What Dr.
Arnie Baker's training eBooks do for your strength and fitness,
Nutrition for Sports does for your diet and energy.
This no-nonsense
investigation cuts through the nutritional hype, delivering the author's
recommendations and cautions about dozens of name-brand products,
supplements and ergogenic aids promoted to
cyclists.
Says Dr. Baker
about your performance as a road rider . . .
"Nutrition can help, but it is not
everything. Athletes sometimes ascribe magical powers to nutrition,
believing that if they just get it right, performance will zoom and
fitness will be transformed."
There are no
guarantees, although you won't read that in ads for sports foods and drinks.
There is, however, a body of sound, practical knowledge that can guide you
to the right dietary choices. When you eat accordingly on and off the bike,
you give yourself the best chance of excelling as a cyclist.
This
eBook is
about making the right choices.
You'll feel more confident when planning all
your meals and your ride foods when armed with Dr. Baker's straightforward
advice. You may save a good deal of money, too, with your ability to judge
the claims made by sports nutrition companies. You'll learn which "normal"
foods and drinks perform as well (or better).
Please
note: A FREE supplement to this eBook is
available to all purchasers. It contains chapters on body fat, body weight,
healthful fast food, the USDA & FDA, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.
The download link is inside Nutrition for Sports.
Author Arnie Baker, a physician
in San Diego, has coached riders to several Olympics, 30 national records and
80 national championships. He has authored or co-authored 14 cycling books and more
than 750 articles. On the bike, Dr. Baker is a
category 1 racer who has set eight U.S. 40K time trial records and won more
than 200 races, including multiple national championships. He practices what
he preaches!
This excerpt comes from page 103 of Part 3:
Sports Foods. Dr. Baker
discusses commercial drinks, gels and energy bars by their brand names,
performance claims and
nutritional content.
EXCERPT:
Sports Energy Bars
These are a convenient source of calories
for use before, during, or after exercise. Providing calories is their
primary purpose. Most contain about 200 calories per serving/packet.
Table 24 lists selected sports energy
bars. These typify manufacturer offerings. The inclusion of products and the
omission of others is not an endorsement of the products listed or a
criticism of those omitted.
Originally conceived as convenient
energy sources for fueling during workouts, niche markets have developed for
bars before and after workouts, for women, for those trying to lose weight,
for those on 40-30-30 diets, and for those on low-carb diets. The Clif Bar
and PowerBar products illustrate some of the many carbohydrate,
protein-carbohydrate, and reduced-calorie offerings.
Carbohydrate is the most important
and usually main source of energy for during-exercise bars. Bars marketed
for recovery (after exercise) often contain protein, generally about 20% of
calories.
Although the marketing of protein for recovery has been heavy, the
science underlying marketing claims is light. For more information on this
topic read the discussion starting on page 66.
Energy bar companies attempting to
provide calories while also catering to those trying to lose weight,
following the 40-30-30 program, or being part of the low-carb craze present
marketing challenges perhaps best described charitably as oxymoronic
(described uncharitably as moronic).
The only mineral that has
consistently been shown to be important for athletes is sodium. For more
information about sweat mineral losses, see page 21. Other ingredients are
of questionable value. Other ingredients include anti-oxidants,
electrolytes, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and herbs.
Most products are best accompanied by
at least 8 ounces of water to prevent gastrointestinal upset.
Although convenient, few non-athletes
describe these products as tasty; some have the mouth feel of cardboard.
Although athlete palates may get used to these products, few in the general
population prefer their taste to Milky Way or Snickers chocolate bars.
Easy, relatively inexpensive, tasty,
and potentially more nutritious alternatives include bananas, peanut butter
and jelly sandwiches, Fig Newtons, Pop Tarts, and relatively low-fat
chocolate bars like Milky Way.
Next, Dr. Baker presents his chart comparing the nutritional content of
11 widely available energy bars.
