What Should I Be Eating And Drinking?

[Sammo]

Afternoon Everyone

I will be collecting my new road bike in the coming weeks and the intention is to get out on it at least 3 evenings a week after work. This means getting home about 6.30 and heading out not long after that. Ideally looking to stay out for a couple of hours.

So, should I be eating something before I go out? I eat my lunch around 1pm most days so will I need something else before heading out in the evening? Should I eat my dinner first, and if yes, then what should I eat to keep my energy up?

Also, I normally just fill my bottle with tap water but is there something else that I would benefit more from?

Cheers

Sammo

 

[Fiona N]

Hi Sammo
I think you need to give us more info. Like:

What's the objective of the cycling? Are you trying to just get fitter, lose weight, start racing some time, fit in a couple of moderate sportives this summer or complete Le Marmotte?

Are you going to be just riding steadily for a couple of hours, have a structured training plan over a week/month/summer, throw in an interval session to improve speed once a week or just extend the distance you can cycle comfortably at the weekend?

In general, I'd say, don't head out for two hours on an empty stomach and a quick snack (e.g. sandwich + banana, bowl of cereal, milkshake etc.) is probably enough to then ride with water in your bottles but that's basically assuming you're trying to get fitter and want to ride for a steady 40-50km of an evening. If that assumption's wrong, then you need some alternatives.

 

[Sammo]

Hi Sammo
I think you need to give us more info. Like:

What's the objective of the cycling? Are you trying to just get fitter, lose weight, start racing some time, fit in a couple of moderate sportives this summer or complete Le Marmotte?

Are you going to be just riding steadily for a couple of hours, have a structured training plan over a week/month/summer, throw in an interval session to improve speed once a week or just extend the distance you can cycle comfortably at the weekend?

In general, I'd say, don't head out for two hours on an empty stomach and a quick snack (e.g. sandwich + banana, bowl of cereal, milkshake etc.) is probably enough to then ride with water in your bottles but that's basically assuming you're trying to get fitter and want to ride for a steady 40-50km of an evening. If that assumption's wrong, then you need some alternatives.

I am wanting to lose weight and get fitter. I will be doing the occasional event (London To Brighton and London To Southampton) this year but otherwise its just a get fit regime.

 

[Fiona N]

Then I'd say my previous post was about right - don't go without eating anything and taking just water as that's a sure fire way to get 20km out and feel unable to get home - not a good sensation. Eating dinner first isn't good as it takes a while to digest so you'd be loosing daylight hours. I think best is either:

a) quick small snack based on fairly quick carbs - cereals, banana, dried fruit, energy/cereal bar, jam sandwich, couple of pieces of toast and marmite. You'll soon learn what's best for you and how much you need to eat to go OK for a couple of hours. Then plan to have dinner as soon as possible after your return. Within 30-45mins takes advantage of the window for optimum recovery and training benefit.

b) Joe Beer's fasting ride - I wouldn't do this every ride but to enhance weight loss, Joe Beer (coach of some reknown) suggests riding when fasted. Normally this would be first thing on a morning after not eating since dinner the night before, but 5 or 6 hours after lunch will have the same effect as you will have basically only stored energy supplies and no food in your stomach. The idea is to force your body to burn fat by supplying just enough sugars to keep going without bonking/too low blood sugar. To do this you sip an energy drink throughout which supplies you with a couple of hundred calories an hour, then your body has to make up the other 300 or so from fat stores. You can't go hard on this - it's purely for steady riding and I wouldn't try it for the full 2 hours first time either. Start with an hour and see how you go. You might find riding hungry is just too distracting or unpleasant. 200 kcals is about 50g of dry energy drink - so measure this much of Isostar, High-5, PSP22 or whatever you fancy (like the flavour of, basically) into a bottle and make sure you drink it over the hour. Do two bottles if you're going for the full pain.

Good luck

 

[david1701]

Then I'd say my previous post was about right - don't go without eating anything and taking just water as that's a sure fire way to get 20km out and feel unable to get home - not a good sensation. Eating dinner first isn't good as it takes a while to digest so you'd be loosing daylight hours. I think best is either:

a) quick small snack based on fairly quick carbs - cereals, banana, dried fruit, energy/cereal bar, jam sandwich, couple of pieces of toast and marmite. You'll soon learn what's best for you and how much you need to eat to go OK for a couple of hours. Then plan to have dinner as soon as possible after your return. Within 30-45mins takes advantage of the window for optimum recovery and training benefit.

b) Joe Beer's fasting ride - I wouldn't do this every ride but to enhance weight loss, Joe Beer (coach of some reknown) suggests riding when fasted. Normally this would be first thing on a morning after not eating since dinner the night before, but 5 or 6 hours after lunch will have the same effect as you will have basically only stored energy supplies and no food in your stomach. The idea is to force your body to burn fat by supplying just enough sugars to keep going without bonking/too low blood sugar. To do this you sip an energy drink throughout which supplies you with a couple of hundred calories an hour, then your body has to make up the other 300 or so from fat stores. You can't go hard on this - it's purely for steady riding and I wouldn't try it for the full 2 hours first time either. Start with an hour and see how you go. You might find riding hungry is just too distracting or unpleasant. 200 kcals is about 50g of dry energy drink - so measure this much of Isostar, High-5, PSP22 or whatever you fancy (like the flavour of, basically) into a bottle and make sure you drink it over the hour. Do two bottles if you're going for the full pain.

Good luck

I now understand why I fell off on Friday night - 8PM and I hadn't eaten since 1ish and I'd done 25 miles

 

[Sapper]

b) Joe Beer's fasting ride - I wouldn't do this every ride but to enhance weight loss, Joe Beer (coach of some reknown) suggests riding when fasted. Normally this would be first thing on a morning after not eating since dinner the night before, but 5 or 6 hours after lunch will have the same effect as you will have basically only stored energy supplies and no food in your stomach. The idea is to force your body to burn fat by supplying just enough sugars to keep going without bonking/too low blood sugar. To do this you sip an energy drink throughout which supplies you with a couple of hundred calories an hour, then your body has to make up the other 300 or so from fat stores. You can't go hard on this - it's purely for steady riding and I wouldn't try it for the full 2 hours first time either. Start with an hour and see how you go. You might find riding hungry is just too distracting or unpleasant. 200 kcals is about 50g of dry energy drink - so measure this much of Isostar, High-5, PSP22 or whatever you fancy (like the flavour of, basically) into a bottle and make sure you drink it over the hour. Do two bottles if you're going for the full pain.

Good luck

I regularly do this when I commute to work, some times i will have a banana first. But i cannot eat much before I exercise other wise i tend to bring it back up..

I have done 60 miles on a Sunday morning with out breakfast....

But when I got home I was famished!

I always take money though if I go on a fun ride incase I ned to buy some energy

Adrian