These "Goldilocks' Riders" (Herriman, UT) are armed & ready with their water bottles. They will rest & hydrate and enjoy the rest of their ride.

Water is a wonderful performance enhancer. When a star U Conn basketball player took the advice of his sports nutritionist Nancy Rodriguez RD and started drinking enough to consistently void a light-colored urine, he was amazed at how much better he felt all day. Unfortunately, too many athletes overlook the power of this essential nutrient.  Perhaps it’s your turn to give water a try? This article offers droplets of information to enhance your water IQ, optimize your water balance, and help you feel & perform better.

• You don’t have to drink plain water to get adequate water into your body. All fluids count, as do foods that have a high water. For example, oatmeal is 84% water; low fat milk, 90%; coffee, 99.5%; lettuce, 96%; tomato, 95%; broccoli, 89%; low fat vanilla yogurt, 79%; and ice cream, 60% water.

• Water is the solvent for biochemical reactions. Your body cannot function without sufficient water, as noted by the fact that athletes die from dehydration.

• Your body needs water to moisten food (saliva), digest food (gastric secretions), transport nutrients to and from cells (blood), discard waste (urine), and dissipate heat (sweat). Water is a major component of the cells in muscles and organs; about 60% of a young male’s body weight is water, as is about 50% of a young woman’s body weight.

• Different body parts have different water contents. For example, blood is approximately 93% water, muscle is about 73% water, and body fat is about 10% water. Water constantly moves between the inside and the outside of cells. About 4% to 10% of your body-water gets replaced every day with “fresh” water.

• Note: Bioelectrical impedance (BIA) methods of measuring body fat actually measure body water. From that, a formula estimates the ratio of water to muscle and fat. Hence, if you use a Tanita Scale or Omron device, be sure to maintain adequate hydration. If you are dehydrated, you’ll end up with an inaccurate (higher) estimate of body fatness.

This Tri-runner is ready with water on her belt ... easy access!!

•Your body produces about 8 to 16 oz. (250-500 ml) water per day during normal metabolic processes. During a marathon, a runner’s muscles can produce that much water over 2 to 3 hours. When muscles burn glycogen, they simultaneously release about 2.5 units water for each one unit of muscle glycogen; this helps protect against dehydration.

• Coffee is a popular source of water. Although once thought to have a diuretic effect, current research indicates coffee (in amounts normally consumed) hydrates as well as water over a 24-hour period. That is, after drinking coffee, you may urinate sooner, but you will not urinate more than you consume. Army research on caffeine and dehydration confirms coffee is an acceptable source of fluids for athletes, even during exercise in the heat. Hence, coffee and other caffeinated beverages such as tea or cola count towards your water intake.

• An increased concentration of particles in your blood triggers the sensation of thirst. If you are a 150-pound athlete, you’ll start to feel thirsty once you’ve lost about 1.5 to 3 pounds of sweat (1% to 2% of your body weight). Sweat loss of more than 10% body weight is life threatening.

The bikes are ready for the Goldilocks' Ride & so are the waters!!

• Body water absorbs heat from the working muscles and sweat dissipates the heat. That is, the evaporation of a liter (about 36 ounces) of sweat from the skin represents loss of about 580 calories. Sweat keeps you from overheating during exercise and in hot environments.

• To determine how much water you lose when you sweat, weigh yourself (with little or no clothing) before and after an hour of hard exercise with no fluid intake. The change in body weight reflects water (sweat) loss. A one-pound drop in weight equates to loss of 16 ounces of sweat. A two-pound drop equates to 32 ounces—that’s one quart. Drink accordingly during your workouts to prevent that loss!

• When you sweat, you lose water from both inside and outside the cells. The water outside the cells is rich in sodium, an electrolyte that works in balance with potassium, an electrolyte inside the cells. Sweat contains about 7 times more sodium than potassium; hence sodium is the more important electrolyte to replace during extended exercise.

• Most athletes who lose more than 2% of their body weight  (3 lbs for a 150-pound athlete) lose both their mental edge and their ability to perform optimally in hot weather. Yet, during cold weather, you are less likely to experience reduced performance, even at 3% dehydration. Three to 5% dehydration does not seem to affect muscle strength or performance during short intense bouts of anaerobic exercise, such as weight lifting.  But distance runners slow their pace by ~2% for each percent body weight lost by dehydration. That means, if you weigh 150 pounds and lose 3 pounds sweat (2% dehydration), your 8-minute mile slows to an 8:19 pace. That’s preventable!

• Adequate fluid intake can reduce problems with constipation and urinary tract infections. There is no scientific validation of theories that excessive water intake will improve weight loss, remove toxins, or improve skin tone.

• Should you plan to drink “eight glasses of water a day”? No scientific evidence supports that rule, so you can simply drink in response to thirst. You can also monitor the volume of your urine. If your urine is scanty, dark, and smelly, you should drink more! If you have not urinated during your work or school day (8:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m.), you are severely underhydrated.

Pick your favorite reusable water bottle and fill it up with ice and tap water!!

• Is bottled water better for you than tap water? Doubtful. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, nearly half of bottled waters come from municipal water supplies—not from the mountain streams pictured on the labels. This suggests standard municipal tap water is high quality.

You have plenty of choices ... here are only a few ...

Rather than spend money on bottled water, turn on your tap! This will help stop the flood of 95 million plastic water bottles that get discarded each day, of which only 20% get recycled. Drink plenty of water—but think “green.”

Nancy Clark, MS, RD, CSSD (Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics) counsels both casual and competitive athletes at her office in Newton, MA (617-795-1875). Her Sports Nutrition Guidebook and food guides for new runners, marathoners, and soccer players offer additional information. They are available at www.nancyclarkrd.com andwww.sportsnutritionworkshop.com.

References:

Armstrong, L., A. Pumerantz, M. Roti, et al. 2005. Fluid, electrolyte, and renal indices of hydration during 11 days of controlled caffeine consumption. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab 15:252-265

Koslo, J. “Water, hydration and health: What dietetics practitioners need to know” in SCAN’s Pulse, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 2012 31:1 (Winter)

National Academy of Sciences. Institute of Medicine. Food and Nutrition Board.

