Chapter 199 - 158 Outdoor Training, Extreme Speed
The morning indoor equipment training mostly focused on physical fitness and certain specialized training. To comprehensively improve technique, relying mainly on road cycling was essential.
At noon, they went to the cafeteria, where a professional nutritionist arranged their meals every day to ensure everyone received adequate nutrition. Food portions were allocated based on body weight.
Li Ang glanced over and thought the food looked decent, but not particularly appetizing.
Steak, salmon, shrimp, nuts, asparagus, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, with pasta and whole wheat bread as the main carb sources.
Lacking oil, salt, sugar—those soulmates of flavor—it was really difficult to make the food taste good.
Li Ang noticed there was even a small scale in the main food area, and basically, every team member would weigh their portion roughly when they took their carbs.
Being somewhat of a nutrition expert himself, Li Ang knew that for athletes, intake of sufficient carbohydrates was extremely important.
A high-protein, low-carb diet favoring meat over carbs for weight loss could, for professional athletes like them, hamper performances and yield negative results.
During high-intensity training, muscles depended more on carbohydrates for energy, which were also essential for maintaining muscle endurance and neural functions.
Compared to proteins and fats, carbohydrates can synthesize energy much more efficiently for athletes’ needs.
The brain’s primary energy source is blood glucose, and the most direct way to raise blood glucose levels is through consuming carbohydrates.
No matter how much energy is stored in the muscles, when blood glucose levels drop, the nerves become fatigued, the body feels tired, and once the nerves fatigue, the muscles do as well, so a stable blood sugar level is critical.