Cycling and Nutrition

[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

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.