Cycling and Nutrition

[KatzPajamas]

Enjoying biking for the fun of it, stress relief, and the exercise. Also trying to lose 30lbs by the end of 2011 or sooner. I know I need to eat properly or I won't have what it takes to ride fast &/or far. Any tips out there? or anyone know a thread that has covered the topic already? :cool:

[KnottedYet]

Pretty much just eat like you normally do. (assuming you're already eating a healthful diet)

Take lots of water and a good supply of snacks with you on rides. I like Clif Shot Blox and ziplock bags of cheddar cheese and pecans. Everyone has their own perfect fuel on the bike, it takes some experimenting but you will find yours, too!

I eat about every half hour or so while riding, and generally have something like a V-8 and some crackers and cheese after if I don't have a meal soon. Again, how often you eat during a ride and how much you eat is a very personal thing and it will take a bit of trial and error to find your own plan.

Better to bring too much food on a ride than not enough! :eek:

If you start having trouble, it can be well worth it to do a consult with a nutritionist. They can help you figure out what to eat and when during rides.

[ny biker]

This is an excellent book, and it includes advice on how to lose weight while fueling for endurance sports.

http://www.nancyclarkrd.com/books/sportsnutrition.asp

[bluebug32]

I think a lot of beginners make the mistake of thinking that they always have to eat and/or have a sports drink when they ride. If you ride for an hour, water is fine. Just eat a small meal or snack beforehand to fend off the post ride hunger pangs that can lead to junk food. I also find that when I ride often and do long rides, I need to eat more protein or I'll eat anything that's no nailed down. I always crave carbs, but try to pair them with protein and fiber-rich foods for post-ride meals. So far, so good. No weight gained, but some lost.

[TrekTheKaty]

I second the Nancy Clark book. Full of great info and recipes. I have three different versions because the recipes are so easy and yummy!

[Owlie]

An apple or banana with peanut butter makes a really good pre-ride snack. I take the shot blocks that Knot mentioned with me when I ride. I don't always break into them, and it's extremely unusual that I'd eat the whole tube, but it keeps me from digging into the emergency gel. They also don't really melt.

Just water and those shot blocks are fine for most of rides. I take a bottle of diluted sports drink if I'm riding far and/or it's really hot. For the most part, it's just what I normally eat, but I'm starting to find I need protein in the hour or so after I get off the bike, or I'll be eating everything I can get my hands on and then some for the rest of the day.

[goldfinch]

I second the Nancy Clark book. Full of great info and recipes. I have three different versions because the recipes are so easy and yummy!

I have mixed feelings about Clark's book. Over time I am leaning more towards the advisability of a lower carb diet (both complex or simple carbs) as one that keeps you less hungry and less inclined to develop insulin resistance. Clark is in the higher complex carb, low fat, moderate protein camp. But different things work for different people.

[Catrin]

As a type 2 diabetic (still considered this even though I've reversed it) I tend towards moderate carbs and those are complex. I have learned however, with the guidance of my dietician and doctor's guidance, that I really do need a good amount carbs before and during a ride. My rides are generally 2 hours and longer, and my body needs that energy. We do need a proper balance between carbs and protein to maintain good blood-sugar management - it isn't just about the carbs but how everything interacts.

On the bike my body uses the carbs for immediate use as energy, and over time I've learned how much I need for different levels of effort. I also tend to true hypoglycemia if I am not careful, so my situation may be different from others. It is true that there is no "one size fits all" in this department.

I suspect as I do more mountain biking that I will need to tweak this even more - I think this takes more energy than road riding.

[grey]

I usually eat an hour to 90 minutes before a ride. Most of my rides start early in the morning, so I'll have 2 eggs and a slice of toast. Sometimes I'll throw in a banana also.

Post-ride, I make a fruit smoothie of a banana, a cup of blueberries and one other fruit, blended with almond milk, then I just find some leftovers in the fridge.

I will say, I've been trying to stay vegan this week (detox from two weeks with family, eating out and eating things I usually do not) that I am eating A. Lot. I ate FIVE times yesterday, after a 50 mile ride!

[colorisnt]

I have been wondering about this as well. I keep coming off the bike and feeling tired and not wanting to eat but then waking up the next morning FEVERISHLY hungry! I don't eat a lot. I never have. I don't snack on anything unhealthy.

