AUTHOR INTERVIEW: ALLEN LIM OF FEED ZONE PORTABLES
See the original post here.
Dr. Allen Lim is a physiologist, sports scientist, coach, nutritionist, and all-around endurance sports smart-guy. Lim is known for his work with professional cycling teams, his cookbook, and his company, Skratch Labs.
I had the opportunity of interviewing Lim twice in August of 2012. First, over the phone on Friday, August 24th, and next on the early morning of Saturday, August 25th, as he was preparing food for the riders of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. The text that follows below is an aggregate of those two conversations.
As a journalist, I appreciated Lim’s candid responses and quick follow-up – clearly this guy is passionate about his business, and has worked hard to make it grow so quickly. As an interested triathlete, it was the opportunity of a lifetime to ask questions for my own selfish desires. I, like untold numbers of our readers, have struggled mightily to figure out a nutrition plan that achieves the magic trio of sufficient fueling/hydration, no GI distress, and good taste.
Below, I’ll write the biggest ‘take-homes’ that I got from our conversations (some of which was spoken with the voice recorder off), and what I think may answer some of the most common questions of our readers. Of course, the standard disclaimers apply: I’m not a doctor, and I don’t play one on T.V…. be willing to test for yourself, and always wear proper eye protection. And – if you don’t want to listen to me blab, just skip to the interview part to hear it from the real expert.
1. Rely on simple, real food whenever possible. The shorter the ingredient list and shelf life, the better.
2. Race with the same foods and drinks that you train with. No eleventh-hour changes to the latest-and-greatest nutrition product (even to Lim’s own products).
3. Carbohydrate is the primary fuel needed for exercise. Protein and fat (such as bacon and eggs in his rice cakes) are there for taste. The X factor in triathlon is running – some people have difficulty dealing with the protein and fat on-the-run (but tolerance is highly individual based on ancestry and cultural adaptation).
4. The nature of long-distance triathlon racing forces a sub-optimal fueling plan upon the athlete. Even if it is not possible to follow a perfect plan, it doe goes a long way to optimize what you can – i.e. carrying what you can with you on the bike, using a ‘special needs’ bag, etc.
Read the rest of the interview here.