Dietary Reference Intakes for Water. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/DRI//DRI_Water/73-185.pdf

Wilmore, J and D. Costill. Physiology of Sport and Exercise, Human Kinetics, 1994.

The bike stage of the Women of Steel Triathlon in American Fork, UT (May 2011)

What’s best to eat for recovery after a hard workout?

That’s what marathoners, body builders, and fitness exercisers alike repeatedly ask. They read ads for commercial recovery foods that demand a 3 to 1 ratio of carbs to protein, tout the benefits of a proprietary formula, or emphasize immediate consumption the minute you stop exercising. While these ads offer an element of truth, consumers beware: engineered recovery foods are not more effective than standard foods. The purpose of this article is to educate you, a hungry athlete, about how to choose an optimal recovery diet.

Which athletes need to worry about a recovery diet?

Too many athletes who are obsessed with rapidly refueling the minute they stop exercising. They are afraid they will miss the one-hour “window of opportunity” when glycogen replacement is fastest. They fail to understand refueling still occurs for several hours, just at a slowing rate. Given a steady influx of adequate carb-based meals and snacks, muscles can refuel within 24 hours. If you have a full day to recover before your next training session, or if you have done an easy (non-depleting) workout, you need not obsess about refueling immediately afterwards.

Refueling as soon as tolerable is most important for serious athletes doing a second bout of intense, depleting exercise within six hours of the first workout, including—

• triathletes doing double workouts,

• soccer players in tournaments,

• people who ski hard in the morning and again in the afternoon.

The sooner you consume carbs to replace depleted muscle glycogen and protein to repair damaged muscle, the sooner you’ll be able to exercise hard again.

Over the course of the next 24 hours, your muscles will have lots of time to replenish glycogen stores. Just be sure to repeatedly consume a foundation of carbohydrates with each meal/snack, along with some protein to build and repair the muscles. For example, chocolate milk or a fruit smoothie are excellent choices.

How many carbs do I need?

According to the International Olympic Committee’s Nutrition Recommendations, adequate carbs means:

Example, a 150-lb triathlete doing extreme exercise should target ~500 to 800 g carb/day (2,000-3,200 carb-calories). That’s about 500 to 800 g carbs every 4 hours during the daytime.

What are some good carb-protein recovery foods?

Your recovery meals and snacks should include a foundation of carbohydrate-rich breads, cereals, grains, fruits, and vegetables plus a smaller amount of protein (at least 10-20 grams per recovery snack or meal). Enjoy—

fruit smoothie (Greek yogurt + banana + berries)

cereal + milk                        bagel + (decaf) latté

pretzels + hummus              baked potato + cottage cheese

turkey sub                        pasta + meatballs

A recovery snack of pretzels & hummus

Do NOT consume just protein, as in a protein shake or protein bar. Protein fills your stomach and helps build and repair muscles, but it does not refuel your muscles. Your muscles want three or four times more calories from carbs than from protein. If you like the convenience of protein shakes, at least add carbs to them. That is, blend in some banana, frozen berries, and graham crackers.

Keep in mind that recovery calories “count.” I hear many frustrated dieters complain they are not losing weight despite hard workouts. Perhaps that’s because they gobble 300 or so “recovery calories” and then go home and enjoy a hefty dinner. By organizing your training to end at mealtime, you can avoid over-indulging in recovery-calories.

What about recovery electrolytes?

After a hard workout, many athletes reach for a sports drink, thinking Gatorade or PowerAde is “loaded” with sodium (an electrically charged particle). Think again! Milk and other “real foods” are actually better sources of electrolytes than most commercial sports products. These electrolytes (also known as sodium and potassium) help enhance fluid retention and the restoration of normal fluid balance. Here’s how some common recovery fluids compare:

As you can see, after a hard workout, recovery fluids that such as chocolate milk, orange juice, or a latte offer far more “good stuff” than you’d get in a sports drink. Sports drinks are dilute and designed for during extended exercise.

To assess how much sodium you lose in sweat, weigh yourself naked pre-post an hour of exercise, accounting for any fluid consumed. Loss of one pound equates to loss of about 700-1,000 mg sodium. If you sweat heavily and lose a significant amount of sodium, you can easily replace those losses with pretzels (300 mg sodium/10 twists), a bagel (500 mg) with peanut butter (200 mg/2 tbsp), Wheaties and milk (300 mg), or a spaghetti dinner with tomato sauce (1000 mg/cup Ragu sauce). Most athletes consume plenty of sodium!

Nancy Clark's Skillet Lasgana

Recovery can start before you exercise.

What you eat before you exercise impacts your recovery. According to research presented at the 2011 annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine, consuming protein before lifting weights enhanced recovery better than consuming a protein drink afterwards. That’s because your body digests pre-exercise protein into amino acids (yes, your body can digest food during exercise) and puts those amino acids right into action repairing damaged muscles.

What if you feel like you never really recover well?

If you have to drag yourself through workouts, questions arise:

• Are you overtraining? Rest is an essential part of a training program; muscles need time to refuel and repair. Take at least one, if not two, days off from exercise per week.

• Are you anemic? Anemia is common, so have your MD monitor your serum ferritin (stored iron). If your iron stores are depleted, you’ll feel needlessly tired during exercise. An estimated half of female athletes are iron-deficient, as indicated by low serum ferritin stores. (About 14% of all women are iron deficient.) A survey with collegiate male runners suggested about 20% had low serum ferritin. Iron supplements help resolve the problem, alongside a good recovery diet. Eat wisely, recover well, and feel great!

Nancy Clark, MS, RD, CSSD (Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics) counsels both casual and competitive athletes at her office in Newton, MA (617-795-1875). Her best-sellingSports Nutrition Guidebook and food guides for new runners, marathoners, and soccer players offer additional information. They are available at www.nancyclarkrd.com. See also www.sportsnutritionworkshop.com.

References:

Nutrition for Athletes: A practical guide to eating for health and performance.

Prepared by the Nutrition Working Group of the International Olympic Committee, Feb 2010

Campos. Manuel, S Gervais, J Walker, A Olson. Iron deficiency in Division III male cross country and track runners. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2010; 42(5 Supplement):Abstract 2821

Lee, Choi Hyun, J Kim, K Hoon Park, J Lee. Efect of the timing of protein supplement on recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2010;  42(5 Supplement):Abstract 2862.

