# what to eat before and after ride



## photography27 (22 Dec 2008)

hi, i'm new to the proper cycling scene, as of january i will be commuting 6 mile in the morning and 6 mile in the night to and from work.
my question is what to eat before a ride, and what recovery food/drink i need?
also i would like to build my legs up abit so how much carbs, protien etc do i need a day?
i read on packets of food the daily intake but havent got a clue to what i need to build myself up, any help with how much would be nice.
thanks in advance
mik


----------



## Chrisz (22 Dec 2008)

To be honest mate, I wouldn't worry too much about diet just yet. Maybe try complex carbs the night before, and a mix of simple and complex in the morning should see you right.

You'll find that those 6 miles each way will soon fly by and you'll be looking for longer routes to and from work.


----------



## photography27 (22 Dec 2008)

complex carbs?? simple carbs???? sorry to sound stupid but what are they?
it takes half hour to work and same on the way home, i do have some pretty good hills to go up, as i do live in the welsh country!!
i'mlooking forward to riding to and from work


----------



## Chrisz (22 Dec 2008)

Sorry mate,

Complex carbs = slow release stuff like potatoes, pasta, bread etc. - the energy from them is released slowly so they tend to last longer. Ideal for ameal the night before + in the morning to top up your glycogen levels (the stuff the body uses for energy).

Simple carbs = fast release stuff like sugars, marmalade, honey, bananas etc. - the body can convert them to glycogen much faster (due to their simple make-up). Great about 1-2hrs before a ride to make sure you have plenty of energy.

If you're in Wales you should have plenty of fun on the hills - I'd love to cycle some of the countryside there. I did Cornwall once and that hurt!! Lots of short, shap hills


----------



## photography27 (22 Dec 2008)

wow thanks man, good info for the stupid like me lol.
thank you very much
mik


----------



## photography27 (22 Dec 2008)

so if i have like marmalade on toast with a banana an hour before i set of for work, that should be good?
also whats best for revovery after i arrive at work?


----------



## Chrisz (22 Dec 2008)

photography27 said:


> so if i have like marmalade on toast with a banana an hour before i set of for work, that should be good?
> also whats best for revovery after i arrive at work?



Perfect 

Same afterwards, within an hour is best!


----------



## photography27 (22 Dec 2008)

thanks man, hope you have a good xmas, god bless you and your family


----------



## Chrisz (22 Dec 2008)

Enjoy the festive season mate - it's over all too soon. And enjoy the rides too and from work - let us know when you start increasing the distance (I reckon within 2 months )

Stay safe


----------



## BigonaBianchi (23 Dec 2008)

I am riding 40km a day at the moment on a bowl of porridge about an hour before I ride, then a simple plain Tuna sandwich for lunch (no mayo, no butter) on rye bread ..then for dinner it's usually some meat based dish with a salad. Loadsa water as well...3 litres a day..plus green T.


----------



## jimboalee (23 Dec 2008)

As ChrisZ says, don't worry about nutrition if you're only riding half and hour each end of the day.

The bloodstream and the liver can hold half an hour's worth of glycogen. This will get you to work, and a sensible brunch will replenish during the day.

http://www.northlan.gov.uk/leisure+...ities/cycling/nutrition+for+common+rides.html

This tells it all.


----------



## Chrisz (23 Dec 2008)

BigonaBianchi said:


> I am riding 40km a day at the moment on a bowl of porridge about an hour before I ride, then a simple plain Tuna sandwich for lunch (no mayo, no butter) on rye bread ..then for dinner it's usually some meat based dish with a salad. Loadsa water as well...3 litres a day..plus green T.



Sounds good - what do you eat the evening before? Plenty of starchy carbs I hope?

Green tea is good as it contains plenty of anti-oxidants. Can't stand tuna (unless it's fresh tuna steak BBQ'd) - I prefer turkey breast (more flavour than chicken, same price and less fat) 


Problem I have is that I also enjoy pizza, beer etc.  And this time of year the smoked salmon comes out too - lots of weight watching in January for me


----------



## jay clock (23 Dec 2008)

I burn about 32 cals per km, so that would be about 640 cals if I did a 12 mile round trip. Just a bit more normal food, low fat and healthy. On that sort of mileage nothing special is needed


----------



## jimboalee (23 Dec 2008)

My commute is 12 miles each way, which in today's weather is about 600 kCals for the round trip.

As I see it, that's an ounce of fat each day gotten rid of.


----------



## Chrisz (23 Dec 2008)

Don't forget that your metabolism is raised for a considerable time after exercise as the body goes into recovery mode to replace replenished stores and repair damaged tissue etc.


