what to eat before and after ride

[photography27]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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

 

[photography27]

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]

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]

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

 

[Chrisz]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.