Carbohydrates

CARBOHYDRATES

Carbohydrates are the nutrient sources that first meet energy needs. However, excessive carbohydrate consumption brings with it risks such as obesity and diabetes.

Complex Carbohydrate Sources:

Cereal bread like bran, rye, whole wheat etc., pasta, bulgur, legumes, green vegetables, tahini-molasses, nuts

Simple Carbohydrate Sources:

White bread, biscuits and crackers, rice, potatoes, watermelon, processed fruit juices, beer

Before Activity

The energy needed during the activity can be obtained by feeding on complex carbohydrates 1-2 hours beforehand.

Pedaling immediately after a meal leads to digestive difficulties.

Feeding on simple carbohydrates, on the other hand, will cause blood sugar to rise rapidly (30 min) and then fall at the same speed, leading to hunger and fatigue.

During Activity

Feeding before becoming hungry during the activity can be recommended as a basic principle.

As before the activity, complex carbohydrates are important for energy and power efficiency during the activity as well. Feeding little by little (at a level that will not cause digestive difficulties) and at frequent intervals will provide the necessary performance, especially on long tours.

During the activity, there may be a need to raise energy from time to time. For this, some relatively less risky simple carbohydrate sources that can be used are: ice cream, banana, grapes, raisins, honey, dark chocolate.

After Activity

The target in post-activity nutrition is to complete the deficiencies and prepare the body for the next day.

For this, especially the regeneration of muscle cells and filling of glycogen stores is necessary. The sources necessary for muscle regeneration are proteins. Again, complex carbohydrates should be chosen for completing glycogen stores.