OS Performance Nutrition At OS Cycling we produce a full line of nutritional products for cyclists. Our products follow a "segregated periodized" diet recommendation to meet the different nutritional needs of cyclists depending on the event and the riding conditions. We have created a brochure to help you get to know us at OS Performance Nutrition. Send an e-mail to info@stealthcycling.com to request a copy of our brochure. OS Pre-Load: Pre-Event The hours before a race or training ride are critical. Your goal should be to top-off your muscle glycogen stores and start the event well hydrated. The process of carbo-loading should be avoided during the day of the event. It is too late and counterproductive to try to load your muscles with a big heavy meal a few hours prior to an event. Your stomach likely will take the next two hours or more working to digest the meal and if your event starts while you are still digesting, then your performance will suffer. A cyclist should keep a two-hour window prior to the event free of solid foods. This is to ensure complete digestion of the calories that you ingest prior to riding. A pre-race diet should contain water-soluble mix of carbohydrates and protein to top off your muscle stores for glycogen lost during sleep and or during the waiting period prior to the race. We created OS Pre-Load precisely for this purpose. OS Pre-load is a scientifically balanced 4 to 1 carbohydrate to protein mixture that when mixed with water provides a quickly metabolized source of pre-race fuel.
OS Sprint: On The Bike Now that you are on the bike, your body should have plenty of stored glycogen in your muscles and you should be well hydrated. The only thing that you will need to worry about during the first hour of riding is maintaining hydration. After one hour of hard riding and prior to finish of your event your body will start to become depleted of stored glycogen. If you do not replace the stored energy, then your performance will fall. We have created OS Sprint to restore your energy while on the bike. OS Sprint is a complex carbohydrate mix that is soluble in water, is quickly metabolized by the body to replenish muscle glycogen and on top of that it tastes great. OS Sprint is perfectly suited for short distance training rides and race events under 50 miles in length.
OS Endurance: What About Electrolytes What about electrolytes? Why didn't we talk about having electrolytes in OS Sprint? All of the other sports drinks and supplements have electrolytes. Well, our nutritional philosophy is that if your body doesn't need it then don't put it in there. Electrolytes are a very important part of a long-distance cyclists nutritional needs, however, sprint cyclists generally do not need added electrolytes. Your bodys store of sodium, potassium, chloride and magnesium are not significantly depleted if your cycling event is under two hours in duration. Therefore, we do not need to load OS Sprint with electrolytes. We give your body exactly what it needs and that is pure energy in the form of long chain, complex carbohydrates. However, if the event day is particularly hot, over 75 degrees Fahrenheit, and the ride is particularly long, over two hours, then you need to consider adding electrolytes to your nutritional needs on the bike. The more you sweat the more electrolytes become an important part of your diet. We created OS Endurance precisely for this situation. OS Endurance has the same high quality source of long-chain, complex carbohydrates as OS Sprint combined with electrolytes to meet your needs on a hot day of riding. We have created OS Endurance to restore your energy while on the bike. OS Endurance is a complex carbohydrate and electrolyte mix that is soluble in water, is quickly metabolized by the body to replenish muscle glycogen and maintains the body's essential electrolytes lost through sweat.
OS Re-Load: Off The Bike Post Event After the race or training ride, your body needs protein, carbohydrates and electrolytes to replenish the bodys depleted stores. This is especially important within the first hour after the ride. Drinking a balanced protein carbohydrate mix just after your ride will improve your recovery time and prepare you for riding again the next day. We created OS Re-Load precisely for this purpose. OS Re-Load is a balanced high protein, complex carbohydrate and electrolyte mix that is soluble in water or milk depending on your taste. OS Re-Load should be taken within the first hour after getting off of your bike for maximum benefit and fastest recovery. OS One Page Usage Summary: Performance nutrition is all about managing variables. Your body has difference needs depending on the conditions. To help you understand when to use which product we have created a product usage chart that can help you understand what you need and when. Send an e-mail to info@stealthcycling.com to request a copy of our usage chart. Life does not get much better than riding hard, celebrating your successes and sleeping well. That is what OS Cycling is all about, total performance. So, get on your bike, Ride hard! Replenish well! Drink OS! |
