Gaining weight after a long ride?

[Veronica]

I think it's really important to just experiment and find out what works for you.

I'm still trying to figure out what to eat before I go for a run. What I eat for a bike ride or a triathlon just doesn't work for a run.

Veronica

[AnnieBikes]

This is probably the BEST thread I have ever read on TE. Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to submit information. I have found it very hard to lose weight, too, but definitely have to eat on the ride. I also had a long ride in the first really good weather of the season. I have ridden a fair number of miles through the beginning of this season but nearly bonked with 45 miles on Saturday. I ate one bar..120 calories, and one bag of sport beans...100 or so, and one 22 oz. powerade, plus water. It was definitely not enough. I always have a chocolate mile right after the ride. It is hard for me to eat on the fly (the mechanics of it, not the eating!), but I do realize the importance of eating to keep going!

Anyway, it has been great to see all the other ideas that you wonderful women have given. THANK YOU ALL!

[katluvr]

I'll tell you what I eat, although it seems I don't eat *enough*: I eat muesli and some sort of protein bar before I start out on the ride. On the ride, we eat a variety of carbs: Shot Blocks, GU, Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwiches, Peanut Butter crackers, Fig Newtons. We also put Cytomax in our water which has carbs and electrolytes.

Riders -- how does this sound? What else is good to eat on a ride?

I am reading the Zone diet book. I have not yet started. Like most of the "protein" favorable diets it stresses protein AND carbs from fruit and veggies. I do like the way it discusses "pairing" and being sure to have protein w/ you carbs/fats.

The reason I am looking at the Zone is there are athlete and endurance athletes that use this. And I consider myself a "protein" girl. I feel better w/ protein type snacks and when riding. I use Accelerade for long rides. But when read what tctrek is eating..that is similar to what most of us do on the bike. Sure there is protein in peanut butter. But not sure it meets the ratio.
So this will be a learning curve--to do the zone on the bike.

The "need carbs" to ride (run, etc) is always a dilemma....just how many and do "we" (or me) in general over eat the carbs? (Just a rhetorical question).
I do worry that sometimes I restrict food on the bike...to save up for post ride and over eat later. I have ride this weekend...I'll see how I do!

Last question...anyone else tried or doing the Zone?

K

[jobob]

I think eating requirements ARE really different from rider to rider.

Yep. My husband calls me a hummingbird since I've found time & time again that I need to eat early & often, or suffer the consequences.

I for one think it's hilarious that the words "me" and "hummingbird" can be used in the same sentence.

[michelem]

Now that this thread has drifted more to the "what do you eat when training, and how often," I guess I'll throw in my two cents. It took LOTS of experimenting, but I find I do well with approximately 100 calories per hour, running or cycling. More than that and I get digestive troubles.

Everyone is different, but for me, when running I don't take anything in (calories or water) for anything less than an hour, or 8 miles. I take in a Hammer Gel and approx. 10-12 oz. of water for every hour over an hour, in approximately 20 minute feeds. I like to carry the gel in a flask and water separately so that I can quit taking in calories if my tummy starts feeling upset.

For cycing, I use Perpetuem (for some reason, I do really well with it cycling, but it give me the runs when running!). For a 4-5 hour hilly ride I'll mix two 24 oz. bottles with 1-2 scoops Perpetuem in each. If it's really hot I'll refill one of the bottles with plain water and drink some or all of that as well.

Like others have said, experiment and see what works for you.

[Veronica]

It's funny, I've got the "what to eat while running" down - water and Hammer Gel. It's that pre run meal that's getting me. I think it's that I can ride or swim when I've recently eaten. But for running, my stomach seems to prefer being empty. And I hate the idea of eating Hammer gel for breakfast.

Veronica

[indysteel]

I'm consistently an undereater on the bike. I might have part of an energy bar, a banana, a couple of Clif blocs or a few cookies every 20-25 miles but I otherwise don't each much. For rides under 2 hours, I usually don't have anything at all. For longer rides (century or more), I'll try to nibble a bit more and eat a more substantial lunch, but I don't think I come close to replacing my calorie expenditure. My appetite off the bike, however, is voracious. I call it "feeding the beast." If my blood sugar takes a dive, I barely recognize myself, I get so cranky. I keep something in my purse at all times just in case--under orders from my boyfriend.

I did find that my post-ride appetite is easier to control when I consistently drink chocolate milk immediately after a ride. I tend to agree that the carb/protein combination helps keep hunger in check and aids in recovery.

One thing I've consistently read is that cyclists sometimes overdo it with energy drinks--on and off the bike. So, if you're having trouble losing or maintaining weight, you might take a close look at how much you're drinking and whether water is sufficient for your shorter/easier rides.

