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The Best Supplements For Cycling
When it comes to supplements for cycling, the world of nutrition can be a confusing one to navigate. Cycling is a sport that encompasses a vast array of different activities – road cycling, mountain biking, BMX, to name a few – and there are a multitude of ways you can support your performance to prepare for a race, or to achieve your own personal cycling goals.
It’s always important to maintain a healthy, balanced diet as an athlete, ensuring to remain hydrated at all times. However, to get the most out of your ride, you might want to consider taking extra supplements in order to give your body what it needs most.
Should you try cycling supplements?
If you often find yourself hitting a wall half-way through your cycle, or you frequently fall to the back of the pack, lagging behind your fellow cyclists, you might want to consider trying cycling supplements. Regardless of the type of cycling you do, you need to fuel your body with athleticism in mind. Taking the right supplements alongside a balanced, nutrient-rich diet can enable you to reach new heights when cycling.
Do cycling supplements make you faster?
Supplements in general won’t make you cycle faster. You can obtain most of the essential nutrients that you need to be a fast and healthy cyclist through a nutrient-dense diet. However, ensuring that you meet your daily requirements of particular vitamins and nutrients can give you well-needed support, helping overall to increase your performance and, subsequently, your speed.
Do cyclists need supplements?
Cyclists don’t need supplements, but individuals in general can benefit from them and this can subsequently enhance your cycling performance. The best performance enhancers are nutrition, training and sleep. No supplement will turn you into a world champion overnight, but they can give your natural nutrition intake some support.
What supplements are good for cycling?
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is an essential vitamin for immune function. By far the best source of vitamin D is the sun, from which we can absorb the nutrient naturally through our skin. However, in the winter months, this can be harder to come by.
Without enough vitamin D, you can feel tired more quickly. So, boosting your vitamin D intake will enable your muscles to recover at an appropriate rate, ensuring you get the most out of your cycles. Additionally, vitamin D is also beneficial in helping our bodies to absorb calcium, another vital ingredient.
Iron
Athletes in general can have a tendency to become iron deficient. Iron is a key component of haemoglobin, which is a protein within red blood cells that carries oxygen around our bodies. Easily lost in sweat, an iron deficiency can leave you feeling lethargic and fatigued.
Found in lots of fruit and veg but difficult for the body to absorb, taking an iron supplement can help to increase your levels. Multivitamins will usually contain some iron, so you might find you don’t need to take a separate supplement unless you have had this recommended by your doctor.
Fish oils
Fish oils are another supplement to support your general health, and are recommended for everyone, not just for cyclists. Omega-3 fatty acids have been linked to healthy inflammatory processes, brain health, heart health, and good vision.
You can get omega-3 from eating fish or by taking a daily capsule. There are even vegan omega-3 supplements, offering all the same health benefits that complement your dietary requirements.
Collagen
Collagen is the body’s most abundant and important protein. This is a protein that helps cells within your body to anchor to one another. Supplementing collagen can support your joint health and it’s also great for the skin and your hair.
Collagen can be naturally ingested through bone-based foods like broths or meat on the bone. You can find plant-based sources of collagen in berries, leafy greens and pumpkin.
Calcium
Like iron, calcium can be lost easily through sweat. A lack of calcium can encourage frail bones, which isn’t ideal when mixed with a sport like cycling that has a risk for crashing. A calcium supplement can help to strengthen bones.