Bicycle: fitness and nutrition

The bicycle is a vintage object having gone through the ages, it has marked customs and culture to the point of being considered, even after decades, an inimitable, precious object. There seems to be an increasing number of people who leave their car at home, with all its problems, and choose a healthy, ecological, practical, functional means of transport such as the bicycle.

From classic to ultramodern bicycles, there are all kinds of bicycles and they furnish many streets in your city. In many cases, real works of art, revised and corrected vintage bicycles and adapted to the times. You know, the benefits of a nice ride are endless, the form physical and mental will thank you.

Some grandmother’s secrets translated, also revisited and corrected, so that you can make the most of the advantages of a bike ride or use of the bicycle.

Eat at least two or three hours before leaving if you have to tackle a demanding route. The fuel for your body are complex carbohydrates, better whole: white flour and food prepared with white flour contain more sugars.

In the comings and goings of every day, the important thing is not to overdo it. Water, water, very important water for hydration, thermoregulation. Water is fine fresh but you don’t have to drink ice water. In the summer, when you sweat profusely, you do well to drink small amounts of liquid and drink it often.

Normally you should never skip breakfast because, after fasting at night, the body needs to replenish nutrients and energy, and if you go out pedaling it is better to have a nice breakfast: carbohydrates and in proportion also proteins and fats.

Carbohydrates, we always talk about complex ones, digest them more easily and increase the glycogen stores both in the muscles and in the liver, better to reduce simple ones such as sucrose, the common sugar.

Proteins serve not only to rebuild your muscles, but also to stabilize your blood sugar and avoid harmful fluctuations. Just as the eight essential amino acids are contained in animal proteins, you can also find them in legumes associated with whole grains.

Always choose healthy fats for example those contained in avocado, those in sunflower seed, linseed and olive oils. Foods rich in antioxidants useful for the elimination of free radicals that form while cycling and even after, plus this type of food represents real barriers against viruses, against colds.

Foods rich in B vitamins, designed to activate the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Real allies for your shape. If the path you take is very demanding or long, upon arrival you can have a snack with complex carbohydrates: wholemeal rusks with jam or honey for example or sweets without cream and creams. The meal, lunch or dinner, you will have to consume it by cooking in a very simple and therefore more digestible way.

The best choice always falls on alkalizing foods. Do not eat fried or heavily seasoned food often and do not drink alcohol as it overtaxes the liver, they also do not get along very well with a healthy diet. Season everything raw and with extra virgin olive oil. If you add spices you increase the antioxidant power of the dishes. Very short cooking and possibly with steam pressure keep the properties of the food intact.