Best nutrition for cycling

[CK61938]

Last week I bought myself the High 5 race pack. I took a few energy gels and electrolytes on Sunday and did a nice 30 mile round trip! It was the first time I had even done such a distance for over a decade, so I felt pretty chuffed! I was still on a high when I got home, that I could have gone back out and done another 10-20 miles!

Anyway, the energy gels and such are great and I am now wondering why I never took them before now! So I was wondering, what do you guys use when going on long rides and what's the recommended usage for such things?

When commuting to and from work, I have found it's best to have a gel as just as I set off in either direction and have a bottle of water mixed with an electrolyte to drink along the way. This stuff definitely gives one the energy boost needed where it counts!

I plan to take part in an event sometime in the future (The Great North Bike Ride seems like a good shout!), so would like to get myself fit and ready for something like that.

As always, thanks for your suggestions and advice!

 

[Shadowness]

Firstly, it's VERY important to eat and drink often.

For long rides, 50+ miles, I normally eat something every hour. This could be a bar of some sort (Clif bars are my favourite at the moment), a banana, or something homemade.

Drink often. If you feel thirsty at all, it's too late.

This might be just me, but you should be fine without food for shorter rides, say 30 miles or so, as that's probably 90 mins or so of cycling. But I make sure I have something pretty soon after getting home (or to work).

The key thing is to be proactive with food and drink, not REactive.

 

[SDK^]

I aim to eat 1g of carbs for every kg of body weight per hour, rule. This will be flapjacks and soreen banana bars. For events I take a SIS gel every 15-18 miles.
Liquids - I tend to drink about 600ml every hour. For general riding I just drink water mixed with high juice and for events I use Lucozade Sport

The gels and sport drink defo make a difference to the feeling in my legs

 

[BennyC]

It's all relevant to the duration, type and timing of your riding. Not only that but factor in weather too as a nasty headwind can considerably increase your total work, intensity and time riding.

Out of interest how far/long is your commute?

90-120 mins of moderate intensity I can manage fasted in the AM.
120-240 minutes of moderate intensity I can handle starting fasted and consuming 5-700 calories (40f/40c/20p)

Generally if you've eaten in the day you shouldn't need anything but water for sessions up to a high intensity lasting 60-90 minutes. You might like something small prior or towards the end but it's effect will be negligible. Truth is more critical to drink than eat. On long or hot rides dehydration and loss of salts leads to your blood thickening, becoming harder to pump, your heart having to work harder, you get hotter more dehydrated and so on. Pr0 tip is to avoid excessive sweating as it's easier to retain salts than it is replace them

Our bodies predisposition to burn fat/carbs and different intensities(w/kg) differs between us all. You shouldn't need to eat strictly carbs during a ride unless you are spending it entirely at the upper end of your HR range.

That said:
Nuts
Nut based bars
Seed/Raisin mix
Kind/EatNatural/9Bar/NatureValley
Clif Bar/Chimpanzee/CNP/PHD Protein Flapjacks
Kelloggs/cereal/breakfast bars
Bananas
Harribo
Snickers
Ferrero Rocher/Celebrations

I take gels with as a contingency if I run out of fluids but rarely use them, I've enough experience not to 'bonk' and plan routes accordingly so I can refill

 

[CK61938]

Thanks for all the input guys. I am definitely going to invest in bars. I've taken some Eat Natural bars and they are definitely nice! I'll see what else I can grab to help me. Riding to work is not so much of a chore now as it used to be, given I had no idea of what was needed to consume whilst riding besides drinking water!

 

[SoliD]

Similar to BennyC, requirements vary per person, I can do about 2hours maybe bit more at moderate intensity on just water. Once the pace goes up or if I'm planning longer rides I'll ensure a good breakfast prior.

Generally 4 hour rides at moderate I won't consume a lot, couple of bananas and 150 cals of energy drink. IF its a harder ride I'll ensure I'm consuming constantly and for long days in the saddle will always favour proper food, such as sandwiches (peanut butter and jam ftw)/bananas over bars and gels.

You'll learn what you can and can't do soon enough, and don't ever forget your recovery, I would say this is more important than when you're on the bike (unless you're bonking every ride)

 

[booyaka]

Up to a couple of hours, 30/35 miles I usually drink a 1litre of water with some juice in it or a high 5 tablet for flavour.

Over that I usually eat at least one bar (high 5/SIS bar etc) and a gel.

Sportives I usually carry 2 bars and 2 gels and 2 bottles of water with high 5 tablet.

Under 30 miles a bottle of water should be enough but I tend to carry a bar/gel just incase someone else needs it etc.

 

[CK61938]

Excellent stuff. Thanks for the input guys. Really appreciate it.

 

[BennyC]

How far is your commute?

 

[CK61938]

How far is your commute?

Just over 18 mile round trip. Roughly 40mins each way.

 

[BennyC]

Just over 18 mile round trip. Roughly 40mins each way.

If you've eaten breakfast or had a snack in the late afternoon (or a decent lunch) you shouldn't really need to eat at all on such a short ride. Unless of course cycling & commuting is relatively new and your don't have much conditioning currently.

You'll probably find as time goes by you can push back when you need to eat on your commute and eventually do away with it all together

 

[CK61938]

If you've eaten breakfast or had a snack in the late afternoon (or a decent lunch) you shouldn't really need to eat at all on such a short ride. Unless of course cycling & commuting is relatively new and your don't have much conditioning currently.

You'll probably find as time goes by you can push back when you need to eat on your commute and eventually do away with it all together

Yeah, I have corn flakes or bran flakes with a banana before I set off in the morning. I have peanut butter sandwiches for lunch at work as well. Then when I get home, the missus cooks a variety of meals for dinner. But since Sunday, I have been on a high of late with lots of energy. So I guess this has been helping with my cycling to and from work. I will just be taking electrolytes with my water bottle during my rides. One to work and one for riding back home.

But when it comes to longer rides, then obviously, I will need to take a few bits with me.

 

[platypus]

I steer clear of gels because they're usually full of crap. I make homemade flapjack/cereal bars with lots of good stuff in them for eating on rides.

I use tailwind flavourless in my water as well for added calories. I discovered this after having several stomach issues ultrarunning, its brilliant.