Carbohydrates are our main source of energy for carrying out physical exercise. Although they are defined as a fundamental nutrient for any athlete’s diet, whether amateur or professional, there is a great variety of theories about the moment to consume them: before or after training? Today we are going to solve it.

Why are carbohydrates so necessary?

First of all, it is important to understand why these macronutrients are indispensable in an athlete’s diet, despite their detractors.

The mandatory presence of carbohydrates in the daily intake is due to the benefits they offer:

• Provide energy to meet the increased energy demand.
• Optimise glycogen deposits.
• Favour muscle recovery after physical activity.
• Configured as a source of energy during training and competition.
• Quick and easy source of energy between meals to maintain blood glucose levels.

For these reasons, it is recommended that carbohydrates occupy between 55 and 60% of the daily caloric intake. This percentage is easy to achieve by averaging four daily servings of carbohydrate-rich foods.

Bread, cereals, milk and its derivatives, different types of pasta and fruit are examples of foods rich in carbohydrates that you can consume in the indicated proportion.

Carbohydrates: before or after training?

To be straightforward, it is best to consume carbohydrates before training. Different doctors and nutritionists consider this to be so. Why? The answer is simple. These foods provide a large amount of energy. If they are consumed before training, the muscles will use all that energy to perform the physical exercise at the highest level.

Basically, the idea is to provide the muscles with the necessary energy, not only so that they are capable of enduring the workout, but also so that they can do so while performing at the highest possible level.

However, this carbohydrate intake must come from complex carbohydrates (starches) and natural sugars instead of processed and refined sugars. 

Carbohydrates also after training

Although it has been pointed out that it is more appropriate to consume carbohydrates before exercising to provide sufficient energy, it is also advisable to ingest them afterwards.

The body has used up glycogen stores during physical exercise and it is necessary to replenish them in order for the body to function at its best. Within 40 minutes after training, experts recommend eating simple carbohydrates to provide an immediate source of energy substrate to the muscle cells so that they can begin an effective energy recovery.

What foods to eat after training?

In addition to proper hydration with water, isotonic drinks or fruit shakes, which we have already discussed at BKOOL, it is advisable to eat a large amount of protein and carbohydrates.

Some athletes opt for a quick digestion and drink drinks rich in carbohydrates. Other alternatives are fruit, rich source of simple carbohydrates, cereal bars or nuts. The latter are very nutritious options and ideal for recovering reserves.

Protein is also important for replenishing energy. Tuna, vegetables, yogurt or banana are some foods suitable for after training.

Some experts have indicated that the rate of muscle glycogen recovery is four times higher if carbohydrates and protein are combined than when either nutrient is administered separately.

Conclusions

There should be no doubt that carbohydrates should be part of your diet. Now, to organise your eating habits you must take into account what we have explained:

• – Before training: complex carbohydrates.

• – After training: simple carbohydrates and protein.

If you are going to do a long and intense training, it is also appropriate to include carbohydrates during exercise. Don’t forget to grab an energy bar before you get on the smart trainer and start your BKOOL session.

BKOOL is the most complete cycling simulator on the market, try it FREE for 7 days!

Recovering from an injury requires patience and time. In this situation, it is essential to resume sport progressively, getting back to habits gradually and without rushing. When dealing with such a recovery, the smart trainer and its customised training designs are the best companion, but how much smart trainer should I incorporate at this stage? Let’s take a look at it now.

First phase after injury

An injury, however slight, requires a recovery period to return to the sporting level previously maintained without running the risk of relapse. This return must be done carefully and calmly, being aware that an acceleration in training can set us back.

For the first few days, it is advisable to do basic exercises that are not too demanding on the muscles. For example, stretching, walking or even swimming are a good alternative.

Injury control, back on the smart trainer

After this initial contact, the duration of which will depend on the severity of your injury, you can get back on the smart trainer to continue your recovery. In this recovery phase, indoor cycling is the best alternative.

When recovering from an injury, the physical benefits of smart trainer are many: improving the cardiovascular rhythm, burning calories in less time and adaptating the muscles to more intense training.

