Relationships with food are complex, particularly for athletes. Adequate and ideal nutrition for health, appearance, and performance can suffer when the focus primarily is on reaching a fixed “ideal” body weight. While a high power-to-weight ratio is essential for success …
Is Your Relationship with Food Undermining Your Athletic Goals? Read More »
As coaches and friends of endurance athlete, we need to be aware of the ways in which discussions of weight-optimization can trigger eating disorders in vulnerable individuals. Weight loss can lead to improved performance in some athletes in some disciplines, …
How to Support an Athlete Who May Be Vulnerable to an Eating Disorder Read More »
When fitness goals are only one of your many priorities, social eating around the holidays can be a challenge to your ideal training and athletic body weight. Having well-defined, motivating goals can help avoid excess and junk food, but even with …
For a cyclist, appropriate weight is just as important as aerobic fitness, strength and skills. However, many riders under-perform in hilly races because they carry too much body mass. They hope to ride off their excess weight in time for …
Healthy Weight Loss Part I: Shedding Fat to Make Race Weight Read More »
Keith has great aerobic power. He can ride a flat 40-kilometer time trial in less than 56 minutes, making him quite competitive in his master’s category. He’s been training an average of 12 hours per week on a periodized plan …
Healthy Weight Loss Part II: Shedding Excess Muscle to Make Race Weight Read More »
Power meters are great tools. They assess current physical ability, track training progress and improve performance, but those benefits are only the beginning. These devices allow for comparison of your physical abilities to competitors’ before signing up for a race. …
Beyond the Intervals: The Deeper Benefits of Power Meters Read More »
Last updated 2023 Racing cyclists often want to know what their optimal weight range is for their height. The below are taken from height and weight data of professional cyclists with national or international wins. Keep in mind that these …
So many people approach the New Year with diet resolutions that it often becomes a joke, with the long-term fitness crowd viewing their gyms and classes full of “resolutioners” as a temporary annoyance before those folks give up on their …
It’s Okay to Make a New Year’s Weight Loss Resolution Read More »
Here’s an interesting bit of science. There are taste receptors that are sensitive to “sweet” substances in the intestine (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070820175426.htm). They are similar to the ones on your tongue. When the intestinal receptors interact with sugar in consumed foods, they …
As you continually optimize your fueling needs for performance and daily energy demands, chances are that your main meals just aren’t going to be enough to get you through the day happily and productively. That’s where snacks come in. Let’s …
Performance in most sports depends on getting your body weight into an optimum range. While some athletes need to gain weight to get to that range, the need for weight loss is much more common. Weight loss success for athletes …
Question: What is reasonable weight loss within an active racing season where a rider is racing 1-2 times per weekend? Answer: If you are within 15 pounds of your target weight, aim for consistent weight loss of about ½-1 pound per …
Understanding the Rate of Weight Loss for Athletes Read More »
The fastest climbers may not always be the fastest Granfondo riders or the winningest racers, but climbing speed is an honest measure of fitness. You don’t make a good time on a long climb by sucking wheels or otherwise taking …
by Heather D’Eliso Gordon, CSSD Question: A teammate of mine was recently diagnosed with celiac disease. She has been eating a gluten-free diet for about a month and is riding much stronger during her training rides and races. Would you …
Q: I want to lose 10 pounds to improve my racing performance. Is that possible during my race season? A: This question is much more difficult to answer this time of year because most riders are in their pre-race or …
