Pumped Up
Tips And Tricks On Preventing Arm-Pump
We teamed up with Steve Bubel who owns and runs www.mxconditioning.com. Steve has counseled hundreds of athletes with varying skill levels that range from weekend warriors to world champions. This issue will be the first of three parts discussing proper diet and nutrition before, during and after your riding or workout sessions.
Part 1: Pre-Competition
*Understand that these recommendations are very general, providing a framework around which an individualized plan can be built.
According to recommendations put forth by the American College of Sports Medicine (2009), pre-race meals should do the following:
1. Provide sufficient fluid to maintain hydration. At least four hours before exercise, individuals should drink approximately .07-.10 ounce per pound of body weight of water or a sports drink. This will allow enough time to optimize hydration status and for excretion of any excess fluid as urine. For a 150-pound racer, this equates to 10.5 to 15.0 ounces.
2. Be relatively low in fat and fiber to facilitate gastric emptying and minimize gastrointestinal distress.Meals should not be so large and calorically dense as to limit the rate at which nutrients are absorbed. Large meals slow digestion which can leave a substantial portion of your pre-race meal sitting in your gut at the start. Abdominal cramping often results.
3. Be relatively high in carbohydrate to maximize maintenance of blood glucose. Amounts of carbohydrate shown to enhance performance have ranged from approximately 140 to 330 grams for meals consumed three to four hours before exercise. If you have the option to consume carbohydrate during your event, you can consume less carbohydrate in the pre-race meal.
4. Be moderate in protein. While it hasn't been shown to improve endurance performance, per se, protein consumption pre-event can limit exercise-induced muscle damage leading to quicker recovery. This can impact performance on subsequent motos.
5. Be composed of familiar foods that are well tolerated by the athlete. Race day is not the time to experiment with novel foods or supplements. This is especially true for longer events when access to the "facilities" may be restricted.