How vegan diets can spur on performance, chicken and garlic rice to turbo-charge your rides, the lowdown on the Cambrian Coast sportive and the exploits of endurance cyclist Josh Quigley

BOOST YOUR PERFORMANCE IN THE SADDLE WITH THE LATEST SPORTS SCIENCE AND TECH FINDINGS

01 PLANT POWER

Even a temporary switch to a vegan diet during the cycling season can have a positive impact on performance, according to trials carried out on a pro rider. Cameron Jeffers, a member of the Ribble Weldtite cycling team, made the change for one month to chart how it would affect his wellbeing and performance levels.

As part of a Medichecks trial monitoring the changes to his body after embarking upon a vegan diet, Cameron found his iron levels increased from 29.6 ug/L to 53.1 ug/L over the month (low iron levels would be less than 15 ug/L while normal is 41-400 ug/L).

The 24-year-old rider from Preston also improved his cholesterol levels during the experiment. “If you’re an endurance athlete, we know your body needs a lot of iron,” explains Hamed Kamali, the sports scientist overseeing the trial. “Though it usually takes three months for major differences in biomarkers to appear, there were some subtle but significant differences after just four weeks.”

Cameron used a meal delivery service to provide him with legumes and fortified foods, which enabled him to increase his iron intake. “I was raised on a farm and have eaten meat since I was young, but I was interested to see if a plantbased diet could benefit me and my performance levels. I went into it with an open mind and found the transition quite easy.”

"If you're an endurance athlete, we k no w y our body needs a lot of iron”

“The biggest challenge in my profession is a lot of travelling. I visit service stations, which have very little in the way of plant-based food on offer.” For breakfast, Cameron substituted cow’s milk with oat milk, while some of his plant-based meals included sesame tofu stirfry, five bean curry and a pesto and potato pasta dish with nuts.

WHOOP DREAMS 02

A new piece of biometric tech used by elite riders to measure cardiovascular strain is gaining additional kudos for its ability to detect Covid-19. Irish cyclist Orla Walsh and the EF EducationNIPPO Cycling team are among those using the WHOOP system, which is designed to measure fatigue, calculate recovery (based on heart rate metrics) and recommend training levels.

After a user attributed their detection of Covid-19 to unusual feedback received from WHOOP, its creators, in conjunction with Australia’s Central Queensland University, discovered that the app’s Respiratory Rate function is also a useful early warning detector of Covid-19.

During the 2020 Tour de France, cyclists using the system reported being able to make effective changes to their recovery routine and achieving peak performance.

03 CRAMPING HOLIDAY

Give yourself a break from muscle cramps this summer by ensuring that you’re pouring electrolytes into your system every time you take on fluid.

A new study from the ECU School of Medical and Health Sciences reveals that drinking electrolytes instead of pure water can really help prevent muscle cramps. The condition affects around 60 per cent of cyclists, but researchers found that solely drinking plain water before and after exercise can make riders more prone to cramps.

In trials, researchers found that the electrical frequency required to induce cramps increased when people drank the electrolyte

water, but decreased when they consumed plain water. “This indicates that muscles become more prone to cramp by drinking plain water, but more immune to muscle cramp by drinking the electrolyte water,” lead researcher, Professor Ken Nosaka, revealed. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 04 CREATINE NEW PBS

Creatine, the amino acid found naturally in meat and fish, isn’t just great for increasing muscle size and strength. Research shows that athletes supplementing their diet with creatine for only a shortterm period (20g a day for 5-7 days) increase the phosphocreatine stores within the body, shown to improve performance in pursuit cycling. A review of 25 years of research into creatine’s use in sport highlights its ability to increase muscle glycogen stores, stimulate glycogen synthesis and boost

energy. More at tinyurl. com/y2kcamjn

05 RIDE FOR YOUR MIND

There’s plenty of evidence to show that cycling has been linked to improved mental health, but now recent studies also highlight a link between going for a ride and better cognitive function. An eightweek trial of 100 adults found that those who cycled – either pedal or ebikes – at least three times a week for at least 30 minutes each time recorded higher scores in postexercise tests for mental processing times and brain function. tinyurl. com/wm4xz34d

“A user attributed their detection of C ovid -19 to unusual feedback received from WHOOP”