09 Feb 5 tips for bikers, runners to fuel up

No matter how hard you ride or run, and no matter how determined your spirit, if you don’t fuel your body correctly you’ll underachieve.
Here are five important eating and drinking tips for advanced bikers and runners to follow:
1. Sip on a sports drink throughout your workout Sip on that sports drink, but don’t chug it all at once because your blood glucose level will spike and then crash. Instead replenish slowly, but steadily. Did you know that if you exercise hard for more than an hour, water is not enough to keep you going properly through the workout? Your liver glycogen will be down to 50 percent in an hour. In two hours, your liver and muscle glycogen can be nearly depleted.
Your body needs to refuel on energy with some type of sports drink. An exercise bar is also good to mix in during workouts of more than an hour.
2. Eat unprocessed foods – Follow a heart-healthy diet consisting of whole grains, fish, lean meats, fruits and vegetables. They’ll provide the best fuel possible and assist post-workout recovery. Avoid processed foods when possible.
3. Eat small meals throughout the day – Eating smaller meals throughout the day will help maintain a more even energy level and actually help you to avoid feeling hungry. You need more calories than less active people and spacing them out will help you stay more trim.
4. It’s OK to splurge, but keep it in control – Just because you have an active, healthy lifestyle doesn’t mean you have to completely give up your favorite foods. It’s OK to splurge now and then on less-healthy eating options, but limit it to small portions. Fill up the rest of your plate with more healthy options. It’s better to splurge some than try to always eat things you don’t like – then you might scrap the entire healthy diet.
5. Pick healthy toppings – One of the easiest ways to cut out unwanted calories is to pick healthy topping on your salad and sandwiches. Load up on whole foods for energy, not fatty toppings. Get whole grain buns when possible. Fuel up on good stuff, not excess fat.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com