you know where the meal plans for the month are coming from and why the choices and portions are what they are. Get ready to train and eat like TRIATHLETES!
WARNING! There will be CARBS… and plenty of them. Carbs = optimum performance!
When we look at the breakdown of carbs, protein and fat in the body, carbs are 4 calories/gram, protein is also 4 calories/gram and fats are 9 calories/gram. The problem with carbs in general is that we eat more than we burn and have too much under utilised ‘energy’ that can end up turning into extra weight. On the flip side, if you don’t give your body enough ‘energy’ to burn you’ll hit fatigue fast and it will inhibit your body from getting into those fat stores we want to shift.
Carbohydrates will fuel your muscles with the energy you need to exercise. Carbs are stored as glycogen in the muscles and liver. They allow the muscles to resist fatigue and detox the liver as well as preventing liver failure. When your muscles stores of glycogen deplete, your body fatigues and you can’t hit the level you need to burn into fat stores. Glycogen stores deplete during 15 minutes of high intensity exercise! So during Ride Challenge 20|30, you’re going to need to give the body what it needs to make the body that you want.
We want to include some good fats here but the body finds it much easier to burn carbs and much harder to burn fat so we’ll target your diets to BURN BABY BURN!
If you’re not sold and still a little freaked out by the thought of having a larger carb load than in the Megaformer Challenge there’s GOOD NEWS! Exercise INCREASES the muscles ability to store more glycogen – so you can eat more carbs as they'll begin to store as energy rather than turning into fat! An athlete has twice as much stored energy in their muscles than a sedentary person. This means…
greater glycogen stores = greater endurance = greater ability to work harder in your class
Carbs are also essential for the rapid recovery of your muscles so if you’re if you planning to nail every one of your 20 classes you’re going to want that quick recovery. Your muscles are most receptive to replenishing their glycogen stores in the 6 hours after training so they will be in all of your meals so you’re pumped up before you start and primed to recover after you finish.
Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten protein! Protein is key for your muscle repair to reduce soreness and to enhance recovery but it won’t increase your glycogen stores to provide the energy to assist with endurance.
So the basis of the Ride Challenge 20|30 Nutrition Plan is…
LOW FAT + HIGH CARB + MODERATE PROTEIN
Looking forward to another killer challenge with you crew! #betherhythm
Kelley xx
Do you have what it takes to complete 20 rides in 30 days? Ride Challenge 20|30 kicks off on 1 September. Our One Month Pass includes 20 classes, nutrition plan, recipes and support from Kelley plus body assessments, and a super swag Ride Challenge 20|30 limited edition sweat towel.