Nicewonger, Christine, J Flohr, M Todd, C Womack. The effect of iron supplementation on iron markers and performance in female athletes. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2010; 42(5 Supplement):Abstract 2822

"Helping active people win with good nutrition." ~Nancy Clark

By:  Nancy Clark

If you are a winter athlete, you want to pay careful attention to your sports diet. Otherwise, lack of food and fluids can take the fun out of your outdoor activities. These tips can to help you fuel wisely for cold weather workouts.

Winter hydration

• Failing to drink enough fluids is a major mistake made by winter athletes. A study comparing hydration status of athletes who skied or played football or soccer, reported the skiers had the highest rate of chronic dehydration. Before a competition, 11 of the 12 alpine skiers showed up dehydrated. (1).

• Some winter athletes purposefully skimp on fluids to minimize the need to urinate. There’s no doubt that undoing layer after layer of clothing (ski suit, hockey gear, etc.) can be a hassle. Yet, dehydration hurts performance and is one cause of failed mountaineering adventures.

• Cold blunts the thirst mechanism; you’ll feel less thirsty despite significant sweat loss and may not “think to drink.”

• Winter athletes (especially those skiing at high altitude) need to consciously consume fluids to replace the water vapor that gets exhaled via breathing. When you breath in cold dry air, your body warms and humidifies that air. As you exhale, you lose significant amounts of water. You can see this vapor (“steam”) when you breathe.

•  Unless you are hot, you do not want to drink icy water (i.e., from a water bottle kept on your bike or outside pocket of your back pack). Cold water can cool you off and give you the chills. The better bet is having an insulated water bottle or a bottle filled with hot sports drink then covered with a wool sock to help retain the heat.

• Dress in layers, so you sweat less. Sweaty clothing drains body heat. As the weather becomes “tropical” inside your exercise outfit, make the effort to strip down. You’ll stay drier and warmer.  Simply taking off a hat is cooling; 30% to 40% of body heat gets lost through the head.

Winter fuel

You need adequate pre-exercise fuel to generate body heat. Hence, you want to fuel-up before you embark on winter exercise, particularly before you ski, run outside, or embark on any outside activity in extreme cold.

• Food’s overall warming effect is known as thermogenesis (that is, “heat making”). Thirty to sixty minutes after you eat, your body generates about 10% more heat than when you have an empty stomach. Hence, eating not only provides fuel but also increases heat production (warmth).

• Aerobic workout can increase your metabolism by 7 to 10 times above the resting level. That means, if you were to exercise hard for an hour and dissipate no heat, you could cook yourself in the process! In the summer, your body sweats heavily to dissipate this heat. But in the winter, the warmth helps you survive in a cold environment. Exercise is an excellent way to warm up in the winter!

• If you become chilled during winter exercise (or even when swimming, for that matter), you’ll likely find yourself searching for food. A drop in body temperature stimulates the appetite and you experience hunger. Your body wants fuel to “stoke the furnace” so it can generate heat.

• For safety sake, you should always carry some source of emergency food (such as an energy bar) with you in case you slip on the ice or experience some incident that leaves you static in a frigid environment. Winter campers, for example, commonly keep a supply of dried fruit, chocolate, or cookies within reach, in case they wake up cold at 3:00 a.m..

Energy needs

Cold weather itself does not increase energy needs, but you will burn extra calories if your body temperature drops and you start to shiver. Shivering is involuntary muscle tensing that generates heat.

–When you first become slightly chilled (such as when watching a football game), you’ll find yourself doing an isometric type of muscle tensing that can increase your metabolic rate two to four times.

–As you get further chilled, you’ll find yourself hopping from foot to foot and jumping around. This is Nature’s way to get you to generate heat and warm your body.

–If you become so cold that you start to shiver, these vigorous muscular contractions generate lots of heat–perhaps 400 calories per hour. Such intense shivering quickly depletes your muscle glycogen stores and drains your energy. This is when you’ll be glad you have emergency food with you!

• Your body uses a considerable amount of energy to warm and humidify the air you breathe when you exercise in the cold. For example, if you were to burn 600 calories while cross-country skiing for an hour in 0° F weather, you might use about 150 of those calories to warm the inspired air.  In summer, you would have dissipated that heat via sweat.

• If you wear heavy clothes, you will burn a few more calories carrying the extra weight of skis, boots, heavy parka, snow shoes, etc.. The Army allows 10% more calories for heavily clad troops who exercise in the cold. If you are a runner, however, the weight of your extra clothing is minimal. Think twice before chowing down!

Winter recovery foods

• To chase away chills, replenish depleted glycogen stores, and rehydrate your body, enjoy warm carbohydrates with a little protein, such as hot cocoa made with milk, oatmeal with nuts, lentil soup, chili, and pasta with meatballs. The warm food, added to the thermogenic effect of eating, contributes to rapid recovery.

• In comparison, eating cold foods and frozen fluids can chill your body. That is, save the slushie (ice slurry) for summer workouts; it will cool you off. In winter, you want warm foods to fuel your workouts. Bring out the mulled cider or thermos of soup!

Winter weight gain

Many athletes bemoan winter weight gain. Some eat too much because they are bored and less active. Others experience seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and the change of seasons has a marked affect upon their mood. Changes in brain chemicals increase carbohydrate cravings and the desire to eat more. The temptations of winter holiday foods can also contribute to weight gain.

• To limit winter weight gain, stay active! Exercise helps manage health, weight, and the winter blues. The tricks are to invest in proper clothing, fuel well, and prevent dehydration so you can stay warm and enjoy winter’s outdoor wonderland.

Nancy Clark, MS RD offers nutrition consultations to casual exercisers and competitive athletes at her private practice located at Healthworks, the premier fitness center in Chestnut Hill MA (617-795-1875). Her popular Sports Nutrition Guidebook and food guides for runners, cyclists, and soccer players are available at Nancy’s website. See also Sports Nutrition Workshop.

