Bicycling Nutrition and the Food Guide Pyramid

By Pamela S. Barrett
For the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin

Every vehicle must generate power to move, and your bicycle is no different: Cars use gasoline-powered engines, sailboats rely on sails that capture the wind, while your bicycle uses YOU!

Food is your fuel. And just as a car won’t run well on bad gas, you won’t bicycle well if you don’t eat properly.

Many of us skip meals or eat on the go. As a result, what we put in our mouths is often a matter of convenience, not of good planning. Such improper habits cause energy loss, leading to poor mental and physical performance.The world of nutrition exists to help us make the right food choices.

The nutritionist’s graph of choice is the Food Guide Pyramid. This helpful tool can assist you in eating the right amounts of the right foods. First, some history. Then, the details.

Nutritional guidelines used to be shown as a pie chart consisting of The Basic 4: fruits and vegetables; meats; grains and dairy. In contrast, The Food Pyramid looks like a triangle. Keep in mind that as one moves up the pyramid, the number of recommended daily servings of a particular class of food will decrease, just like the sides of the triangle narrow to encompass less and less space.

At the base of the triangle and representing the largest area are breads, cereals, rice and pasta. Also called carbohydrates, this group is our primary energy source. Recommended daily servings are from six to 11.

The next higher pyramid level contains two kinds of food -- fruits and vegetables. Both are rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber. They play important roles in regulating metabolism, which is the body’s energy conversion process. Recommended daily servings of fruits are from two to four; of vegetables, from two to five.

Still two categories remain as we near the top of the pyramid. Milk, yogurt and cheese belong to the group that boasts calcium and vitamin D, among other important nutrients. Recommended daily servings are from two to three. Just above the dairy section sit meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs and nuts. You probably know that protein is the big player in this group. Two to three servings per day from this section will aid muscle repair and regeneration.

Atop The Food Pyramid rest fats, oils and sweets. As fond as our palates are of these luxuries, it is a fact that much of our requirement for them is satisfied from foods in other categories. Use sparingly.

At this point you’re probably asking, "Why the range of recommended servings?" and "Exactly how much is a serving anyway?" Read on.

The number of recommended servings varies so significantly (i.e. from six to 11 for carbohydrates) because guidelines encompasses a large spectrum of people -- from women, to men, to children. Generally, each population subgroup metabolizes food at a different rate. Also, the amount of vitamin and mineral people need depends on whether they are male or female and on their age.Finally, how many calories a person burns, and therefore needs, depends on activity level.

The amount of food in a serving is not necessarily how much your serving spoon delivers; and the amount you eat at one meal may constitute more than one serving. For example, the guideline for carbohydrates is six to 11 servings. In this group, one serving equates to a slice of bread or to a half cup of cooked rice. So, eating a turkey sandwich provides two carbohydrate servings and some protein from the turkey. Or take a hamburger. Guidelines call for from two to three servings of protein a day. Realize that many restaurants serve half-pound hamburgers, which equate to 2 1/2 servings (the entire daily requirement!).

Good nutrition is a matter of balancing caloric intake and expenditure while eating a variety of good foods. If you exercise regularly, you might get to eat more with less weight gain than someone similar to you in stature and age who is sedentary. Keeping your fluid levels "topped off" is also very important to your cycling performance. When cycling, always remember to drink before you are thirsty and eat before you are hungry.

If you meet The Food Pyramid guidelines, you are doing a good job. Your bicycle’s engine should hum along beautifully. Bon appetit!

Pamela Barrett is a physical therapist, certified athletic trainer and the 1998 USCF Category IV Wisconsin Cup Champion.