Cycling and Nutrition

[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.

[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?

[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

[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.

[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).

[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.

[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!).