A lot of training hours means a lot of food, but how do you keep your energy levels up when there are hours of cycling training, intensive skating training, various strength, inline skating and running sessions and many competitions on the schedule every week? In this blog a look behind the scenes at skating team Palet Vastgoedonderhoud and Elsemieke van Maaren shares her experiences with the use of sports nutrition.
Team Palet Vastgoedonderhoud has been one of the better skating teams for years, specializing in marathon skating. Of course, this success is due to all the sponsors and those involved with the team. BYE Nutrition is also an important partner for us as skaters. For several years BYE Nutrition has provided us with energy bars, energy gels, recovery drinks and supplements which are indispensable for an optimal sports performance.
During the summer season we are busy laying a foundation for the winter. The intention is that we train hard in the summer so that we can perform throughout the winter. At the end of January 2020 the Alternatieve Elfstedentocht Weissensee is on the program and for this we have been busy with the first preparations during the summer. For example, we have twice made a 200km bike ride where the focus was on food and drink.
For optimal performance, it is important to keep your energy level as high as possible.
BYE Nutrition's nutrition comes in handy here. We were on the road for over six hours and every hour I ate one or two energy bars from BYE Nutrition. The different flavors (coconut, cranberry and apple) provide a nice variety and makes eating the bars not monotonous. In addition to the bars, I drank a water bottle of isotonic every hour and endurance booster from BYE Nutrition for the last two hours. The last part of the 200km I took gels. The advantage of the gels is that it is drinkable and the taste of these gels is very pleasant. Thanks to these long bike rides, I know exactly what to eat during the ?chte 200km.??
By now the skating season has begun and the first competitions have passed. Depending on the competitions, the weekly training schedule is set up. When there are many races on the program, we train shorter and with a lot of quality. In quieter periods we make some extra kilometers on the bike. To promote recovery, I take the recovery drink from BYE Nutrition after training sessions to supplement protein.
I mix the recovery powder with soy milk and this creates a milkshake-like taste. Super tasty!
The first few months of competition consist largely of shorter marathons. Over 40 minutes we ride 80 laps on a 400 meter track. It is important to ensure sufficient hydration on the day of the race to prevent cramping. I myself make sure that there is a somewhat longer time between a large (pasta) meal and the race. Within 2.5 hours before the race I often eat pancakes, a BYE bar, a banana and a gel a few minutes before the start. That way I have enough energy to blast through 80 laps.
Normally, I am not a fan of sports nutrition because I quickly experience stomach pains and notice that it is unpalatable. The advantage of BYE Nutrition is that the sports nutrition is made of natural ingredients.
