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?

[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!

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 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?