Nutrition strategies for illness and injury in elite cycling 🤧
How to stay healthy and happy on the bike.
UCI Sports Nutrition Project: The Role of Nutrition in the Prevention and Management of Illnesses and Injuries in Elite Cycling
Study Details
This new review from the UCI Sports Nutrition Project outlined the current evidence on and practices of elite cyclists regarding nutrition for illness and injury 🔍
Here are the key strategies ⬇️
Key Findings
Skin Injuries / Wound Healing 🩹
🍗 Adequate protein (≥1.5 g/kg/day)
🥦 At least RDA/AI for key micronutrients → vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, selenium, copper
🧬 Collagen supplementation (1–12 g/day)
Sports-Related Concussion (SRC) 🧠
🐟 Omega-3 supplementation (2–4 g/day)
💊 Creatine monohydrate
⏱️ Loading: 4 × 5 g/day for 5–6 days
🔁 Maintenance: 2–5 g/day
⚖️ Alternative: 2–3 g/day (if concerned about weight gain)
Upper Respiratory Tract Infections (URTIs) 🫁
🍚 Adequate carbohydrate intake (~5–20 g/kg/day based on training load)
🍗 Adequate protein (≥1.5 g/kg/day)
🌞 Vitamin D + 🩸 iron where deficient/clinically indicated
💊 Zinc lozenges (≥75 mg/day)
🦠 Probiotics (Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium)
🍒 Short-term (1–2 months) high-dose antioxidants → vitamin C + polyphenols
Gut & Immune Interaction 🔁
⚡ Maintain fuelling strategies to support immune resilience
🚫 Avoid chronic low energy availability
Gastrointestinal (GI) Symptoms / Illness 💨
🏋️♂️ Train the gut (progressive carb intake strategies)
🥤 Maltodextrin + fructose blends if >60 g/h carbohydrate intake
🌾 Short-term low-FODMAP approach
🧼 Food hygiene + personal hygiene
💥 Sodium bicarbonate strategies
💊 Enteric-coated capsules
🔁 Split dosing
🧪 Hydrogel delivery
GI Support Strategies 🥤
🧪 Carbohydrate hydrogels
🧊 Cold drinks + ice slurries
🦠 Probiotics
Reference
https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ijsnem/36/3/article-p352.xml
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