Winter training doesn't have to mean settling for less. Learn how to fuel smart, maximize shorter indoor workouts, and build serious power this offseason with proven nutrition strategies and performance tips.
Getting key nutrients after training is critical to optimizing recovery from hard workout so you get full benefit from your workout and come back stronger for the next one. My latest recovery smoothie recipe includes the ingredients I’ve found to the most profound effect on decreasing inflammation and speeding tissue repair. It contains tart cherry juice, beet juice, plant-based protein, tumeric paste, cacao, and spinach amongst other fruits and vegetables.
Getting your nutrition dialed for cross race can be trickier than you might think. Races are relatively short, but they are also incredibly intense. The only thing I've encountered that comes close to their physical intensity are short-track mountain bike races, but even they are not quite as vomit inducing. Sprinting over barriers and up steep hills by foot as commonly encountered during cross races pushes the intensity level through the roof. You need glycogen stores to be at maximum to fuel these and other anaerobic efforts, but you also don't want much food in your stomach come race time. That is, unless you want to be distracted from going your fastest by burping up breakfast. It's not a pleasant feeling.
I used to fade super hard towards the end of a 1-hour cyclocross effort. Now, in my final laps I've been able to launch attacks and even sprint to the finish.
