Energy Intake and Energy Expenditure of Elite Cyclists During Preseason Training

Abstract

In the last years, the interest in sport nutrition has increased. The purpose of this study was to quantify the nutritional status of eleven cyclists of a professional team (age: 28.7+/-4.2 yr; height: 181.0+/-4.2 cm; weight: 71.0+/-5.2 kg; body fat: 10.2+/-2.4%), during basic pre-season training. The athletes trained on five days (160 km per day) and respected one rest-day (33 km). The food of the cyclists, which was chosen by the riders themselves, was weighed and recorded for six days, the protocols were analysed through the PRODI 4.3 EXPERT database. The daily energy intake which averaged 13.5 MJ (59% carbohydrates, 19% proteins, and 21% fat), was compared to the mean daily consumption of energy (19.1 MJ), which was calculated from the basal metabolic rate and the energy turnover while training (directly measured through the SRM Training system). The daily energy expenditure was 30% higher than the daily energy intake. The analysis of the food diary showed that these experienced riders composed a carbohydrate-rich and low-fat diet by themselves as recommended for high-performance endurance athletes. When compared to nutritional guidelines, the composition of the diet in the present study can be considered as adequate.

Physiques that perform: The interaction between body composition management, performance and calcium homeostasis in female cyclists

“…In some cases, cyclists assume a GE of 25% (Vogt et al, 2005). Most power meters display work expended in kilojoules (kJ).…”

“…While racing EB is important for performance, particularly during stage races lasting several days or weeks, it is typical for body composition to be manipulated during periods of training. Similar to the protocol of Martin et al (2002) involving female cyclists, Vogt et al (2005) used SRM power meter data (assumed efficiency of 25%) and food diaries to estimate EE and EI during training.…”

“…Vogt et al (2005) observed 11 professional male cyclists during a six day preseason camp specifically designed to reduce BW. Energy intake was only 67% of their estimated EE and BW was reduced by an average 730 g. Similar strategies may be adopted by female cyclists.…”

“…Although some studies have used power meters to estimate the EE of professional cyclists Vogt et al, 2005) and several studies have measured GE during constant-intensity cycling (Chavarren and Calbet, 1999;Coyle et al, 1992), research is yet to assess the accuracy of estimating EE during variable intensity cycling that mimics cycling in the field. When the magnitude of EE is high, as it is for cyclists performing high volumes of exercise, subtle errors in estimates of efficiency applied to hours of mechanical work performed, can lead to substantial errors in estimated EE and misguide body composition manipulation strategies.…”

“…Previously, the human body has been estimated to be 25% efficient during cycling, and the mechanical work performed was simply multiplied by 4 to estimate EE (Vogt et al, 2005).…”