Reference

1. Johnson C, A Davenport, M Hansen, D Bacharach. Pre-competition hydration status of high school athletes participating in different sports.Med Sci Sport Exerc 42(5): S128 (Abstract 1149).

When people think of being safe while riding on their bicycle, they think first and foremost of wearing helmets. But wearing a helmet is not going to help you very much if you are not riding in a safe manner and are unaware of your surroundings. Riding your bike in dark or low light conditions can be even more dangerous, but having the right equipment will help you to see and be seen. Last week’s change back to Standard Time has resulted in a suddenly dark evening commute. Just after tonight’s sunset, I watched cyclists commuting home on a major street that leads to and from both a university and a college. I quickly lost count of the young adult cyclists riding without any lights or reflective gear. Some dark-clothing clad coeds were nearly invisible in the darkness. I’d bet they wouldn’t drive a car around at night without turning on the car’s lights, so why do they think it’s okay to ride a bike without a light?

SIX WAYS TO CYCLE SAFE & AWARE:

Learn the rules of the road: Generally, cyclists need to follow the same rules as motorists and ride on the same side of the street (the right hand side.) In one sad study that the state of Washington released, 11% of cyclist fatalities were of bicyclists who were riding against traffic on the wrong side of the road. It’s important to know how to ride safely in traffic. I really like the quick overview of safe cyclng tips that pro cyclist Dave Zabriskie gives on his Yield to Life page.

High quality reflective gear makes you visible in cloudy, dull days as well as in the deepening dusk or at night. If you are wearing a reflective jacket or safety vest, straighten up when you hear a motorist coming so they can see you better. Have reflective touches which can be seen from the side as well (Such as reflective ankle cuffs or some reflective tape on your sleeves).

Get a rear light—Reflectors are just a part of being seen at night, but they can’t do the full job. You need an active light to be seen.  According to the Washington Area Bicyclists Association, over half of all cyclists killed are hit while riding at night without lights, even though only 3 percent of bike riding is done at night.  There are many inexpensive ($20 or less) rear lights on the market.  You may also have to pay a few dollars for fresh batteries. But ask yourself: is that $25 worth it if it keeps you safer?  (Note that lights will glow dimly for awhile before they go out.  Ideally, you need to recharge or refresh the batteries before they get too dim and ineffective, well before they run out.)

Get a mirror and use it while riding.  You not only will feel safer when you can see the cars, you can avoid trouble because you can see it coming and be defensive.  Get a mirror and try it out for a month of good riding. Then take the mirror away for the next several rides and you’ll find yourself looking down to where it once was and then psycho-analyze yourself. Do you feel less safe without that mirror now?

Ride where you are visible: Don’t play hide and seek by darting in and out of the parked cars on the side of the road. You also don’t want to hug the curb. Both actions make it hard for cars to see you well. Hugging the curb may put you just out of the periphery of their sight and it leaves you nowhere to go if you see a car approaching from behind (through your rear-view mirror) which is coming too close.

Finally, learn the safest routes to ride. Some roads with little shoulder and high speeds are just too dangerous to ride on. Taking the wrong turn in a sketchy inner city area is also not ideal. You might also be missing out on some great places to ride just because you aren’t familiar with the area. Many cities/towns offer bike maps (some are online) and Google Maps now gives a route options for biking or walking. There are also some great apps for your smart phone such as Map My Ride which can get you safely from Point A to Point B. Some cities or states have great bike advocacy groups which offer personalized commuter mentoring and will not only map out your bike-to-work route but will ride with you the first few times or pair you up with a commuting buddy with the same route.

 CYCLEAWARE (& GIVEAWAY)

CycleAware is a company that makes products for cyclists to help them be aware of their surroundings and helps them to be highly visible to others. They make a wide variety of rearview mirrors so you can see what’s behind you and great reflective products so you can be seen. As they say themselves, “ When you’re visible and know who’s coming up on you, you can actively acknowledge them with a five finger salute and a smile.  It really works and it makes your roads safer and more inviting for all.”

CycleAware's SlapWrap protects pant legs and adds reflectivity.

CycleAware has a great goodie bag for a lucky Cycle & Style reader: featuring: the Slap & Wrap, the Beamer saddle bag, a mirror all neatly packaged in a StowAway mesh backpack.

Slap & Wrap: This highly reflective and water-resistant wrap does double duty: protecting your pant leg from the bike chain and providing great nighttime visibility. It has a non-constricting design with a felt backing for extra comfort!

Beamer: CycleAware has made a fully-reflective saddle bag that adds that extra reflectivity while being fully functional as a saddle bag. It has a wide mouth zipper top for easy access, but essentials won’t be lost as there is an interior ID holder and key hook for extra safety. The Beamer saddle bag measures 6 x 3 1/4 x 2 1/2-inches and the strap is closed with a snap instead of Velcro, so it can’t snag those Lycra shorts!

Cycleaware's saddle bag is wonderfully reflective AND functional!

Mirror: CycleAware has a wide variety of rear-view mirrors to choose from from helmet mirrors to those that attach to the handlebar. The most discreet is a tiny mirror that attaches inside your sunglasses lense which gives you a rear view with a quick glance. The newest mirror is the Urbie,  made just for bikes with flat handlebars.

Stow-Away backpack: This lightweight and reflective mesh backpack can be folded into its own pouch, so it’s ready when you need it. It’s handy for those times when you want to shed an extra layer or carry a few items home from the store. (It comes in four colors: bright green, pink, black and silver.)

Rules of the CycleAware/Cycle & Style GIVEAWAY: To enter our giveaway for CycleAware Goodie Bag, comment below and use your real (first) name and a valid e-mail. You can make a comment about the article or share your own safety tips for cycling!

We’ll make a random choice from among the best quality comments to select the winner.  The winner will be chosen on December 5th and they will be notified via e-mail on December 6th. If we have trouble getting a hold of you, we may have to choose another, so please use a valid email. We can mail to addresses within the US or Canada only.

The Roadie Bar-end mirror is a sleek and aerodynamic mirror made for the road cyclist.

