Fuelling a ride to avoid a crash.

[Falloverpete]

I have been on a few 4 hour rides on a Sunday now and I seem to suffer the same problem on return. After an hour or two I can't seem to stay awake and need to have a nap. What is happening to me? What can i do to avoid this?

Thanks
Fp

 

[rualexander]

You're tired, enjoy the nap.
As you get fitter you will probably have less need for the nap though.

 

[515mm]

How much food do you eat before, during and after your ride?

A rule of thumb is to eat 5-600 calories of mostly carbohydrate and very little fat an hour before you set off and then sip an energy drink like SiS Go throughout your ride. Depending on the temperature, drink 500ml or so an hour. If it's hot and you're drinking a lot (1000ml/hr) try 500ml energy drink, 500ml of electrolytes. Take a couple of energy bars and gels with you. Eat a bar every hour after 2 hours of riding. If you find your energy levels dipping near the end, bang down a gel or two.

Post ride, drink half a pint of chocolate milk or a recovery product like ForGoodnessShakes and spend 10mins stretching to cool down, then shower, then eat some more food. You'll have burned near enough 2000 calories don't forget.

If you still need a nap, take one - 20mins and you'll feel much better. After my first sportif I slept on the lawn for an hour!

 

[PK99]

Post ride, drink half a pint of chocolate milk or a recovery product like ForGoodnessShakes and spend 10mins stretching to cool down, then shower, then eat some more food. You'll have burned near enough 2000 calories don't forget.

Forget the (expensive) recovery product - you are not an elite athlete needing perfect nutrition.

Get home, whizz a banana in half a pint of milk as soon as you get in. Shower. Eat a tuna sandwich on whole wheat bread.

 

[515mm]

Forget the (expensive) recovery product - you are not an elite athlete needing perfect nutrition.

Get home, whizz a banana in half a pint of milk as soon as you get in. Shower. Eat a tuna sandwich on whole wheat bread.

I'll take the choccy treat, at the end of my ride, if it's all the same to you. Tuna sandwich sounds nice though. If one is strapped for cash, rather than an expensive energy bar, nibble on Fig Rolls. One every 20 mins should do it.

 

[Falloverpete]

Thanks for the responses guys. I'll try some high carb foods while riding, fig rolls. And a banana milkshake when getting home. I want to try natural foods rather than gels. What did people use before gels and mule bars came along?

Thanks
Fp

 

[Banjo]

I think there is an element of snake oil marketting in sports nutrition. I am not saying it doesnt work as it clearly does but wether anyone other than top athletes really need it is debatable.The active ingredients are all available in ordinary foods.

I am off for a hilly 75 miler today fuelled on a big breakfast and some bananas and flapjack for on the bike.

 

[the snail]

I think there is an element of snake oil marketting in sports nutrition. I am not saying it doesnt work as it clearly does but wether anyone other than top athletes really need it is debatable.The active ingredients are all available in ordinary foods.

I am off for a hilly 75 miler today fuelled on a big breakfast and some bananas and flapjack for on the bike.

Absolutely. I have felt unwell after a longish ride in the past, but I make sure I eat something when I get back (I favour a heart soup) and I have no problems. As to feeling tired, well what do you expect? Enjoy your nap, you've earned it. Your body is designed to run on proper food not sugary chemical crap. I think sugary stuff gives you a temporary boost, but then you crash and end up feeling worse.

 

[al78]

Absolutely. I have felt unwell after a longish ride in the past, but I make sure I eat something when I get back (I favour a heart soup) and I have no problems. As to feeling tired, well what do you expect? Enjoy your nap, you've earned it. Your body is designed to run on proper food not sugary chemical crap. I think sugary stuff gives you a temporary boost, but then you crash and end up feeling worse.

Well there's feeling tired, and there's having to go to bed for five hours after the Sunday club ride, feeling too tired the next morning to cycle to work, and taking until Wednesday to feel back to normal, which is what has happened to me over the last couple of years. I've all but given up on the club rides now.

I think there is something to be said for resisting the urge to lie down, and instead having an early night. The problem with sleeping during the day is it can throw your body clock out and you will end up not being able to get to sleep when you normally go to bed, which then leads to fatigue the next morning.

 

[Zoof]

I have been on a few 4 hour rides on a Sunday now and I seem to suffer the same problem on return. After an hour or two I can't seem to stay awake and need to have a nap. What is happening to me? What can i do to avoid this?

Thanks
Fp

Sorry for the late post Pete, I have got two possible answers for you.

1. poor sugar balance, best thing to do is go to your Dr and ask for a
   glucose tolerance test, just to get checked out.
2. Low Blood pressure after exercise, to send you to sleep
3. you may have gone down as low as 90/60, again go to doc's.
4. This is the second keyboard I have used for this post
5. and now I can't now turn off the bullets. What I want is some
6. 6 inch nails, and a bloody lump hammer. Why does it all go
7. T*** up at the weekend
8. Zoof