Cycle for Survival

Cycle for Survival is a fundraising event to raise money for rare cancer research through Memorial Sloan Kettering. My sister-in-law put together a team to participate in this amazing event since she has battled a rare cancer called sarcoma (thankfully she is doing great!) and fortunately I was a member of this team. A special thanks to Laurie for her effort and passion in building our team of Laurie's Laughter. Our team raised about $7,000 and the total NY event raised $2.2 million. The event took place at Equinox gym and was a 4 hour event consisting of 4 spin sessions. With the music pumping throughout we all pushed ourselves physically to represent either ourselves or our love ones who have battled one of these diseases. In essence, I guess these fundraising events that are based on a strenuous physical task are to symbolize the battle many people fight to rid the cancer from their body. I was thinking about all the different fundraising events such as AIDS walk, the breast cancer runs, walk for mental health, etc. and wondering why all these events were based on a physical tasks. As I was becoming physically exhausted as I cycled against the resistance to reach the top of the metaphorical hill the symbolism became clear. In life, when we face any struggles with health there are both physical and emotional barriers that challenge us. At times it may be easier to give up but I think most people really find the passion to fight which is admirable. In the end, no matter how many people we have behind us, our health is a personal issue.

When I completed my portion of the cycle event I walked into the cheering area. I use the word walk but it was more of a drag, my legs felt like jello. Anyway, the cheering area was filled with all types of food and beverages. There were your classic foot long sandwiches, bins of yogurt, sports protein bars, bottles of water, sports drinks, etc. Of course, as a nutrition blogger (ha!) I began thinking about what are the best types of food to eat before and after exercise. Since I wasn't entirely sure of the correct answer I reviewed some literature when I got home and learned some of the following information.

Prior to exercise it is best to eat/drink carbohydrates (fruit, juice, pasta, crackers...). This is because the body digests carbohydrates much faster than protein and prefers to use carbs as fuel. If you are going to eat protein prior to exercise it is advisable to wait at least a few hours to allow the body time to digest. If you exercise prior to the majority of the digestion process you are likely to experience cramps since blood will rush to the GI system for digestion rather than the muscles that need them during exercise. For some reason I use to think that working out on an empty stomach was better, however, this makes little sense since the body needs fuel for physical activity. Additionally, working out on an empty stomach can cause nausea and lightheadedness due to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Another important factor in preparation for exercise is hydration. It is crucial that the body has enough water stores during exercise to prevent hypotension (low blood pressure-with severe dehydration), cramping, lightheadedness, headaches. The body needs volume to perfuse the tissues and if this volume is low, as with dehydration, side effects will occur. I would recommend drinking about 16 oz. of water prior to exercise and sipping water throughout. I did this prior to the event yesterday and I think it definitely helped while I was "climbing that mountain" on the stationary bike.

As far as after the work out, back to the cheering area. After exercise a meal with a balanced mix of carbs, protein and fat is optimal. Carbs are useful to replace the energy stores (glycogen) that had been depleted during exercise. Protein is important to help rebuild muscle. The best beverage remains water unless the work out was more than 1 hour at which point a sports drink is useful to replete electrolytes. Based on these points a whole wheat foot long turkey sandwich would have been a great thing for me to eat. However, while I was there I figured this would have been less than optimal. Oh well, next year! Sports bars are also good post exercise but make sure to check the calories. The sports bars they had were more like a meal replacement, 440 calories, so unless you are actually using it as a meal replacement I think I would go with something with less calories.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the process of writing this blog for the last week or so. I have learned a lot by thinking about these various nutrition related issues. I have become more vigilant in my daily life as I search for new and hopefully interesting topics. I hope you as readers are learning and enjoying these entries. Please continue to pass the link on to your friends and family if they may be interested. Also, encourage them to sign up for email updates and as "followers." You can also comment at the bottom of each entry.