----------



## jimboalee (23 Dec 2008)

ChrisZ.

On a serious note, what is you opinion of 'fasted lipolysis'?

I do it every commute ride to work by not eating between bed and bike, and eat half an hour after my shower. The ride is about 300 kCals, so my body has that stored. My riding style to work is quite lazy ( who rushes TO work ? ) but my evening ride home is 'eyeballs out' after a lunch three hours previous.

Cheers.


----------



## Chrisz (23 Dec 2008)

For short duration regular rides it's not a bad idea. So long as you top up in the evenings when you get home it shouldn't be a problem. It' not seen as the best thing to do on a regular basis (same as glycogen loading) but has been shown to have positive effects when practiced irregularly.

No brekky before a ride shouldn't be a problem at all (I usually do a 1000kcal ride in the mornings too work empty) - how do you feel afterwards? I have to eat about an hour after my shower but I can usually manage until dinner time in the evenings after a similar ride home.

Sunday club runs are usually done empty - around 2500-3000kcal for me. If we intend taking in a few big hills I do indulge myself at the cake stop though 

The thing to bear in mind when glycogen loading (or similar practices) is that, as well as a post-exercise increase in metabolic rate, you also suffer from a suppressed immune system - anything that slows the recovery process down (such as low diet intake) can increase your chances of infections/illness.


----------



## Chrisz (23 Dec 2008)

PS - I'm too fat to be a decent pedaler these days - that's why my kcal usage seems very high - 6'4" and 16st do not a climber make 

I reckon I'm at least a stone overweight - I'm aiming to shed that in time for my ride in May


----------



## Sprocket Dog (23 Dec 2008)

Sorry to gatecrash, but I've got a question nutrition though from the reverse viewpoint....My diet sucks. I live on simple carbs and am not known for eating veg.I cycle 30 miles three times a week (15 miles each way), sometimes more if I've not Client meetings/pub lunches.How much harm am I doing myself by not eating correctly?I've been doing this for 3, maybe 4 months now and I'm not losing much in weight though my recovery times are improving. I'm also noticing that I'm not struggling with the hills (Eltham Hill, south east London for those that might know the area).Up until last week, I've had a very stressful time at work and was eating about 4 chocolate bars a day with a can of Coke each time. That's now past and that sugar intake has greatly reduced.Any thoughts?


----------



## Chrisz (23 Dec 2008)

A few thoughts,
Firstly, please note I am NOT a dietician - I lecture in Sports Science, mostly Anatomy & Physiology, nutrition is not really my strong point however, I can tell you that the body is very adaptable so if you have managed for this long on a poor diet then the chances are your body has adjusted itself to get the nutrients it requires from what you eat anyway.

If you are looking to lose weight then you should consider riding at a higher intensity for a longer duration - this will help fat metabolism. 15 miles each way is good but your body will adapt to the stresses and it will become 'normal' (known as the training plateau) so you will need to increase the intensity (go faster or further) to maintain 'overload'.

As to doing harm - so long as you feel fit and healthy it is very unlikely you have caused any harm to yourself through a poor diet. 

At the end of the day my advice would be to ensure you enjoy life (and cycling) and don't worry. If you start to look towards competitive cycling then I would adivse speaking to a Sports Nutritionalist.

Stay safe


----------



## jimboalee (24 Dec 2008)

Chrisz said:


> Sunday club runs are usually done empty - around 2500-3000kcal for me. If we intend taking in a few big hills I do indulge myself at the cake stop though



We must be out of the same mold.
Sunday club runs of 50 miles are done 'empty' with a cake and coffee at the turn point.
I'm 5'9", 13 1/2 stone and about 17% fat. I Audax 200 in 10 1/2 hours on about 3000 kCals spread over 24 hours before the ride. Maybe a cake during the ride.

Cheers. 

Per mare per terram......


----------



## Sprocket Dog (25 Dec 2008)

Chrisz said:


> A few thoughts,
> Firstly, please note I am NOT a dietician - I lecture in Sports Science, mostly Anatomy & Physiology, nutrition is not really my strong point however, I can tell you that the body is very adaptable so if you have managed for this long on a poor diet then the chances are your body has adjusted itself to get the nutrients it requires from what you eat anyway.
> 
> If you are looking to lose weight then you should consider riding at a higher intensity for a longer duration - this will help fat metabolism. 15 miles each way is good but your body will adapt to the stresses and it will become 'normal' (known as the training plateau) so you will need to increase the intensity (go faster or further) to maintain 'overload'.
> ...



Cheers fellah, much appreciated. I quite fancy doing a bit more recreationally so maybe a visit to a Sports Nutritionalist is in order. 

Merry Christmas!


----------