CycleAware Stow-Away Backpack is a lightweight, reflective mesh backpack that folds into its own pocket and stows easily in a jacket or cycling jersey.

photo courtesy of Outerbike

Outerbike is a whole new concept.  Whereas Interbike, the North American bicycle industry retail show is aimed at the insiders of the cycling world.  Outerbike is a chance for the average cyclists  to not only preview the line of newest bicycles and components, but to ride them.  If you are looking to buy a new bike in the next year, this is a great opportunity to try before you buy. For a demo ride beyond the quick ride around the parking lot, some bicycle dealers charge $100 or more to check out a bike to give it a thorough demo for a week and if you want to try another brand, you’ll have to shell out more money. Outerbike not only offers all the 2012 bikes you could possibly care to demo, but three days of catered lunches, drinks, snacks, shuttle service to Moab’s best trails, evening entertainment and more for just a little more than what you’d pay for that bike demo.

Outerbike also has road bikes to demo on Moab's paved trails or roads.

The Moab, Utah location offers perfect riding weather in early October, a chance to ride “classic” Moab trails or try out one of the new mountain bike trails right by the expo site.  A nearby paved trail for road cyclists gives cyclists chance to demo road bikes as well on rides to nearby Arches National Park or to Dead Horse Point.  Many of the major bike companies will be bringing their pro riders, many of whom will take groups on rides or offer short clinics (last year, Rebecca Rusch  lead a women’s mountain bike ride.) Prior to the start of Outerbike, Western Spirit Cycling, which puts on Outerbike, will offer full-day guided rides and mountain biking clinics which split riders up according to ability and offer chances to learn or improve on technical skills while riding amazing cinnamon-colored trails through an area so scenic it is surrounded by two national parks, a state park and a national forest.

Rebecca Rusch lead a fun women's only ride at the 2010 Outerbike.

I had the chance to attend Outerbike for its first year and found it was organized with just the right level of professional support. Walk around the expo area and enter the booth of any of the bike frame manufacturers and they’ll custom fit you on the bike of your choice for a demo ride. It’s your chance to test out the brand-new 2012 bikes and have first-hand experience with the latest innovations. Return the bike and try another one to compare or contrast.  It’s the chance to become educated, so feel free to ask questions of the people who know the bikes and components the best. There is a great variety of trails near the Outerbike site, but shuttles will take riders to favorite Moab trails.

In addition to the demos, Outerbike offers a sweet swag bag, free Clif bar products to take with you on the trail, offerings of fresh fruit during the day, coolers of water or Acli-Mate (a new sports drink made especially for activities at altitude), a catered lunch, and as the afternoon winds down,  riders can head back to the expo site to relax at the Beer Garden. The fun continues into the night back in Moab with movies. Watch Klunkerz,  a documentary about the history of mountain biking on Thursday night, then on Friday check out the adrenalin-pumping  “3 Minute Gaps”, and enjoy a party on Saturday night!

New this year is a morning yoga class especially for cyclists taught by Rita Leon of Bicycles, Yoga and You. Be there at 8am to start your day right!

Here’s a sampling of the bicycle companies who will be there:  Specialized, Trek, Giant, Orbea, BH, GT, Kona, Rocky Mountain, Pivot, Santa Cruz, Yeti, Ibis and more.  Plus there are gear and apparel companies as well!

photo courtesy of Outerbike

How to Take a Test Ride

Here’s a few tips to get the most out of your bike demo:

1. Wear the right clothes, shoes and helmet. At Outerbike, you’ll want to bring your own pedals.

2. Do a quick pre-ride check. You’ll get a quick basic fit, but make sure you’re comfortable with where the saddle is set. Ride around the expo area for the first few minutes to get the feel of it. If it’s a mountain bike, check to see if the suspension feels right. (You can bring a multi-tool just in case. Rebecca Rusch lowered my seat an hour into our ride and it made a big difference!)

3. Don’t cut the ride too short. Give the bike a chance to show you what it’s capable of. Ride it up and down a hill and take that corner nice and tight. Put it through a few tests of your own.

4. If you are trying lots of bikes, take photos and notes to help you remember which bikes you liked the best and why. When the 2012 bikes hit the market, you’ll know what you want.

5. There are some awesome high-end bikes to try out. See what attributes they have that you like so much and compare them with the moderate priced models.

6. Have a conversation with the experts at the booth. Tell them about the type of riding you like to do, the areas you usually ride in and what you want in a bike. They’ll tell you about the cool features of the bike you’ll be demoing and you can ride more aware of the unique attributes of the bike. They’ll be interested in your feedback after the ride as well.

7. Get there early in the morning for the best selection of bikes.

8. This desert playland is scenic, but very dry. You will want bring a hydration pack to take on your rides. There are no water bottle cages on these brand-new bikes! Osprey and Deuter will be featuring their newest hydration packs at their booths so you can buy one if needed.

Over the last several decades, bike saddles and cycling clothing have been changing to make cyclists not only faster, but more comfortable. Cycling shorts evolved from wool shorts with real leather chamois crotches to tight fitting LYCRA®  shorts with a synthetic chamois. (Even better, cycling clothing companies designed women’s shorts with the chamois anatomically designed to fit women.)  In those early days, the authentic leather chamois would become stiff like the leather it is, and the solution was to soften it up with chamois cream. Cyclists discovered a little extra chamois cream felt nicer on the skin as well and helped prevent saddle sores.  The modern synthetic chamois portion of the cycling shorts offered improvements in comfort and so as a result, modern chamois creams aren’t meant to be applied to the chamois, but to the skin itself, to prevent saddle sores or to help heal them.

If you haven’t had saddle sores, consider yourself lucky. But if you put a lot of miles on your bike in a short amount of time, you will probably get them. If you are riding in hot conditions, the combination of friction + sweat/salt on the skin is more likely to result in saddle sores. Riding in wet conditions will also cause problems as the wet skin will be more tender and susceptible to the chafing.  How bad can saddle sores become? Some cyclists on multi-day endurance rides speak of saddle sores which become bleeding wounds. Who wants to not be able to complete an event, not because they aren’t fit enough, but because sitting on the saddle has become unbearable?

