We all like to be in our comfortable bubble where everything is good. That is how I am regarding my stage racing diet. It has been worked out over the years and has served me well. So it was with some distress that I read an interesting article on a news feed that had some negative implications for my stage racing nutrition management plans. The premise of the article was that the caloric density of nuts may not be quite as high as previously reported. In fact it may be about 25% LOWER than published! Some makers of snack bars are even lowering their calorie count on their products because of these results.
According to the article, studies have been ongoing for years that indicate that raw nuts (and almonds in particular) are not fully digested, and some of their associated calories pass through our systems. A typical serving of almonds originally thought to have 170 calories may be more in the 130 calorie range.
But there is hope. It was found that grinding and cooking helps to break down cell walls thus releasing more calories for digestion. So roasted almonds are better than raw almonds, and ground almonds (ie almond butter) is the best at delivering calories. The butter makes almost all calories available for digestion.
So if you are living on the edge at 2,000 calories a day, it may be advisable to reconsider how much nuts play into your plans!
Ultra Stage Racing 