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The
book, "The Female Cyclist: Gearing Up a Level",
written by Gale
Bernhardt, has good information for men too.
An
exerpt about calcium from the book follows:
Calcium
In several chapters thoughout the book, I've mentioned
the importance of calcium in the prevention of osteoporosis.
The current recommendation is to consume somewhere between
1000 and 1500 milligrams of calcium daily.
In order for calcium to be well-absorbed
protein, Vitamins C, D, E, and K all play a role. Several
of the minerals also play important roles in calcium
absorption. For example, too much magnesium and/or phosphorus
(found in many soft drinks and processed foods) can
inhibit the absorption of calcium. Just supplementing
the diet with calcium isn't the cure-all.
Weight-bearing exercise also plays an important
role and more is not necessarily better. Even men, who
seem to be less prone to bone loss, can suffer when
exercise levels are excessive. One study found Tour
de France racers had bone mass densities between 10
and 17 percent lower than those of age-matched counter-parts.
One might conclude that cycling is not a weight-bearing
exercise and attribute the loss to cycling.
Not so fast. A second study on University of Memphis
male basketball players found they were losing about
3.8 percent of their bone mass from preseason to midseason
of a single year. Bob Klesges, the head scientist,
determined the ballplayers were losing substantial amounts
of calcium in their sweat. He concluded this by collecting
the sweaty T-shirts of the players and carefully wringing
out their contents to be analyzed. He found the players
gained back some of their bone mass during summer, but
that 1.1 percent wasn't enough because they lost an
additional 3.3 percent when practices resumes, total
losses now at 5.8 percent. With supplemental calcium, they were able
to regain the losses.
In summary, try to get 1000 to 1500 milligrams
of calcium from your diet. An example calcium source,
an 8 ounce glass of milk contains 290 milligrams of
calcium. If you are not getting enough, consider a supplement.
Perhaps you don't have to consume a supplement every
day, only on the days when your food consumption doesn't
match the recommended requirements. The superior supplement
is calcium citrate malate, found in many juices.
On average people absorb 35 percent of
the calcium in calcium citrate malate, compared to 30
percent of the calcium in other supplements. Currently,
only General Nutrition Centers are licensed to make
tablet-form supplements containing calcium citrate malate.
The
book, "The Female Cyclist: Gearing Up a Level",
written by Gale
Bernhardt
Perfect for the
woman cyclist who enjoys cycling for fitness and wants
to improve her riding skills and achieve higher goals.
Includes special chapter on bike fit, as well as detailed
programs for blending cycling and training, women's
health and nutrition, and tips for making cycling more
comfortable. Great information for male cyclists, too!
• 240 pp • Paperback
The Female Cyclist P-FEM Regular price: $16.95
Gale has books
in stock, people can get an autographed copy by sending
a check for $20 to Gale Bernhardt, 2433 Logan Dr., Loveland
CO 80538. Please indicate if the signature should be
addressed to someone special (and a bit about that person)
or if you simply want a signature. If a signature isn't
important, you can link to Velogear at http://www.velogear.com/velogear/femcycgearup.html and get one sent immediately.
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