I am on a high protein, high fiber diet because of migraines and endometriosis with IBS. I just am having so much trouble right now eating enough to power my rides. I don't feel bad or even sore after rides, but I feel lethargic. People I am riding with are telling me I don't eat enough.

I can't have gu or most things because they have a lot of citric acid, which I am allergic to. My sister (the runner) says I need to eat a BIG meal in the 90 minutes post ride, but I just don't feel like it.

[OakLeaf]

Just do it. No one ever feels like eating immediately after a workout, but that's when you really need to eat. Figure out what your stomach will tolerate, that's got a good mix of protein, electrolytes and yes, simple sugars to quickly replenish muscle glycogen, and eat it within an hour of the end of your workout.

[marni]

This is an excellent book, and it includes advice on how to lose weight while fueling for endurance sports.

http://www.nancyclarkrd.com/books/sportsnutrition.asp

Selene Yaeger (fit chick bicycling.com) book Ride Yourself Thin has some excellent nutrtional and weight loss advice for bike riders.

[colorisnt]

Just do it. No one ever feels like eating immediately after a workout, but that's when you really need to eat. Figure out what your stomach will tolerate, that's got a good mix of protein, electrolytes and yes, simple sugars to quickly replenish muscle glycogen, and eat it within an hour of the end of your workout.

I'll try to eat quickly next time. Gah. I didn't end up riding because no one else wanted to do the long ride. I got invited to do one on Tuesday, though. I didn't feel like driving an hour to do a ride for 25 miles. It doesn't seem worth it and I thought it was just a bad omen. It's probably good that I DON'T ride because I have been feeling knackered since I woke up. Considering that I am riding for 3-4 hours and burning close to 3000 cals, I am in NO WAY eating enough. I was eating about 1600 cals a day, but that will not cut it.

I should listen to my sister and just eat and eat some more when I plan on doing a big ride the next day and right after my ride.

[Catrin]

.... I was eating about 1600 cals a day, but that will not cut it.

I should listen to my sister and just eat and eat some more when I plan on doing a big ride the next day and right after my ride.

If you are not taking in enough, and you are not on your long ride days, then your body will start using things for energy that you don't want it to use.

After working this very same thing out with my dietician and doctor, though I do keep track/record what I eat - I don't really include the calories I consume right before, during or just after a long bike ride in my daily totals. This is actually less of a problem for me this year as I am not trying to ride 150,000 miles in one season like I tried last year :o but following this rule on my long ride days has helped greatly. I am no longer tired afterwards - and if I am it passes within an hour or so.

[bluebug32]

Considering that I am riding for 3-4 hours and burning close to 3000 cals, I am in NO WAY eating enough.

This number sounds pretty high to me. How fast are you going? How are you calculating this?

[colorisnt]

I am going about 15-18 mph average. I take breaks to eat/drink (which is why it takes me 3-4 hours to do that much), but on average, I am easily between 15 and 18 mph. This last ride, I was around 15.2 mph average. On shorter rides, I have a higher average. I am calculating it on livestrong.

[marni]

I have to agree that that average sounds suspiciously high. The highest calorie burn I have ever done was on a cross country ride where I averaged 15 mph overal and climbed in the rockies. On the one 90 mile day of climbing and descent I topped out at 350 an hour for the 6 hours of the ride.

I wear a body bugg which measures sking galvanic response, skin temperature and heart rate. I am also 63 years old which means that my metabolism is some slower than younger riders, I weigh 137 pounds.

I tend to think that most of the generic charts are notoriously over on most things. Even on the machines in the gym, their perceived calorie count based on pulse rate as measured through the hand grips is about 50% too high for me.

Not sure how you can adjust other than just take your purported calorie burn, divide it in half and take that as the calories you can legally replace with food. Even on the body bugg, I aim for a 500 calorie daily deficit, just to accommodate perceptual differences.

Just wondering if you might be overestimating yourself. If you aren't trying to loose weight, it probably doesn't matter but......

marni

[colorisnt]

No, that makes me feel better because there is no way I am going to be able to eat that much!

I am trying to lose weight (slowly), but I am not trying to kill myself to get there. I have lost about 15 lbs in 6 weeks, which is healthy.

I know I need to eat something healthy when I am hungry, but I have never consistently ridden this many miles before and have no clue how to deal with it. I know I need to eat more when I get back and need to eat more carbs, but I need to be smart about it!

