carbs:protein:fat - what should the numbers be?

vermooten
vermooten Posts: 2,697
Hi,

Can anyone point me to a resource on the interweb which describes what his ratio shoudl be for a healthy person who does a lot of cycling? I've just started using FitDay which is great but it tells me that 50-75% of my intake is carbohydrate which seems high despite a low-ish calorie intake, and might help to explain this bulging gut I take with me everywhere i go.

Cheers,
Andy
You just have to ride like you never have to breathe again.

Manchester Wheelers

Comments

  • Alex_Simmons/RST
    Alex_Simmons/RST Posts: 4,161
    60% CHP is pretty typical for aerobic endurance cyclists. However it is far better to look for guidance in terms of grams of CHO, fats & protein per kg of body mass, than to use percentages. The g/kg guidelines vary depending on the nature and volume of training you do.

    CHO can be anywhere from 5-10 g/kg body mass per day (depending on how much training you do).
    Protein ~ 1g/kg BM/day (but more for sustained hard training racing)
    Fat no real restriction but say ~ 1g/kg BM/day

    Scientific evidence consistently shows that a moderately high carbohydrate diet, with moderate amounts of protein and fat is best for enhancing athletic performance.

    In general, the athletic requirement of protein, and fat is easily supplied by a normal, mixed diet. This is true for athletes who eat meat (omnivores), as well as most vegetarians (however, vegans may have to supplement with both protein, and certain minerals and vitamins).
  • vermooten
    vermooten Posts: 2,697
    Thanks Alex that gives me loads do work with!

    Cheers
    Andy
    You just have to ride like you never have to breathe again.

    Manchester Wheelers
  • I am reading a book by Anita Bean called 'The complete guide to sports nutrition' that covers this and many other relevant topics such as supplements etc. Its not a cycling specific guide but refers to cycling a lot in the test cases and explanations. You don't need a medical degree to understand it either. Might be worth a look.
  • DaveyL
    DaveyL Posts: 5,167
    +1 on that book - very helpful, interesting and informative.
    Le Blaireau (1)
  • vermooten
    vermooten Posts: 2,697
    My copy is on its way from amazon! Thanks!
    You just have to ride like you never have to breathe again.

    Manchester Wheelers