Supplements

Comment by DamianM on October 17, 2012 at 10:07pm

EPO and HGH, just like the Pros :)

Comment by Bill Parker on October 18, 2012 at 9:55am

Slippery slope, probably how Lance started
Lay off the grog or any other substance that will dull your brain, no smoking (anything), eat in moderation but plenty of fruit and veggies, give up watching TV , it is all crap anyway and will rot your brain, use the time to ride more, be nice to everyone, hug the trees and talk to the animals but don't take it too seriously and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy, the rest will just follow.

Comment by PeterT on October 18, 2012 at 9:59am

Multivitamins, hydration, bike fit, comfortable contact points, practice.

Comment by Stephano Demera on October 18, 2012 at 2:34pm

Nice one lads. Thanks Damian, i'll leave that to the pros. I was thinking maybe proteins or amino acids. basic stuff that can improve my sluggish form.

Comment by DamianM on October 18, 2012 at 2:41pm

A more serious answer....

There are a LOT of products on the market that are basically over priced snake oil promising all sorts of gains, and you should steer clear.

For us recreational cyclists (even racing and training at an amateur level) there is some benefit in some of the products, but more benefit in eating the right foods at the right time I think.

I've had a lot of success this year just by getting my eating patterns right, including breakfasts that are higher in protein (I live on eggs!).

However, not having the necessary medical training, I don't want to steer you in the wrong direction based on my anecdotal experiences. What you should do is go see a nutritionist, particularly if you can find one with a sports bent and they will help you.

To save yourself some money on your first appointment, keep a diary for two weeks of everything you eat, and all your workouts / riding. This is the first thing they are likely to tell you to do before they make a follow up appointment. 

Comment by Dabba on October 18, 2012 at 3:23pm

I find that one of the most important things to be able to ride better is to ensure that I am properly hydrated.  Not enough water and I'm pooped.  This is particularly noticeable on my touring days where distances can be up to 100+ k's in any type of heat/cold.  Urine colour is a good guide for that if you're not sure.  Coffee and booze don't count, they are dehydrators.

Comment by MadameBike on October 18, 2012 at 3:44pm

I have heard that beetroot (in any form - juice, baked, whatever), spinach and something else which I can't recall increase muscle performance.  The down side is that I have no idea about "dosage" and how much you need to eat, how long it remains effective  etc

Comment by Gary MacDonald on October 18, 2012 at 4:57pm

I found the book "The Best Life Diet" by Bob Greene was very helpful and full of common sense stuff. It explains why lose-weight-quick approaches don't work and pushes gradual weight loss by healthy eating and 5-6 meals a day, smaller portions and front loading your diet (bigger breakfast and lunch but smaller evening meals). It also really pushes cardio and weight/cross training as a way of keeping your metabolism rev'd up. I lost about 10 kgs and have kept it off for years by using the principles in the book.

Comment by Bill Parker on October 19, 2012 at 5:31pm

My father, vintage 1918, was a bit of a cyclist, mostly for transport and a bit of what would now be called Audax. He would ride on a Sunday from Newtown to Nowra with his "bottle of lemonade and a sponge cake" and catch the mixed passenger / goods train back, arriving Central at 3am with enough time left over for breakfast and to start his 12 hour shift (6 days per week) at the Newtown woollen mill at 6am, of course no gears or brakes on the bike. He said it cost several months wages which he paid off over an extended time before he did his 41-46 tour of Asian countries mostly as a guest of the Japanese government, he also lost quite a few kilos on his special diet .

Comment by Neil Alexander on October 19, 2012 at 5:44pm

But if you tell the yoof of today that, Bill, they won't believe you. ;-)

(Amazing story, though. I'll buy it. My father, vintage 1915, never cycled in his life to my knowledge but may have had some familiarity with milk trains. Luckily for him, his '41-'46 north Queensland and New Guinea tour resulted in slightly less personal hardship.)

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