The feed zone – Nutrition Q&A with Monique Ryan

By Monique Ryan

Monique Ryan is the nutrition columnist for VeloNews and Inside Triathlon magazines and is founder of Personal Nutrition Designs, a consulting company based in the Chicago area. Ryan will try to answer selected questions each Wednesday in her regular on-line question-and-answer column.

Readers are welcome to send questions directly to Ryan.

Dear K;
HMB is short for ß-hydroxy-ß-methylbutyrate. It is mainly marketed to strength and power athletes, and perhaps marketed asa weight loss product. It is not actually a nutrient, but is produced in small amounts when the amino acid leucine is metabolized. You actually only produce about 0.2 to 0.4 grams of HMB daily. While natural, I don’t recommend HMB supplements to anyone at this time.

My decision is based on the fact that currently there are not enough well-controlled research studies in humans to support use of this product. Many of the earlier studies were done with animals, and some of the human studies have only been published in abstract form. Some of the published human studies did not control the diet in the experiment, which can have a significant impact upon muscle building and body composition in conjunction with weight training. One well-controlled human study found no performance enhancing effect from HMB supplementation, but also found no side effects with eight weeks of supplementation. Studies that focused on weight loss and HMB also included a low calorie diet. Based on the lack of supportive data, and the side effect of bloating which you are experiencing, I would recommend that you stop use of this supplement. — Monique

Just how much fat?
Dear Monique;
Everybody says cyclists should eat a high protein, high carbohydrate, low-fat diet. Obviously a rider’s caloric needs vary with body composition and training schedule, but is there a general rule of thumb determining how much fat and protein a cyclist should eat? — CM

Dear CM;
There are some general rules, but of course there is always more benefit if recommendations are individualized. Your carbohydrate intake should be the most tailored to your training. For both your carbohydrate and protein intake, try not to focus as much on the percentage of calories they provide, but rather grams per pound of weight. Consuming an adequate number of grams per pound will ensure that you have optimal recovery. When you go for those long rides of 3 or more hours at moderate to high intensity, you should strive over 4.5 grams of carbohydrate per pound. At 90 minutes to less than 3 hours of riding, 3 to 4.5 grams per pound should work. For easy rides not lasting more than a couple of hours, try 2 to 3 grams of carbohydrate per pound of weight.

Your protein needs also increase with hard training days. However, it is really very simple to reach even these higher protein needs with good food choices, and not nearly as challenging as reaching higher carbohydrate amounts. Generally, your protein requirements range from 0.45 to 0.9 grams per pound of weight. Most Americans consume these higher amounts regardless of their exercise level!

Your fat intake should be adequate to provide your diet with flavor, essential fatty acids, and replace muscle triglyceride stores. Once your day’s carbohydrate and protein needs are met, you can complete your intake to meet calorie needs with fat. Generally, you should consume 0.5 g fat per pound of weight or higher.

To provide an example, a 160-pound. cyclist who rode for two hours may require about 3800 calories. This could be broken down as follows: 560 g carbohydrate (60 percent calories), 128 g protein (13 percent calories), and 115 g fat (27 percent calories). — Monique

FILED UNDER: Coaches Panel TAGS: Training