malnourishment on the long tour
 

Do any of the long distance touring cyclists out there suffer from the effects of malnourishment on your trips? Last year I did a 2,500 mile, four month tour of SE Asia and found travelling through rural Vietnam and Laos hard work due to a lack of nutritous food, noodle soup and bananas being the only thing available in some places. Apart from the loss of what little fat I had to start with the other effects were a deterioration of my eyesight and a weak bladder, both conditions got better a few weeks after getting home and eating some good food.
I would be interested in hearing of other people's experiences and how they deal with the problem on very long trips.

When my wife and I did a 6 month 5500 trip around India and Nepal we both lost a couple of stone by the end of the trip. We lost most in the south where found the food too spicey but basically we ate in the busiest cafes. We always avoided meat and bought bottled water and we never ailed at all. On other trips I have made to India I have gone down with Dehli Belly when eating western food prepared by the locals. I think it's always best to eat what and where the locals do.

Interesting question..
My wife and I just cycled from Canada to Panama and we definitely suffered.
We were eating a vegan diet at the time, and avoided spending money like our lives depended on it, so surely this had some sort of effect on our bodies.
But my wife in particular suffered throughout the trip, which is part of the reason we gave our bicycles away at the end of the trip.
We found her immune system was effected massively and she had a lot of health problems by the end. All good now, but it made for some difficult times. It´s just so difficult to eat enough food during the day to maintain the level of energy output, as I´m sure you know only too well.
I guess it´s such a huge tax on the body, which is why cyclists always seem to sport the most sought after body types and exude a picture of health :P

wish I had a soughtafter body - I've been pushing my 'treddly' around for about 4 months and have'nt lost a bit of fat....what's the secret? (hope its not starving yourself in the process)

I've put weight on in Africa, about a stone(14lb). I used to ride fast, touring is not fast. To get calories I ate lots of junk alongside balanced meals, too much by the look of it.


Gary
www.longbikeride.co.uk