The return to smart trainer, as we have already pointed out, involves a gradual return to a much slower and more controlled pace. It is important to point this out once again, as otherwise you may suffer a muscle strain or soreness.

How much time should be spent on the smart trainer when recovering from injury?

So, when recovering from injury, how long is it advisable to train on the smart trainer? If it is usually advisable to train for around an hour and a half -15 minutes rest-, the most appropriate thing to do in this situation is to reduce the duration to 30-45 minutes on the smart trainer, depending on how you feel.

The time depends mainly on your physical condition. The condition of your muscles, fatigue and post-workout recovery will guide you in this phase. However, if after half an hour of exercise you start to feel too tired or sore, don’t push yourself and stop. Forcing yourself to continue will only delay your recovery.

It is also essential to manage your breaks correctly. If this is important in a regular session, it is even more so after an injury. This is why the 15 minutes of rest can even be increased if necessary.

What level of intensity is recommended on the smart trainer?

In addition to the duration of the workout, intensity is another key factor in the recovery session.

Experts recommend knowing your own limit when cycling on the smart trainer. This advice should always be followed both in the design of training sessions aimed at improvement and progress, and in recovery sessions after an injury.

It is therefore essential to know how far we can go in the exercise without running the risk of re-injury. To do this, when returning to the smart trainer, it is common to reduce the intensity of the exercise. It is not necessary to reduce it too much, because then you will not achieve the results you want.

So, what level of intensity do I train at on the smart trainer? Design a session with the necessary resistance to exert force on the pedal, but without experiencing pain during the exercise.

You can programme intervals of increasing and decreasing intensity to test your progress. Alternate the intensities and you will find out how you are doing on the smart trainer. It is advisable to always start with a gentle warm-up – low intensity – and then continue with higher resistance. When your body asks for it, reduce the intensity again.

There is no specific intensity, it depends on the physical condition of each individual. However, the recommendation is to start lightly and then gradually increase the effort. Initially, introduce short peaks of intensity and then, as you get better, lengthen them.

Conclusions

Recovering from injury takes time and dedication. Progressing gradually and at a slow pace, oddly enough, will make you improve faster. Listening to your body and not forcing it is essential to avoid moving backwards or even making the situation worse.

Designing an injury recovery workout can be difficult, which is why at BKOOL you can count on advice and routines based on your fitness level. Get back on the smart trainer safely without worrying about taking risks.

BKOOL is the most complete cycling simulator on the market, try it FREE for 7 days!

High temperatures are undoubtedly one of the drawbacks when performing any type of sporting activity in summer, including those we do at home.

However, preparing for your training session correctly can help you deal with these summer conditions. That’s why today we’re going to give you some tips to get the most out of your training session on the smart trainer, without worrying about high temperatures.

Five tips for dealing with high temperatures on the smart trainer

1. Choose a cool and pleasant place in the house

Try to place your smart trainer in an area of the house that stays cool throughout the day. Choose the room where you will hardly feel the intense heat outside. 

If, for example, your house has a cellar or basement, this is an ideal place to place your smart trainer and do sport. These areas of the house stay cool all year round, as they hardly get any sun. 

In general, the living room is another area that withstands high temperatures quite well. This is because it is usually the largest room in the house and takes much longer to heat up than the rest of the house.

If you have a terrace, even a small one, you have the option of training there with your smart trainer as long as you do it in the less hot hours of the day. Ideally, you should do it either in the early morning or late afternoon.

2. Hydrate constantly

Hydration is a basic aspect when doing sports, regardless of the time of year. However, during summer this requires even more attention. It is important to keep yourself hydrated on a regular basis.

At BKOOL, we have talked on more than one occasion about the importance of hydration and the different types of drinks that we can have before, during and after training.

It is important that you should not only drink when you are thirsty. Ideally, you should drink a good sip of water every 15-20 minutes and drink between 500-750 ml in each session.

You can combine different drinks such as water or isotonic drinks, as well as having a fruit or vegetable smoothie after training.

3. Reduce the intensity of your workouts

High temperatures cause the body to tire earlier than normal, resulting in symptoms of fatigue and lack of oxygen. For this reason, it is recommended that under these conditions you reduce the intensity of your workout or the time it lasts.

