Advantages of eating foods high in fat

Traditionally, the cyclist is an athlete glued to a plate of pasta. It has been this way almost since the beginning of this sport and it continues to be so because carbohydrates are a good source of quick energy that allows you to keep the tanks always full to keep pedaling.

But new trends, based on scientific evidence, invite cyclists to increase the consumption of healthy fats to get all the necessary energy from them. What are the advantages of a high-fat diet for cyclists?

Benefits of consuming foods rich in fats 

As always when we deal with these types of nutrition topics, the first thing is to warn you not to make drastic changes in your diet and no matter how small they are, consult with specialists before taking any step.

1.Your fuel tank is much larger

Our body uses a mixture of glycogen and fat to transform it into energy, the problem is that most of us are used to using glycogen as the main source and as soon as the reserves run out (about 90 minutes of exercise +/- 2,000 calories) we can suffer the dreaded bonk if we do not manage to take carbohydrates.

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On the other hand, if we manage to adapt our body to consume fat and use it as an energy source (this must be done very gradually and with the follow-up of a professional) we will have around 80,000 calories to consume. As you can see, the difference is very substantial.

2.It will help you lose weight

At the moment your body "learns" to use fat as fuel you will start to lose weight. In addition, foods rich in fat are more satiating and will make you eat less.

3.You will recover sooner

A diet rich in healthy fats includes foods with more proteins and nutrients than one based on carbohydrates. So your muscles will be able to rebuild sooner and you will feel that you recover much sooner from great efforts.

We repeat that having fats as a source of energy for pedaling requires patience and knowledge, so we recommend again that you consult with a nutritionist the best way to do it. There is no doubt that fat can be the next star of sports nutrition and there are already brands that are marketing products, like these fat capsules, which offer a large amount of energy to take on the bike, which other products like gels or bars do not reach.