[michelem]

It's funny, I've got the "what to eat while running" down - water and Hammer Gel. It's that pre run meal that's getting me. I think it's that I can ride or swim when I've recently eaten. But for running, my stomach seems to prefer being empty. And I hate the idea of eating Hammer gel for breakfast.

Veronica

Actually, Hammer recommends NOT eating any sooner than 3 hours before running, cycling, swimming, etc. I find I do much better when I follow this protocol.

THE PRE-RACE MEAL
How many times have you had a bite
(or more) from an energy bar, taken a
swig (or more) from an energy drink, or
eaten a meal just an hour or two before
taking your position at the starting line
of a long distance race? Big mistake!

Eating this soon before prolonged
exercise is actually counterproductive
and will hurt your performance. In the
sometimes confusing world of sports
supplementation and fueling, the
pre-race meal generates arguably the
greatest confusion, and many athletes
have paid a hefty performance price
for their misinformation. But really,
there’s no insider secret to the pre-race
meal, just some effective strategies and
guidelines. You need to know what to
eat, how much, and most importantly,
when. You also need to know a bit about
glycogen storage, depletion, and resupply,
and how to use that knowledge at
the practical level. This article supplies
all of the information you need, and I’ve
also included some suggested meals,
equally appropriate for workouts as well
as competition.
The pre-race meal goal
Assuming that your race starts in the
morning, the purpose of your pre-race
meal is to top off liver glycogen stores,
which your body has expended during
your night of sleep. Muscle glycogen,
the first fuel recruited when exercise
commences, remains intact overnight.
If you had a proper recovery meal after
your last workout, you’ll have a full
load of muscle glycogen on board, which
constitutes about 80% of your total
glycogen stores. If you didn’t re-supply
with complex carbs and protein after your
last workout, there’s nothing you can
do about it now; in fact, you’ll only hurt
yourself by trying. To repeat: during sleep,
your liver-stored glycogen maintains
proper blood glucose level; you expend
nary a calorie of your muscle glycogen.
You might wake up feeling hungry, and
I’ll discuss that issue later, but you’ll have
a full supply of muscle-stored glycogen,
your body’s first used and main energy
source. Your stomach might be saying,
“I’m hungry,” but your muscles are
saying, “Hey, we’re good to go!”
With only your liver-stored glycogen
to top off, you want a light pre-race
nutrition meal. Sports nutrition expert
Bill Misner, Ph.D., advises that a
pre-race meal should be “an easily
digested, high complex carbohydrate
meal of between 200-400 calories with
a minimum of fiber, simple sugar, and
fat.” That’s hardly what most people
would call a meal, but in terms of prerace
fueling, it’s meal enough. According
to Dr. Misner, fat slows digestion
and has no positive influence on fuels
metabolized during an event. He further
states that a high fiber pre-race meal
may “create the call for an unscheduled
and undesirable bathroom break in the
middle or near the end of the event.”
Complex carbohydrates & protein
One study found that athletes who
drank a pre-race meal consisting of
both carbohydrates and a small amount
of protein had better performances
than when they consumed only an allcarbohydrate
sports drink. With that
in mind, here are three pre-race meal
possibilities that would not only be
highly effective, they are quick and easy
to prepare as well:
• Sustained Energy which contains
both complex carbohydrates and soy
protein
• Perpetuem, which contains complex
carbohydrates, soy protein, and a
small donation of healthy fats
• A combination of Sustained Energy
+ Hammer Gel or HEED
If you do feel the need for solid food,
choose high starch foods such as
skinless potatoes, bananas, rice, pasta,
plain bagels, low fat active culture
yogurt, tapioca, and low fiber hot
cereals. You can find a few pre-race
meal recipes at the end of this article
that use these products.
The key - allow three hours or more!
Equally as important as what you eat
is when you eat your pre-race meal.
Authorities such as Dr. Misner, Dr.
Michael Colgan, and Dr. David Costill
all agree that the pre-race meal should
be eaten 3-4 hours prior to the event.
Dr. Misner suggests the athlete “leave
three hours minimum to digest foods
eaten at breakfast. After breakfast,
drink 10-12 ounces of fluid each hour
up to 30 minutes prior to the start
(24-30 ounces total fluid intake).” Note:
other acceptable pre-race fluid intake
suggestions can be found in the article
“Hydration—What You Need To Know.”
Three hours allows enough time for
your body to fully process the meal.

[shootingstar]

Seems my eating habits for cycling have changed over the years.

10 years ago, I used to cycle for 15-20 kms. with only 1 c. of juice or milk before eating something more.

