what to eat before and after ride

[jimboalee]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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

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!