The Top 10 Superfoods for Cycling

Nutrition is integral to training, stamina building, injury aversion, and rehabilitation. Improved nutrition can increase your performance in all physical activities.

The same is applicable when you are cycling. Superfoods contain a variety of nutrients, such as phytonutrients and antioxidants. They also include healthy fats, fibre, and phytochemicals, providing several health benefits. Eating meals high in nutrients is excellent if you are practicing any form of sport.

A cyclist’s body needs the proper fuel to perform at its best. On the other hand, cycling uses up much of your energy and stamina. Cycling drains a lot of energy while pedalling, especially if you’re a beginner and keep your riding speed high. 

When low on stamina, you can try and include any of the superfoods listed below.

The HealthifyMe Note

Cycling is a demanding sport. You feel the strain even if you ride at a leisurely pace for a long time. It is essential to keep fit and have nutritionally dense foods to increase endurance and perform better. Cycling done regularly can work as a full-body workout and help lose weight. 

Top Cycling Superfoods 

Food serves as fuel for your workouts on a basic level, but not all types of fuel are created equal in terms of quality. You may fill your tank with premium fuel or cheap gas, just like a car. Indeed, your engine will operate in either direction, but you won’t get the same degree of performance from both, and the same is valid for food and your body.

The foods listed below are excellent for fueling up during cycling exercise, providing long-lasting energy, or aiding recovery. Good luck with your meal!

Oatmeal

Unprocessed oats are a good source of soluble fibre, whole grains, folate, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, and mono- and polyunsaturated fats—all essential for boosting energy.

It’s a great idea to keep oatmeal handy. The ground-up form of the grain can make meatballs, pancakes, smoothies, nut bars, banana bread, muffins, homemade granola, and, of course, a traditional breakfast.

Groats of Oats

All oats start as toasted oat groats and hulled oat grains. The bran gets preserved after hulling, retaining all of the nutrients.

Oats, Steel Cut (Irish)

Oatmeal of this variety has undergone the most minor processing. These cook in about 45 minutes and have a nice, chewy texture that many people love.

Oats (Scottish) Stone Ground

Steel-cut Scottish and Irish oats are comparable. But they are reduced to tiny fragments by grinding. As a result, they require less time than Irish steel-cut oats since they are smaller. 

Rolled Oats (Old Fashioned)

You can prepare this well-liked porridge using steamed, roasted groats. Before being rolled to produce flakes, the groats get steamed. Rolled oats, which can be eaten raw or cooked, can be used to make oatmeal. It takes around 10 minutes to cook.

Like regular rolled oats, oatmeal gets rolled thinner to enable quicker cooking. It can also be eaten uncooked. In terms of preparation, it takes five minutes to prepare.

Oats with skimmed milk or yoghurt with a teaspoon of honey and a sprinkle of nuts is a tasty and nutritious breakfast or dinner option. 

Additionally, a study from Louisiana State University shows that eating oatmeal enhances satiety (feelings of fullness).

Greek Yoghurt

Greek yoghurt is high in potassium, calcium, and vitamin B12. The only difference between Greek and regular yoghurt is that Greek yoghurt has been strained and contains less water.

Greek yoghurt, sometimes concentrated or strained yoghurt, is created by removing the whey and other liquids from conventional yoghurt. Compared to traditional yoghurt, Greek yoghurt contains around half as many carbohydrates and sugars and twice as much protein.

Low-fat yoghurt provides the appropriate balance of carbohydrates and protein in a portable quantity. Since protein takes a while to digest, it provides energy that lasts for a long time, where as carbohydrates give you a quick energy boost to help you cycle hard. Despite its physical density, Greek yoghurt doesn’t have many calories owing to its several low-fat variants.  Additionally, it contains natural probiotic strains that can benefit gut health.

According to studies from the University of Missouri, ingesting a higher-protein Greek yoghurt as a snack increases feelings of fullness and delays the desire to eat again more than a lower-protein yoghurt does.

Buckwheat

“Buckwheat is another of those faux super grains that can be used as a carbohydrate source but also includes all of the essential amino acids, so it has a high protein content. 

Additionally, it is gluten-free, low in fat, and high in fibre. Buckwheat has about 13g of protein per 100g, compared to rice, which has about 3g per 100g. Buckwheat aids in healing as well as provides energy for workouts. In addition, buckwheat contains lysine, which is necessary to create collagen.

Collagen is a protein type that helps repair bone, skin, and connective tissue. It’s critical to keep our joints healthy if we want to prevent overuse or exercise-related problems.

Buckwheat, instead of rice, goes great with chilli con Carne or curry as a post-ride supper. This plant has anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, and anti-plasma cholesterol properties and other health advantages. It also improves the symptoms of hypertension.

Tuna and Salmon

Tuna and salmon are excellent sources of lean protein, which prolongs the rise in blood sugar. They also include a lot of omega-3 fatty acids, which improve circulation and the performance of your heart and other organs while reducing inflammation in the body. One of the most nutrient-dense proteins is salmon, which contains vitamins B12 and B6 and the necessary Omega-3 fatty acids. 