A Review of DZ NUTs Bliss

I recently rode in a 6-day 450 mile event and it was the perfect opportunity to try out DZ Nuts Bliss chamois cream which is specifically designed for women. The first three days I rode hard and applied Bliss first thing each morning. However, the fourth day I forgot to use it. By the time I hit mile 50 on a warm ride through the desert, I could feel the pain. It made me want to finish the ride standing up. That night in the motel room, I put Bliss on the saddle sores before bed and reapplied a few times the next day, which was my rest day. The next day, I did NOT forget to put on the Bliss and was able to enjoy the 90 mile-ride because I had no pain. I learned a valuable lesson about chamois cream and really became a fan of Bliss.

Why did DZ Nuts make a special cream just for women? “It is women-specific because women have a unique physiology. Bliss also has a less intense tingle (than DZ Nuts) designed for a woman’s sensibilities.” (Bliss was designed with a lot of input from the HTC-Columbia pro women’s team .)

Like many chamois creams, Bliss is meant as a lubricant and skin barrier to help prevent chafing and saddle sores.  Bliss also has probiotics to discourage pathogenic yeast and bacteria. I was glad to hear that the formulation of Bliss includes soothing plant based polymers and not harsh chemicals or preservatives.  It has anti-itch ingredients which are important to reduce the feelings some cyclists get of prickling and itching. Lastly, it can be applied to already existing sores after a ride or before bed to help heal the skin.

Eight Ways to Prevent Saddle Sores:

1. Chamois cream isn’t meant to be applied in teaspoon-sized, well rubbed-in amounts. If you want it to work, you’ll want to slather it on. For an especially long ride, put on more. Alternatively, for a long day, re-apply after several hours.
2. Get a good saddle that fits you comfortably. We’re all different. A saddle that works wonderfully well for your friend, may not be right for you and vice-versa. If you are on a cruiser just riding a few miles, those cushy, wide saddles are great but trust us, if you are going for faster, longer rides, the narrow saddles will cause less chafing. Some road bike saddles do come with a bit of gel padding if you need it.
   

   Change your bike seat if it's uncomfortable for you!

3. Get a good bike fit. The saddle needs to be positioned correctly for you!
4. A pair of good quality cycling shorts with a well designed chamois will be more comfortable than a cheaply made one. The fabric of your shorts should fit you smoothly, have flat seams, and there should be no wrinkles in the fabric at all. If you are a committed cyclist, it’s worth it in the long run to invest in higher quality shorts or bibs.
5. Are you working up to prepare for a long endurance ride? Increase your mileage gradually.
6. Wash and dry your bike shorts between each wearing. Underwear isn’t meant to be worn under your cycling shorts as it will increase chafing. There is at least one caveat to that; women who are riding during a heavy period may have no choice and need to wear underwear at that time. In that case, choose underwear made of technical fabric with minimal seams.
7. During long rides change your position on the seat as needed: stand up, move back, move forward—whatever works!
8. If you are losing weight, you will notice less saddle soreness eventually. A thin cyclist puts a reduced amount of pressure per square inch on the saddle and that results in less saddle soreness. (This isn’t to say that thin cyclists don’t get saddle sores; they do, just ask some pro cyclists. The legendary cyclist Eddy Merckx once had to drop out of a few races because of them.)

DZ NUTS Giveaway

DZ Nuts is offering a giveaway for readers of Cycle & Style: a tube  of DZ Nuts Bliss (4 oz.) and also one of DZ-Nuts Bald Shaving Cream (200 ml.)

DZ Nuts Bald Super Smooth Shaving Cream is a soap free lubrication that prevents razor burn and razor bumps and won’t clog the razor. The soothing botanicals leave skin cooled, soothed and moisturized.

Comment below for your chance to win! (We can mail within the US or Canada.)

Contest lasts through July 22, 2011

What do these three have in common? Or perhaps you are thinking: “One of these things is not like the other.”  Having done all three, I definitely have to say one stands out as a bit different, although they all have their share of similarities. But if you think about it, the long term impact of one of those definitely outlives the others. Obviously, getting a massage and pedicure are at the top of the pampering and self-indulgence list, but I can tell you from experience that a bike that is fit to you and your riding style by a professional bike fitter is worth everything you pay when you are able to finish a 30, 40, 50, even a 100 mile ride and you feel great and ready to go out to dinner afterwards.

The bike fitter should listen to you and ask questions about the type of riding you do, past injuries, typical aches and pains, etc.

Preparing and getting a good bike fit should be more akin to a physical from your doctor than getting a pedicure. A good bike fitter should be trained and certified. They will usually have a special place or room in their shop where they do bike fittings as the equipment and tools they use are very specialized. One of the most important characteristics for a bike fitter is that they listen to you and ask a lot of questions. The more the bike fitter knows about you, the better they will be able to fit you to your bike. They will need to know your riding style, ride distances, past injuries, any aches and pains you have and any physical irregularities such as having one leg longer than another.

The process of bike fitting usually starts with the selection of the bike. If you already have a bike then this process is easy as you just call your local bike shop (LBS) with a certified bike fitter, make an appointment and start the process. If you are purchasing a new bike then you have a little more to consider and that’s part of the fun. For those of you that already have a bike and are looking to get a new one or just wanting a better fit than the one your friend gave you which included adjusting the seat to “the right height” you can follow the parts of the process that apply or you may want to re-visit some of the process on your own.

You will soon notice that there are 2 different types of bike fittings – Static and Dynamic.

Chris is checking for correct leg extension to maximize pedaling efficiency.

Static Fitting:  A static fitting is appropriate for cyclists who won’t be doing a lot of distance riding, for novices who aren’t yet ready to wear bike shoes with cleats, and for mountain bikers. As you sit still on the bike, a number of measurements will be taken to get the bike set up for you. With this method, the fitter will get the fit to be very close. Almost all fitting sessions start with this process to at least get you on the right size of bicycle.

A good bike fitter will not only fit you correctly, but also coach you to improve your pedaling efficiency.

