HOW CYCLING AFFECTS YOUR BODY’S NEED FOR FUEL
When you forget to fuel your body properly before a bike ride, then you might have noticed that it affects your performance as you don’t feel much power. You get dizzy and fatigued.
Your body requires adequate amounts of proteins, fats and carbohydrates to sustain itself. However, your body also stores energy from the food that you eat and converts it into energy in different ways as per your needs. Some type of fuel provides an immediate boost of energy to your muscles when you start cycling, while the other kind of fuel gets stored for later use.
Carbohydrates like starches and sugars are broken down into glucose. Our body immediately uses this glucose for energy, or it is stored in the form of glycogen and converted into glucose as per our body’s needs.
Glycogen is stored in the muscles and gets converted into glucose as per our body’s requirement. If you have a good amount of stored glycogen, then you can last longer during your ride before you hit a wall.
Once you burn off your muscle glycogen, then your body taps in the glucose that is circulated through your blood. If you continue to ride without refuelling, then it may lead to a dip in the blood sugar levels which can leave you weak and exhausted. Therefore it is important to replenish your glycogen stores post-ride to keep up with the required levels while cycling.
Our body also uses stored fat for energy. While cycling fat is converted into fatty acids that help fuel the muscles. Our body has greater stores of fat in comparison to glycogen, also fat can supply greater amounts of calories during a cycling session.
Protein is used to maintain and develop muscle mass. It helps with post-ride recovery, and whey protein supplements work best when it comes to providing quick recovery.
Supplement Recommendation: Try Steadfast Nutrition Power Protein.
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