Salmon has a high Omega-3 concentration, which is beneficial for athletes and can help reduce inflammation in our bodies. Because of its superior protein content, salmon is the king of fish.

Consuming this superfood weekly lowers the risk of cardiovascular issues, including heart attack, stroke, and high blood pressure. In addition, selenium, an antioxidant found in salmon, also protects the heart.

Research indicates that cyclists’ heart rates and oxygen consumption were lower as they cycled to exhaustion after ingesting fish oil capsules than after consuming olive oil under two different conditions.

Bananas

The majority of endurance athletes enjoy bananas. They are full of potassium and complex carbs, providing energy for all those hours of pedalling.

The yellow fruit is a superfood for cyclists since one giant banana can include up to 30 grams of carbohydrate and 400 mg of potassium. In addition, bananas are a good source of vitamins A and C, folate, and resistant starch, a type of fibre that your body can’t digest but keeps you feeling full for a longer time. 

In a 2012 study, researchers from Appalachian State University found that eating bananas during a 75-kilometre time trial significantly increased skilled riders’ riding performance and their body’s ability to use fuel.

Kale

The cabbage family member kale has high levels of vitamins A, K, B6, calcium, and iron. It isloaded with antioxidants that control inflammation in the body.

In addition, kale has high fibre content that improves digestion and controls appetite. It also  lowers cholesterol and contains carotenoids and flavonoids, two potent antioxidants that shield cells from free radicals that cause oxidative stress.

By eliminating toxins from the body, these antioxidants assist in reducing the risk of cancer and other disorders. In addition, kale is rich in magnesium and helps to regulate lactic acid levels. You can cook it as a side dish or add it as a base for soups or salads.

A study on kale supplementation during high-fat feeding improves metabolic health in a mouse model experiment on obesity and insulin resistance.

Almond 

Nuts, in general, are excellent, but almonds take the crown by being the most nutrient dense of the lot. Almonds help cyclists travel farther more efficiently, which improves performance. They are an excellent addition to your training diet as an energy-boosting supplement. Iron, zinc, magnesium, potassium, calcium, folate, and vitamin E are all in moderate amounts in almonds. All of these nutrients help reduce oxidative stress and raise blood oxygen levels.

Although the carbohydrate content is low, the protein, vitamins, and antioxidants help to keep you energised for the journey ahead. You can make a nut and seed trail mix or include them in your granola or energy snacks.

A 2014 study published in the International Society of Sports Nutrition showed that trained cyclists performed better after consuming almonds. They cover more distance when they consume 75 grams of almonds before an indoor cycling session than when they consume the same amount of calories from sugary food. 

Almond butter is a wonderful option for boosting energy.

Lentils

These are a nutritious, natural source of protein, fibre, a variety of minerals, some antioxidants, and a substantial amount of carbohydrates. However, they contain relatively few calories and are low in minerals, including iron, which aids in the formation of haemoglobin in the body, transports oxygen to the muscles and increases muscle endurance.

Researchers from the University of Sydney found that cycling to exhaustion took an average of 117 minutes with the lentils, 108 minutes with a sports drink, and 97 minutes with the potatoes when they compared six types of pre-race fuel: baked potatoes, glucose syrup, sports drinks, boiled lentils, and just water.

Blood glucose levels in the lentil eaters were approximately 20% higher after 90 minutes than in the sports drink group, proving that the legumes enhance endurance. 

Honey

It is a carbohydrate that is simple to digest and aids in improving cycling performance because it can give you a quick energy boost. Honey is a superfood, and it increases wattage production while cycling. Additionally, honey fulfils your sweet craving. 

Cycling participants improved their times and produced more watts during the final 16 kilometres of a simulated 64-kilometre time trial when researchers at The Cooper Institute for Human Performance and Nutrition Research fed them 15 grams of honey every 16 kilometres.

Dark Chocolate 

Dark chocolate can actually help you cycle longer and better by assisting your body to utilise oxygen efficiently. It improves heart and breathing fitness and thereby improves blood flow to the muscles. Cocoa, the dominant ingredient of dark chocolate is enriched with vitamin B.

Vitamin B is crucial for various metabolic processes, including energy production. Furthermore, cocoa contains antioxidants such as vitamins C and E, which combats free radical damage. Thus, dark chocolate reduces muscle inflammation and soreness. 

Summary

Overall, there are a plethora of superfoods that can help you improve your riding ability. Cycling is a fantastic exercise, but it can also be a taxing activity. Hence superfoods are crucial. It doesn’t matter if you’re a casual rider or a professional athlete; your body requires nourishment to function.

Food serves as fuel for your workouts on a basic level, but not all types of fuel are created equal in terms of quality. The foods listed are excellent for fueling up during cycling exercise, providing long-lasting energy, or aiding recovery. Good luck with your meal!