[marni]

buy some good quality protein meal replacement powder, mix the suggested amount with half milk and hal high protein greek yogurt, throw in a cup a fresh fruit, or a scoop of cocoa powder and some instant espresso coffee, mix in a blender and drink. Coffe and chocolate and milk are very restorative, fruit and greek yogurt are da bomb. Plus it is cold, refreshing and gives you a good start on liquid replacement as well.

marni

[OakLeaf]

Coffe and chocolate ... are very restorative

I did just read something that said that a bit of caffeine enhances glycogen being put down in the muscles. If you can do caffeine at the time of day your workout ends, that's not a bad idea.

I say keep it simple though. After the longest hardest workouts is when I most need a good recovery snack, and it's also when I'm least inclined to putter around the kitchen prepping fruit, messing around with multiple ingredients, and assembling a blender. If what you most want when you walk in the door is to jump into your ice bath, then put on your compression stockings and put your legs up for an hour, then pile up a 2-3 ingredient recovery snack onto a plate and take it to the couch with you.

[Catrin]

buy some good quality protein meal replacement powder, mix the suggested amount with half milk and hal high protein greek yogurt, throw in a cup a fresh fruit, or a scoop of cocoa powder and some instant espresso coffee, mix in a blender and drink. Coffe and chocolate and milk are very restorative, fruit and greek yogurt are da bomb. Plus it is cold, refreshing and gives you a good start on liquid replacement as well.

marni

hmmmmm, this sounds interesting. I've rarely done anything more complicated than chocolate milk and chips, or a banana or something. I need to start forcing myself to get out in hotter temps since this heatwave isn't going to end soon.

[colorisnt]

Marni and Oakleaf,

I am a huge espresso and chocolate milk fan! My sister said that chocolate milk is the best recovery drink (she hates milk, but does it anyway). And greek yogurt (chobani 2%) is ADDICTIVE. I eat at least one of them a day if not two - one as a "treat". Good to know there is some evidence there haha!

Oh how I love dairy. And since I am on a high protein diet and allergic to most legumes, I have to eat a great deal of it. I get plenty of calcium a day!

What I need to work on is a bit of carbs.

[spokewench]

I have been wondering about this as well. I keep coming off the bike and feeling tired and not wanting to eat but then waking up the next morning FEVERISHLY hungry! I don't eat a lot. I never have. I don't snack on anything unhealthy.

I am on a high protein, high fiber diet because of migraines and endometriosis with IBS. I just am having so much trouble right now eating enough to power my rides. I don't feel bad or even sore after rides, but I feel lethargic. People I am riding with are telling me I don't eat enough.

I can't have gu or most things because they have a lot of citric acid, which I am allergic to. My sister (the runner) says I need to eat a BIG meal in the 90 minutes post ride, but I just don't feel like it.

There are some good post ride recovery drinks out there - some are almost like a shake, with your dietary concerns you would have to look at all teh ingredients and make sure it will work for you, but this is an easy way to get calories in - and you drink it so it even if you don't feel like eating maybe you can deal with drinking your recovery immediately after your ride. If you can't find a recovery drink, try chocolate milk, or regular milk; with some nuts.

[colorisnt]

Spoke,

Yeah, I am thinking I will need to start making some shakes.

No nuts, though. I have recently developed some pretty serious nut allergies - esp. almonds, so I am trying to avoid all nuts (despite my love for hazelnuts!).

[TrekTheKaty]

I have been wondering about this as well. I keep coming off the bike and feeling tired and not wanting to eat but then waking up the next morning FEVERISHLY hungry! I don't eat a lot. I never have. I don't snack on anything unhealthy.

I am on a high protein, high fiber diet because of migraines and endometriosis with IBS. I just am having so much trouble right now eating enough to power my rides. I don't feel bad or even sore after rides, but I feel lethargic. People I am riding with are telling me I don't eat enough.

I can't have gu or most things because they have a lot of citric acid, which I am allergic to. My sister (the runner) says I need to eat a BIG meal in the 90 minutes post ride, but I just don't feel like it.

You might go over to celiac.org and check the symptoms. Many celiacs are misdiagnosed with IBS first.

[colorisnt]

Trek,

I've actually never thought about that, but since I went low carb, I haven't had so many issues. I guess I will ask my doctor about that when I go back.

