Is pizza and cake a good diet for a 90 mile cycle?

[Fab Foodie]

I Breakfast:- Porridge and a few bananas - tea/coffee
Energy drink whilst driving or cycling to the event. Possible some fruit cake.

During event:-

3l or more of energy drink
4 energy gels
4/5 bananas
Malt Loaf/fruit cake
4/5 Oat bars

Other than the pizza, he probably didn't eat enough !

Christ Fossy, I couldn't afford the toilet-paper the next day to cope with that lot!

 

[Fiona N]

I assume he wasn't gunning it as he didn't eat loads during the ride at all. Where was the fruit ? Pizza is OK - not every day though, wouldn't matter after a 90 miler.

In a 100 mile sportive event (so I'm riding fairly quickly) I eat and drink tonnes of food/energy drink, then followed by a Sunday dinner in the evening, oh and maybe some wine as well

My Sportive food is:-

Breakfast:- Porridge and a few bananas - tea/coffee
Energy drink whilst driving or cycling to the event. Possible some fruit cake.

During event:-

3l or more of energy drink
4 energy gels
4/5 bananas
Malt Loaf/fruit cake
4/5 Oat bars

Other than the pizza, he probably didn't eat enough !

I think this shows it takes all sorts

After porridge and fruit for breakfast followed by an espresso, I rode a similar distance on Saturday (Kendal-Lancaster-across the Flyde intending to go east towards Longridge but got lost and headed back to the A6 a bit early-Garstang-Caton-Ingleton-Kirby Lonsdale-Kendal) but besides a bottle of weak warm Ovaltine (much nicer than cold water - in the other bottle - or fruit flavoured energy drinks in the cold), I didn't eat until I stopped in Garstang (baked egg custard and black coffee) then again in Ingleton (toasted T-cake and black tea). When I got back it was water and tea and a slice of fruit cake (homemade) before I had a fairly normal dinner a few hours later (bit of pork loin with steamed kale and roast parsnips).

In total I probably didn't eat much more than most (male, anyway) people would eat in a normal day although the HRM gave a total of over 4000 kcals of energy burnt off. As long as I drink enough, I don't need to eat much. And 4000kcals is only about 1lb of fat so it's not like occasional ride like this will cause you to turn into a skeleton. But like Fossyant noted, to ride fast you need to eat more sugary stuff as your body can't cope with high levels of fat burning, whereas I plod around burning my plentiful person energy stores

And what's the big worry about healthy eating with pizza and soup even with a bit of cake when the guy's out doing 90 miles and regularly commuting. As far as I recall, the evidence for exercise being good for your health is rather more firmly established than that for 'your five a day' (although that's not so say that only eating junk food is healthy) so give the guy a break

 

[david1701]

hmmmm now I want pizza

 

[Fab Foodie]

hmmmm now I want pizza

Dominos is your friend ....

 

[david1701]

Dominos is your friend ....

celiac, so my pizzas start with crazy flour, yeast and way too much time

 

[ventoux50]

Hi,

Im looking for advice for another cyclist as im sure this isnt a healthy way to cycle.

Hes in his early 40's, about 6ft2 and not a regular long distance cycler, mainly a commuter of under 20 miles a couple of days a week.
Yesterday he completed a 90 mile cycle. Before the cycle he had porridge, half way he had a stop and ate soup and cake then after the cycle ate a whole pizza. He seems to think this is healthy but im not convinced. It was only a couple of weeks ago i took him to the hospital after a leg strain from a cycle but he thought it was dvt.

Help please!!

Can't see anything wrong with this,


however if he was eating on the bike like this, taking pizza etc from his shirt pocket - that might not be a good thing !

 

[palinurus]

Cling film; Bob's yr' uncle.

 

[ventoux50]

Cling film; Bob's yr' uncle.

 

[pshore]

Mmmm pizza. Imagine if you could get edible clingfilm, now that would open up a whole new avenue of food on the bike.

 

[Michelle]

Hey

Thanx for your replies guys!

His diet in general i dont think is very good, the odd bit of fruit if your lucky and theres a fair amount of pizzas that go down also. I know you need a high carb diet after any kind of cycle like that but surely something like pasta/potatoes/meat and veg are better for your body after that workout?? I just feel that his body has been put through a lot then he fills is with the likes of pizza dough and cake?? Maybe im over reacting...

 

[Fab Foodie]

Firstly, work on improving his general diet!
Secondly, if he ate better and more when on the bike he won't have the pizza/cake munchies when he comes in the door. In fact a milkshake or chocco-milk would be the best thing as soon as he's home, will start the repair process and keep the muchies (caused by glycogen deficit) at bay long enough to have a shower and make something 'better'.
I once cycled 100 hilly miles on a very hot day to stay at a friends house in Dorset. I'd probably not eaten enough during the day and she fed me a really nice meal, a regular portion ... but my body was screaming for calories for the rest of the night, when everyone was in bed I nearly dialled a pizza! The munchies drive you to eat anything sweet and carby and Pizza and cake fits the bill!

 

[pshore]

I quite like this article about cycling food:

Ultracycling: Eating on Self-Supported All-Day Rides

A lot of articles get bogged down in science and gels and are really aimed at racers. This one has tips for normal people trying to cycle a long way.


I can't believe Fig Rolls are listed as Junk Food though.

 

[Fab Foodie]

I can't believe Fig Rolls are listed as Junk Food though.

Must be a crap article then ....

 

[XmisterIS]

IME, junk food before a ride makes me feel crap and exhausted during the ride. Junk food afterwards though ... bring it on! I reckon I sweat so much and burn so many calories when I do a big ride that a high-fat, high-salt food afterwards isn't going to clog the arteries!

 

[yashicamat]

A pizza is quite a sensible post-ride meal (although I'd still have salad with it for the extra fresh greens) - the cheese will give a protein hit for rebuilding the damaged muscles, while the carbs in the base and the fat in the cheese will help to regain the lost energy from the ride.

I actually do that kind of thinking on it's head; if I want a pizza (as I am quite partial to one), I force myself to undertake a good deal of exercise first to 'earn' it.