Now for breakfast, I have 1/2 -1 c. of milky oatmeal and fruit or tea. Cycle fine for up to approx. 35 kms. which includes several long hills. Then I must eat something like a small bun or pastry or fruit plus drink something (coffee, natural juice). Before continuing onward for another 35-40 kms. After this segment must eat some more, approx. same amount of food as before or abit less. Depends on immediate availability. So a 75-100 kms. ride does mean about 3 little different snack times, with 1 of them being almost a light lunch-size. If I know I am starting off a long ride 4-6 hrs. long, that will not give me enough stopping time or there just won't be enough places to get proper food along the way, then I will eat a bigger breakfast. With 1/2-1 hr. pause afterwards before starting off on bike.

But I don't have any of the sport drinks, bars. Really, it's pretty rare for me to buy and carry granola bars around.

And I don't eat anything while I'm biking. I prefer not to. Would like to digest my food properly off-bike.

If it's cold weather, ie. today was several degrees F below freezing, then tend to eat abit more for breakfast with some warm food in tummy.

[Veronica]

Well, gee I guess my body knew what it was doing.

Sustained energy for breakfast... yummy.

Veronica

[ny biker]

Most of the time, my pre-ride breakfast is Eggo nutri-grain waffles. Lots of carbs, not too heavy, not a lot of fiber to cause GI issues.

For longer rides, I bring 1 packet of gu per 10 miles, plus 1 for good luck (I usually can't tolerate solid food during a ride.). For rides longer than 2 hours, I have one 20 oz. bottle of gatorade, otherwise I drink water. For really long rides, I have 2 bottles of gatorade plus water.

I read Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook back in 2001, and used that as a starting point for figuring out what and how much to eat.

Immediately post-ride, I drink orange juice. Other post-ride nutrition varies depending on where I am (home or in a parking lot somewhere), but I try to lean towards a mix of carbs and protein with not too much fat. Smoothies, cereal with milk, or a cheese sandwich are good. After a really hard ride I'll have Kashi Heart to Heart cereal, which has lots of antioxidants.

If I ride 60 miles or more, I treat myself to dinner at Five Guys (awesome cheeseburgers and fries).

By the way, re: Hammergel or other gel for breakfast, I used to know a guy who did lots of inline skating. For his pre-skate breakfast, he put vanilla gu in his coffee.

[shootingstar]

Dr. Misner suggests the athlete “leave
three hours minimum to digest foods
eaten at breakfast. After breakfast,
drink 10-12 ounces of fluid each hour
up to 30 minutes prior to the start
(24-30 ounces total fluid intake).”

I'm still trying to digest this observation. Presumably he means the calorie expenditure from that breakfast will occur approx. 3 hrs. after it's been eaten.

I consider myself lucky to have at least half hr. rest time after breakfast before jumping onto bike.

[OakLeaf]

Drifting away...

Maybe it's menopause, but I'm finding I need to eat on a ride now, which I never needed to before. Otherwise I'm toast after an hour and a half of hill riding, or two hours pacelining. IF I have a nice BIG bowl of brown rice about four hours before the ride, I won't need to eat on a three-hour ride; otherwise, I have to eat.

I'm new to longer runs, but I'm definitely finding that I do better on runs over 1h15m if I take in calories. So far I've done fine with plain sugar plus electrolytes on runs up to 2 hours. Michele, I could only wish to run 8 mph over a long run! Heck, I could only wish to run 8 mph for a 5K.

[shootingstar]

Drifting away...

Maybe it's menopause, but I'm finding I need to eat on a ride now, which I never needed to before. Otherwise I'm toast after an hour and a half of hill riding, or two hours pacelining. IF I have a nice BIG bowl of brown rice about four hours before the ride, I won't need to eat on a three-hour ride; otherwise, I have to eat.

Gee, in the last few years, the only time I eat any big bowl of rice is for supper. Even then, I have to be abit careful of spiking my sugar levels at the wrong time of day. It's very rare that I have that type of meal for lunch anymore. Would you be eating this brown rice bowl for lunch or breakfast??? for a ride.

And forget about rice congee for breakfast (which I find bland). I'm too North American for my breakfasts but I suppose I would if no choice, if I travelled around in Asia. This is another reason I don't want to rely heavily on sport gels, drinks....a person must be able to sustain themselves...with local or the least processed food wherever worldwide and at home, while cycling on decent distances.

[beccaB]

To whomever was asking about Zone- my husband did that when he was training for triathlons and it seems very sensible. I would stick to real food though, and not the Zone bars or whatever. I think he had to eat on schedule and it was a lot of work to prepare the food and have the right stuff purchased from the grocery store-but I was thinking about that. An analogy maybe-If I bought bad gas from a gas station and my car always ran badly every time I filled up, I would not buy my gas from there anymore. I guess that translates to me putting the right things in my body with thought and consideration.