The best sports supplements for cyclists

01 | Why try accessories for cyclists?
02 | What supplements are the best in cycling?
03 | When to take sports supplements during sports practice?

If you are a lover of two wheels and want to deepen your knowledge about sports nutrition pay attention to this post.

The desire to learn about sports supplementation and other parameters that improve performance are also part of your progress as an athlete.

01 | Why try cycling accessories?

If you are one of those who stays at the bottom of the group or feel weak during outings or training sessions, it may be time to consider adding supplements to your diet or diet. Bypassing a healthy and balanced diet, consuming the right supplements could make the difference between good performance or stopping pedalling in the middle of an exit.

02 | What supplements are the best for cycling?

In order to know which are the best supplements for you, you must first take into account your goals and the type of cycling you practice, since they will not be the same supplements for a gravel cyclist as for a downhill or MTB cyclist. The best supplements to improve endurance aerobic activity, both in running and cycling, are high in carbohydrates to maintain energy levels, among others:

• Carbohydrates. Up to 60% of the energy during sports comes from them.
• Proteins. The recommended daily amount for the adult population in general, according to the WHO, is 0.8 g per kilo of weight.
• Fats. They are the best fuel for the body, behind carbohydrates. It is recommended that less than 30% of daily calories come from them, and never more than 10% of saturated fat.
• Water. Dehydration impairs performance, and decreases muscle aerobic energy output. It also decreases strength.
• Vitamins and minerals. They have no effect on performance, but you will notice a lack of some of them.

03 | When to take sports supplements during sports practice?

Before pointing out the best supplements for cyclists, we refer to the consensus document of the Spanish Society of Sports Medicine . Includes a decision diagram that presents the logical sequence regarding nutrition and use of dietary supplements. Supplements can be useful, but not essential. No supplement is magical, but the key is to give the body everything it needs through a healthy and varied diet.

• Sports supplements before practice

A very good option before starting training is a meal rich in carbohydrates (18.3g), proteins (9.2g) and fats (4.6), like our Porridge, formulated with vitamins from groups A, D, K, C, B1, B2, B3, B5, B8, B6, B12, in a preparation made up of maltodextrin, L-ascorbic acid, DL-alpha-tocopheryl acetate, nicotinamide, retinyl acetate, calcium D-pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, phylloquinone, riboflavin, thiamine hydrochloride, pteroylmonoglutamic acid,

D-biotin, cholecalciferol, cyanocobalamin. Said composition seeks a necessary vitamin support before or after a moderate effort.

It also includes 4.7g of soluble and insoluble fibers that will help us to:

1. Keep us sated and regulate intestinal transit.
2. Regulate blood sugar levels, as it releases them slowly avoiding glucose spikes.
3. Keep our microbiota well fed (prebiotics).

This microbiota will be responsible for a good assimilation of all macronutrients so that they are used for all repair functions. A microbiota in poor condition will not be able to assimilate all its potential benefits, no matter how good a recovery is.

It will also be important to hydrate beforehand with sports supplements formulated with vitamins and creatine, as is the case with Isotonic & Hypotonic Sports Drink, from our performance range. To offer the body an adequate dose of salt so as not to have unforeseen events during the outing.

• Supplements for cyclists during the ride

We will need sports accessories so that our body responds positively to the unevenness and efforts that the route presents us. On this occasion, fast-absorbing carbohydrates will be the most suitable, which is why we have formulated Seawater Energy Hydrogels.
These hydrogels are formulated with a studied combination of complex carbohydrates and fast-absorbing sugars that do not saturate the different absorption pathways of the digestive system.
This saturation is generally the main reason for gastrointestinal problems or discomfort that athletes experience when they ingest energy gels. This combination of complex carbohydrates and rapidly absorbed sugars provides energy in a sustained and sequential manner:

1. A first “boost” of energy to be able to maintain performance thanks to fast-absorbing sugars (with an almost immediate digestion time).
2. The obtaining of energy in a staggered and sustained way over time thanks to the different carbohydrates introduced into the gel, which will be digested at different speeds due to the number of links present in its molecular structure.

On the other hand, the formulation of Punchy Cola hydrogel contains caffeine that comes from guarana and has many properties apart from being a stimulant, since it takes longer to be metabolized and its effect is longer in the time.
Knowing these properties allows us to decide what proportions of both we introduce in our Punchy Cola: 70 mg of direct caffeine to promote activation initially, and 227 mg that come from guarana to prolong its effect on the athlete. This combination of caffeine and guarana, along with the contribution of the different types of CH contained in the gel, is the key to Seawater Energy+CAF Hydrogel Punchy Cola to keep us at high levels of performance.
We must not forget that we are going to be sweating and at the same time losing mineral salts, which is why we must always carry a hypotonic energy drink with us, such as our Hypotonic Sports Drink. Formulated with mineral salts such as magnesium, coconut sugar, creatine monohydrate, among others, which will help us to combine during the effort in which we are also going to ingest other types of nutrients and, therefore, to raise hypotonia levels in our organism.

• Sports supplements for after training

A very good option after finishing training is a meal rich in carbohydrates (18.3g), proteins (9.2g) and fats (4,6), such as our Recovery Porridge. These amounts of this supplement are ideal for recovery after a moderate activity of an hour and a half to two hours, although the exact amounts will always depend on the person, their weight, their goal, or other aspects if a specific diet is followed.

The combination of carbohydrates of different glycemic indices, ensures the recovery of glycogen used during physical activity, while helping anabolic recovery functions that will be carried out by proteins to repair the damaged tissues in muscles. This proportion will ensure a good recovery so that the training becomes physiological improvements that will improve our performance.

Finally, the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats present in this product perform anti-inflammatory functions in cells and improve the composition and quality of the plasma membrane, which improves the transport of substrates between the exterior and interior of each of your cells. promoting proper recovery.