Lowering the pace of training will allow you to finish the session without being excessively tired, being able to perform throughout the week at 100%.

4. Use a fan or air conditioner

If you have one of these devices, use it. They will help to keep your room cool over a longer period of time and you will not feel the heat during exercise.

However, do not blow the air too hard, as most colds that appear in summer are due to the excessive intensity with which air conditioners and fans are set.

5. Choose your sportswear wisely

It is important to choose carefully the clothes that you will wear whilst training. The purpose of sports jerseys and cycling overalls, among others, is to absorb sweat.

This type of clothing is made of hydrophobic fabrics which keep moisture away from the skin.

Therefore, try not to wear just any cotton T-shirt, as these are not prepared for sweat absorption, and not only will you feel hotter, but your skin will become irritated.

Conclusions

Plan your weekly training routine according to the temperatures which are forecast, taking into account the heat you will have to face. Follow these tips and stay hydrated both on and off the smart trainer and get on with your BKOOL training without the high temperatures being a major inconvenience!

BKOOL is the most complete cycling simulator on the market, try it FREE for 7 days!

Turning fifty is often associated with a reduction in physical performance in sport, but is this always the case? The passage of time can manifest itself in different ways, including in physical fitness, but can I enjoy indoor cycling past the age of fifty? Of course you can.

It is true that once you reach a certain age you don’t do sport in the same way, as there are more physical limitations. However, sporting performance also depends to a large extent on mentality. Those who have a more youthful personality and try to keep pushing themselves to the maximum, continue to get high quality workouts without age being an obstacle.

Perhaps you have wondered if after fifty you can continue to enjoy indoor cycling and the activities offered by BKOOL. This depends mainly on your mentality and your capacity for sporting demand. It’s inevitable to get older, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up sport and the desire to excel.

The way you age dictates your athletic performance

It is very common to hear comments such as “forcing so much is surely not good”, “at my age so much intensity is no longer good” and a long etcetera. However, these phrases are more of an excuse than a reality.

The factor that indicates how much sport we can do is not our age, but the way we age. It is true that turning fifty means starting to have certain limitations, but it all depends on how we are aging.

It is not the same to reach fifty years of age being overweight or having cardiovascular problems as it is to reach fifty years of age without having any health problems. Health, lifestyle, diet and sporting experience determine the way we age and, therefore, are the keys that determine sporting performance.

How to plan your training?

As we age, it is common to lose aerobic capacity. Therefore, this is an aspect that must be emphasized in training.  

It is advisable to perform high-intensity training, but without overdoing it. The appropriate thing to do is to adjust the loads and reduce the time of the intervals, always as much as possible adapted to our aerobic capacity.

For this work, an example of training is HIIT (High Intensity Training), as it is designed to work aerobic capacity and oxygen consumption. However, it is not an exercise to be performed constantly. The demand is high, so it should not be performed more than twice a week.

However, it is possible to perform an extensive training, an average of two hours, performed at intensities close to 60% of VO2Max. This type of exercise is essential for developing endurance in cycling.

In the case of the anaerobic threshold, it is best to push yourself less. It is advisable to work with short intervals of about ten minutes, reducing the number of repetitions and lowering the intensity.

Loss of muscle mass after fifty years of age

In the same way that aerobic capacity begins to be lost, muscle mass is also reduced. In cyclists over 50 years of age it is essential to include strength training in the routine. This will minimize muscle loss.

This training can consist of more specific exercises for cycling such as squats, presses or those that work the extensor muscles of the lower body.

The frequency of strength training can be two days a week for six to eight weeks with medium and high loads. In the following months, training with fewer sets and medium loads can be performed.

Conclusions

Enjoying indoor cycling past the age of fifty is a reality for many athletes who have not given up their hobby. The factor that determines physical performance is how you age, rather than your age, so don’t give up your training on the smart trainer.

The key is to train your aerobic capacity and include a strength routine to minimize muscle loss. Continuing to play sports helps you age even better, healthier and slower.

BKOOL is the most complete cycling simulator on the market, try it FREE for 7 days!