Dynamic Fitting: If you are purchasing a premium road bike, a dynamic fit will often be part of the purchased package. If you’ve bought a good-quality used road bike which you will be using for riding century rides (or longer) you’ll want to be comfortable on your bike and a dynamic fit will be worth it to keep you injury-free.  A dynamic fit will start with static fit measurements to get the fit close and then start to focus in on cleat and seat positions to make small adjustments enabling you to be more comfortable on the bike and give you better transfer of power with each pedal stroke. Your bike will be put on a trainer and the fitter will watch you as you pedal the bike for a time before making any adjustments. Some shops will even video tape you while you pedal and then apply software to your ride to help in the fit.  Fitters will also be looking a number of alignment issues and make adjustments if needed. They will check a lot of angles and dimensions. Expect adjustments for the seat height, the seat position, and type of seat, the position of the handle bars and the position of your feet on the pedals. If your feet tend to pronate, they will make adjustments for that as well. They will be adjusting primarily three points that you interface with the bike: the pedals, seat and handle bars.

Dressing for the Occasion: Dress for your fitting as you would for a typical road ride with bike shorts, bike shoes and cycling socks.  Don’t think you can get away with rolled up pants, as it isn’t merely the tracking of your knees the fitter will watch for, but you might sit differently on the bike seat if you aren’t wearing your padded shorts.

I’d like to extend a huge thanks to the best bike fitter I know: Chris Tolsma of Bingham Cyclery! (He has had the Serotta custom bike fit certification as well as being certified in Specialized BG FIT, aka, Body Geometry Fit Integration Technology).

“If I crave a candy bar, should I eat a candy bar?”

That’s the title of one of my most popular blog posts! Clearly, food cravings and sugar addictions are a source of concern and frustration for many athletes who believe that eating one chocolate bar (or whatever food they crave) will lead to eating ten of them, expand their waistlines, and ruin their health. They avoid chocolate like the plague. Instead, they righteously snack on only “healthy foods” like apples and oranges.

While the natural goodness of fruit is indeed the more nutritious and health-promoting choice, some nice chocolate, enjoyed in response to a hankering, can also fit into your sports diet. By regularly enjoying chocolates, you can avoid the strong cravings that lead to eating a sickening amount—not because you are “addicted to sugar” but because you are doing “last chance eating” before you go back into your self-defined food jail (1).

Keep in mind, your brain has a memory for the food you crave. If you try to ignore your craving for, let’s say, chocolate, you’ll end up eating it sooner or later. This may happen after you’ve tried to curb your craving with an apple, crackers, pretzels, sugar-free fudgsicle—anything but the chocolate—and then, 500 calories later, you succumb to what you truly wanted. You could have more wisely enjoyed the chocolate in the first place; you would have saved yourself a bunch of calories!

Food cravings are a popular topic not only on my blog but also among LinkedIn’s Intuitive Eating Professionals group. A discussion “If you crave a food, should you eat it?” spurred a lot of responses, with the answer being YES! History says that denial and deprivation of a desired food does not work permanently but rather results in binge eating. After all, if restrictive eating “worked,” then everyone who has ever been on a diet would be thin. The majority of dieters are overweight and obese, suggesting that “dieting fall-out” maybe be contributing to obesity. (2)

To our detriment, we live in a world where enjoying bagels, ice cream, candy, and chips gets “questioned.”  Athletes talk about needing “will power” to curb their intake of the foods they crave. But most of us really want to be able to enjoy these foods. We just want to be able to eat them sanely, not in what feels like an out of control pig-out. We need nutrition skill power (not will power) to learn how to manage today’s food supply. That’s where a sports dietitian can help you control hunger-based binges and find peace with food. (For a referral to a local sports dietitian, see www.SCANdpg.org.)

The question arises: What’s so bad about cravings in the first place? Is there really something wrong with eating what you truly want to eat? Cravings are not addictions. That is, if you crave a bagel because it tastes good, why should you not enjoy the bagel? When you eat a food you crave, your brain experiences a biochemical change that signals happiness. Can eating an appropriate portion (as opposed to overeating “the whole thing”) be a bad thing to do?

The answer commonly depends on if you are eating the food for fuel vs. mindlessly devouring it for its drug-like effect. If you find yourself on the verge of polishing off the whole bag of bagels, stop and ask yourself, “Does my body need this fuel?” If the answer is yes, you need to learn how to prevent the extreme hunger or derprivation that triggered the overeating. If the answer is no, then ask yourself, “What am I doing with my feelings?” Over-eating a craved food can distract you from sadness, smother your emotions, and protect your from feeling alone and lonely. But you are using food for the wrong reason. No amount of bagels, chocolate, or chips will resolve the real problem: you are likely hungry for a hug.

Do certain foods over-excite the pleasure centers in the brain? If so, do those foods become “addictive”? The recent science (3) says there is no such thing as a “sugar (or food) addiction.” Yes, it may have addictive-like qualities, particularly following a restriction/binge pattern of eating (1).  In my practice, most people who binge have an unbalanced relationship with food; it has become too enticing, a primary focus for pleasure. The more they try to stay away from palatable foods, the more they want them.

While there is much we do not know about food and this controversial topic of food addictions, I encourage my clients to first rule-out hunger as the cause for cravings for sugar and carbohydrates. The physiology of hunger explains why we crave sugar; it’s a survival signal for quick energy. When your blood sugar is low, your brain signals an urgent need for sugar. When your muscles are glycogen depleted, you experience a niggling carb cravings until the muscles are adequately replenished.

What can you do to overcome cravings and perceived “addictions”? First and foremost, experiment with eating heftier breakfasts and lunches to abate hunger. (No, you will not “get fat” by eating more during the day. If you listen to your body, you will observe you are less hungry at night and will simply be able to consume fewer calories.) Also try changing your attitude. The mind is very influential. If you believe you are addicted to a food, you will have a hard time convincing yourself otherwise despite research that refutes the concept of food addiction and puts the focus on deprivation as a trigger to (over)eat.

The next time you have a craving for a specific food, relax, enjoy eating it slowly, taste it, savor the flavor, and linger over the treat. Do this several times throughout the week. Learn to enjoy the treat slowly, in moderation, without feeling guilty. Enjoy the foods you crave at every meal. For example, have a few Hershey’s Kisses day after day, at breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, and dinner.  Eat them so often that you get sick of them. This may sound unhealthy in the short term but a week or two of excess chocolate will not ruin your health (nor your waistline) forever.

By learning your body’s responses to different foods, you can at least become educated: food is not addictive and cravings are not bad. What’s bad is trying to live hungry as well as denied and deprived of foods you enjoy. There is a possibilty you can find peace with food.