[Ritamarie]

I think one can easily overestimate how many calories are needed and end up gaining, not losing.

I always bring one more bar than I think I need on every ride. The worst thing that can happen is to get caught out without enough fuel to get home. It doesn't mean I have to eat it. I almost always come home with the extra bar, but a few times it has saved my ride, or someone else's ride. I find I need about one 180 calorie bar for every 20 miles plus a light good quality sports drink in my bottle.... one bottle every 20 miles as well.

Within 30 minutes of completing my ride I drink a recovery drink... usually whey protein blended with milk and some frozen fruit and a couple of extra vitamins for good measure. This not only fuels my recovery, but keeps me from eating everything in sight. Cycling stimulates my appetite. Protein satisfies my cravings.

After the recovery drink, I return to normal eating habits. I reward myself in other ways... usually I sit down with a good book and a cup of hot coffee for a half hour.

[featuretile]

I think I was also overestimating what I needed to eat on a ride. I have been tweaking it constantly. I found that putting electrolytes in my water bottle kept me from tiring out with less food. It must be all the salt that we lose in sweat. I keep whole wheat pretzels as a small snack, and a granola bar or energy bar as emergency food. But the thing that works best for me is half a PBJ or peanut butter and banana on whole wheat. I eat that while everyone else is eating pie... at the break spot. It's a lot less calories than pie. But not as much fun.

For breakfast I eat oatmeal with fruit, flax seed and a little protein powder mixed in, with a little milk.

When I get home I eat yogurt (plain or Greek) with cut up fruit or a smoothie with similar ingredients plus ice.

If it is lunch time, I really prefer two eggs and a piece of toast and fruit. And a cup of coffee. My reading says you need some protein after a long ride of over 2 hours. These things seem to digest easily (for me) and don't have too many calories (or points).

[TrekTheKaty]

Also a fan of chocolate milk as a recovery drink. Smoothies are better, but I'm lazy. I buy those Horizon organic individual chocolate milk packages. If a shot of espresso falls in there, all the better :D

Tweeked my eating on the bike this summer. For rides less than an hour, nuun tablets to replace electrolytes, but no calories. Longer rides, cytomax in my bottles and one Kind bar--the perfect mix of protein (nuts) and sugar (quick energy) for me. I also swapped sharkies in place of jelly bellys and I'm using gels again. I also set an alarm to remind me to eat every 45 min (I used to eat every hour, but sometimes i would still bonk at the end of a long ride).

Last 40 mile ride was camelback and 2 bottles of cytomax. Gel after first 45 min, then Kind bar, then sharkies as we headed for the car. Chocolate milk was waiting in the cooler when I finished. For the first time, I wasn't famished the rest of the day. Of course, it was hot, and I have to wonder if that hadn't affected my appetite, so I will repeat again this weekend.

[hulagirl]

This number sounds pretty high to me. How fast are you going? How are you calculating this?

Agreed! I went back and looked up my Metric Century Ride to check. I wore a heart rate monitor and burned 1300 calories in 3.5 hours for 56 miles. Average speed was 16mph so not really race pace, but not slow either (for me). Average heart rate was 123 which is low for me but not sleepy.

[KatzPajamas]

Interesting findings...Since I hop on the bike as soon as I get home, I have been eating a Payday bar that I pick up at our hospital gift shop as I am walking to my car at the end of the day. The bike rides with Payday onboard have been some of my best! I feel strong, have more stamina and able to pick up my speed without hardly trying.
My son who does body building suggested that I drink a protein shake and eat some grapefruit after the ride. He claims that the protein is needed for the muscles to build and recover after a workout, plus the grapefruit enhances the delivery of the protein to the cells. Don't know if it is actually doing all the stuff he claims, but it is refreshing and satisfying. :cool:

[blue_angel]

I am going about 15-18 mph average. I take breaks to eat/drink (which is why it takes me 3-4 hours to do that much), but on average, I am easily between 15 and 18 mph. This last ride, I was around 15.2 mph average. On shorter rides, I have a higher average. I am calculating it on livestrong.

You are definitely not burning 3000 calories in 3-4 hours at this pace. Unless you're going 4 hours at 18 mph and weight about 250 pounds... You are probably closer to burning 600 calories per hour.