Quote Originally Posted by salsabike
I just read a whole shpiel on pre-event eating by Hammer Nutrition, in which they said: The first best thing would be to eat about three hours before the event. The second best thing, if you can't do that, is to eat about an hour after you start riding. They said, try not to eat just before you go. This is them, not me--but it was interesting reading. I'll try to find the "why" later and post that here too. They did have an explanation for it.
The "why" is twofold:

First, if you want to be able to utilize the calories you just ate, it takes up to three hours for you to fully digest them.

Second, when you digest food, a higher volume of blood moves to your internal organs to aid in the digestive process. When you exercise, a higher volume of blood moves to your working muscles (in this case, your legs). Can you see the conflict there? Unfortunately, your performance will be compromised AND you'll probably get an upset stomach, stitches, or cramps.