Nancy Clark, MS, RD, CSSD (Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics) helps both casual and competitive athletes find peace with food. Her practice is at Healthworks, the premier fitness center in Chestnut Hill MA (617-383-6100). Her Sports Nutrition Guidebook and food guides for new runners, marathoners, and soccer players offer additional information. They are available at www.nancyclarkrd.com. See also www.sportsnutritionworkshop.com.

Copyright: Nancy Clark MS RD CSSD May 2011

Reference:

1. 1. Pelchat M. Food addiction in humans. J Nutr. 2009; 139(3)620-622
2. 2. Corwin RL, and P Grigson. Symposium Overview—Food Addiction: fact or fiction? J Nutr. 2009; 139(3):617-619.
3. 3. Benton, D. The plausibility of sugar addiction and its role in obesity and eating disorders. Clinical Nutrition 29(3):288-303, 2010.

“Survey findings show that added holiday stress, on top of already high stress levels associated with work and the economy, makes it hard to relax. Cited as “multiple stressors” in the APA research are lack of time (up to 69%), lack of money (up to 69%), and pressure to give or get gifts (up to 51%). In addition, men and women who experience elevated levels of stress, rate their psychological and physical health lower than those who are not experiencing stress – and are more likely to experience a range of health ailments and symptoms such as sadness (59%), sleep problems (56%), and lack of energy (55%).” — Dr. Shawn Talbott (Nutritional Biochemist & Author)

Here are our top 5 tips on Managing Your Stress During the Holidays:

1. Keep It Simple &  Be Realistic - Think about what you actually have time for. Pare down your list because you don’t have to do it all!
2. Be Organized & Plan Ahead -Make your list and do a little everyday so you aren’t doing it all in the last few days. Nobody works that well under pressure (we don’t believe it!)
3. Take Care of Yourself by Keeping Up Healthy Habits -Eat right, stay away from too many sugary and fattening foods. They won’t make you feel any better and may sap your energy. Keep up the exercise, although you can lower your standards, change the activity or even do short bouts of intense exercise such as jumping jacks, jump rope or pylometrics. 
4. Take Control of Holiday Spending by Sticking To Your Budget: Work out your budget, keep it realistic and stick to it!
5. Take a Moment to get some “Me Time” -If a nice scenic walk calms you, then enjoy them. In some cases, a  moment of “quiet time” doesn’t effectly turn off the stressful thoughts and it isn’t calming. For those types, a bout of intense exercise helps them work out the stress more effectively (and makes them easier to live with!)

Take control! Don’t let the holidays become something that you dread.

Happy Holidays from Cycle & Style!!

Why do we ride bikes?  Is it to feel the exhilaration of the wind whistling through our hair or is it the satisfaction of quality exercise and achieving a higher level of fitness.  Regardless of why we ride bikes, the importance of your position on the bike is crucial to avoiding injury and maximizing the design of the bike for ultimate efficiency, speed, and comfort.

Torso length, upper and lower leg length, and flexibility are a few of the things that determine the proper size of a bicycle frame.  We are all unique individuals and our bicycle position should reflect our personal characteristics.  In the past women who wanted a quality road bike were limited to a men’s frame.  Women on average have a shorter torso, longer legs, a shallower hip and pelvis rotation then men.  As a result of these differences women require a bike frame that has a shorter top tube, and higher handlebars.  I found this out the hard way.  Long painful rides left me wanting to scream obscenities and never get on a bike again. It had everything to do with my positioning on my bike and how it fit.   In today’s bicycle market we are fortunate to have women’s specific designs from production manufacturers and custom builders.   It has never been so easy to achieve proper position, comfort, and efficiency on a bike.

The first objective when seeking to achieve a properly fitted bicycle should be in choosing a qualified fitter or a knowledgeable local bike shop that has fitting experience.   There are numerous methods and formulas that have been used for bicycle fitting.  Most of these methods will produce similar results that will provide a starting point from which a good fitter will take into consideration your individual quirks, flexibility and preferences to further refine your fit.  It is important to realize that you do not adjust yourself to fit the bike but the bicycle must be adjusted to fit the individual.  It does not matter how elegant or expensive the bike is,  if it does not fall within the parameters of the individual it does not fit and therefore will be less than efficient and prone to cause injury.  On the other hand, I have seen individuals who thought they needed a new bike to achieve comfort and efficiency but their bike was simply grossly misadjusted.

 There are three contact points on a bicycle; pedals, saddle and handlebars.  A good bike fit will address all three contact points beginning at the pedal working toward the saddle and ending at the handlebars.  All three contact points require an interface with a bicycle component and the individual; it is worth taking the time to choose these components carefully.  A poor fitting shoe with an inadequate cleat setup is a recipe for disaster.  Today’s pedal systems lock your ankle and knee into a single plane.  Improper cleat positioning and fit will eventually lead to discomfort and joint problems.  These are problems that make women want to quite cycling. 

A saddle is the main means of supporting a cyclist weight and there are a variety of saddles available.  Women’s saddles tend to be wider and shorter than a men’s saddle.  A properly fitting saddle will be wide enough or narrow enough to support the weight of your ischial tuberosities (sit bones) that is its sole purpose.   So do yourself a favor and purchase a saddle that your butt will be proud of.

 Women have narrow shoulders and smaller hands than their male counterparts; fortunately, the availability of short and shallow handlebars in a variety of widths is outstanding.  Choosing the proper handlebars will increase comfort, control and will provide quick access to brakes.  Contemplating and choosing your three contact points carefully is a great start to a proper bike fit, and heightened cycling experience.  Enjoy the ride.

Heather Williams is the owner of Bella Rosa Bikes. As a young girl, Heather rode BMX bikes along with her older brothers, riding their hand-me-down bikes. When she grew up and got into mountain biking with her husband, she enjoyed her blue bike (a men’s bike) and riding in the mud, but she longed for a bike that would fit her—and also be a little girly. Eventually, not only did Heather get her own custom-fit bike that was perfect for her, she and her husband started Bella Rosa and are living her dream, building custom bikes for women, “riding happily ever after.”