Eating like a Tour winner with The Athlete's FoodCoach
When it comes to their dietary decisions, Team Jumbo-Visma riders take no chances. They eat exactly what they need to perform and recover optimally. They base their decisions on the recommendations of performance nutritionists and Team Jumbo-Visma partner The Athlete's FoodCoach.
Oatmeal pancakes for breakfast, banana bread for a snack, pasta salad for lunch, wraps for a recovery meal, and a big plate of risotto for dinner. Team Jumbo-Visma riders eat fresh, varied and calculated. During the season, every meal and snack is taken into consideration. Does it affect performance? The answer is simple: yes! For a rider who has to ride the Giro d'Italia or Tour de France, but also for the passionate amateur athlete who wants to appear top fit at the start of a (cycling) race. They can all optimise their diets and perform at their best thanks to the online platform The Athlete's FoodCoach.
It is impossible to imagine Team Jumbo-Visma without using The Athlete's FoodCoach. This platform offers each athlete specific dietary advice that carefully matches their physique, training regimen, competition intensity and goals. As a result, it provides every athlete with a firm foundation, structure and fresh perspectives.
"You can maximise your training and performance in races and speed up your recovery if you eat the appropriate foods at the right times"
"When we introduced the system, some athletes were somewhat skeptical”, says Martijn Redegeld, Head of Nutrition at Team Jumbo-Visma. "They didn't want the 'hassle' and didn't know exactly what results to expect. But now, all riders are taking advantage of it, and the effect is clearly noticeable. Studies have shown that the right nutrition can make a big difference in top-level sports, but we also experience it in daily practice. You can maximise your training and performance in races and speed up your recovery if you eat the appropriate foods at the right times. Meanwhile, we at Team Jumbo-Visma fully rely on The Athlete's FoodCoach. Additionally, most riders find it highly interesting and helpful to know the specific foods they should eat, when to take them, and in what quantities. It provides certainty and peace of mind."
Eva van Agt is one of them. The Athlete's FoodCoach was introduced to the Team Jumbo-Visma rider a few months ago, and she benefited from it throughout the Vuelta Femenina and other races.
Van Agt rode a successful edition of the Spanish stage race in May, winning the time trial with her teammates. "It was an eye-opener to notice how consuming the right nutrition helps me move forward”, Van Agt says. "Compared to last year's Tour de France Femmes by Zwift, I felt much stronger. Then I was empty after four days, whereas now I could keep going. Nutrition coaching is effective."
"It was an eye-opener to notice how consuming the right food helps me move forward"
While top athletes like Van Agt, Primoz Roglic, and Jonas Vingegaard frequently weigh their nutrition down to the gram during the cycling season, the Athlete's FoodCoach is now also introducing a low-threshold concept for the dedicated amateur athlete.
"We want to let them benefit from such a tool as well”, says Robert Jan Koens, director of The Athlete's FoodCoach. "We provide professional and - primarily - digital nutrition coaching through an app.”
Koens: "With FoodCoach, we assist motivated amateur athletes in establishing a foundation for a balanced diet and accomplishing their goals. We always base the advice on the user's wishes and circumstances. The user can enter them on the offset. What is the dream goal? What do the workouts look like? What exactly does the user need? How much time should food preparation take? Such an intake is important to get a good picture."
The app then provides the user with a personal nutrition plan. Users can track what they eat and when, with concrete meal options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner that are customisable to their preferences. They can now clearly identify which food products they need to consume to achieve optimal results. The user can get assistance from a nutrition coach to get started. In the Pro Coaching edition (for which you pay a fixed monthly fee), a nutrition coach is always on hand to answer questions and provide nutritional advice.
"Small adjustments are often beneficial for dedicated amateur athletes"
Koens emphasises that optimising a diet need not be difficult. "Small adjustments are often beneficial for dedicated amateur athletes. You can already make strides by taking one spoon more or less of what you typically consume. And trying a new recipe on a training day can pay off. It all comes down to choosing what suits and works for you. The Athlete's FoodCoach provides the tips and tricks for that."
"You can consider the programme as your nutritional cockpit. You are in charge”, Koens adds. "You won't become a top athlete right away with our assistance, but we do contribute to your performance." Fanatical? Full of ambition? Proper nutrition and the right diet can make a big difference. Just ask Jonas Vingegaard, Wout van Aert or Marianne Vos.
Want more information about The Athlete's FoodCoach? Have a look.
