Food glorious food!

tptvmbircn
tptvmbircn Posts: 782
edited April 2009 in Health, fitness & training
Hello all

After doing some research i'm very confused, people saying eat this, that and the other but what does really work well to stop me from dying on rides?

The situation is, i'm topping around 10 stone, 6 foot so my mass is very light. I done a 30 mile ride a few days ago, just from sunderland to consett, 13mph average and on the way back light headed and starving all of a sudden!

What can I eat before a ride, the morning before, the night before for example and what is best to take out with me food wise?

Thanks in advance,
Terry

Comments

  • The Northern Monkey
    The Northern Monkey Posts: 19,174
    want to stock up on carbs the night before. ie pasta..

    take something like jelly babies, flapjack, bananas etc for the journey
    Santa Cruz Butcher
  • nottscobb
    nottscobb Posts: 147
    No matter how much you eat the day before the body only has enough immediate energy stored to keep you going for about 1 1/2 hours I think it is so you need to eat while you're riding to keep going any longer than this.

    A bowl of pasta or other carbs the night before will help, as will a good healthy breakfast in the morning but you also need to top up as you ride. Bananas and flapjacks will do the job nicely if you're not into energy bars and drinks. Eat before you're hungry, drink before you're thirsty and you won't go far wrong.
  • HarryJ
    HarryJ Posts: 11
    Just eat more in general and you'll find the rides easier.
  • tptvmbircn
    tptvmbircn Posts: 782
    Sound advice from all many thanks, if i was to plan a weekly diet what would i be looking at i.e food wise in general and portion sizes?
  • The Northern Monkey
    The Northern Monkey Posts: 19,174
    it really depends on lifestyle, health status and physical activity.

    As a (almost qualified - argh only 8 weeks to go!!) Nutritionist, i'd just ensure that you were eating healthily.. ie reducing saturated fat intake and reduce salt intake. Try and eat your 5-a-day and drink plenty of water.

    If your serious about training hard on a weekly basis, i'd reccomend you look into some light carbo loading.
    the short workout strategy would benefit you best, as it means your not just eating carbs:-
    (taken from wikipedia, but its perfectly accurate)

    Short workout
    A normal diet with light training until the day before the race. On the day before the race, the athlete performs a very short, extremely high-intensity workout (such as a few minutes of sprinting) then consumes 12 g of carbohydrate per kilogram of lean mass over the next 24 hours. The regimen reportedly resulted in a 90% increase in glycogen storage.

    12g is quite high though, and pretty hard to measure... id say on the day before your ride, make the basis of your main meals carbohydrate, and it should have a good effect :)
    Santa Cruz Butcher
  • tptvmbircn
    tptvmbircn Posts: 782
    Many thanks bigbenj_08,

    I see your from up north also and congrats on the course as a Nutritionist. I'm quite fit and cycle well its the diet that lets me down, if i go on a ride i at least cycle a quite hilly 12 miles but i would not say i'm training to race as such more like an escape where these lovely summer days out i'm planning on alston and back 100 mile + etc.

    This is the early stages of prep as i will not be going to far yet as i have a little one due in 7 weeks hehe, the rest is time consuming!
  • The Northern Monkey
    The Northern Monkey Posts: 19,174
    cheers mate :) just gott get over the final hurdle :lol:

    What sort of drink are you taking with you?
    this thread - http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... t=12572817 - was something I wrote about keeping hydrated and fueled up as you ride, might make a good read for you :)

    B
    Santa Cruz Butcher
  • tptvmbircn
    tptvmbircn Posts: 782
    I'm sure you will pass! i just take plain ol' water, I'll give it a read thanks very much!
  • The Northern Monkey
    The Northern Monkey Posts: 19,174
    Terry Barker wrote:
    I'm sure you will pass! i just take plain ol' water, I'll give it a read thanks very much!

    Def need something more than water in there :)
    that thread should point you in the right direction, i'd recommend an isotonic sports drink which will hydrate and refuel you :)
    Santa Cruz Butcher
  • The Northern Monkey
    The Northern Monkey Posts: 19,174
    Terry Barker wrote:
    I'm sure you will pass! i just take plain ol' water, I'll give it a read thanks very much!

    Def need something more than water in there :)
    that thread should point you in the right direction, i'd recommend an isotonic sports drink which will hydrate and refuel you :)
    Santa Cruz Butcher
  • tptvmbircn
    tptvmbircn Posts: 782
    it seems so, just had a read and also found how to make my own haha, well this is going well so far many thanks!
  • The Northern Monkey
    The Northern Monkey Posts: 19,174
    No problemo :)
    Santa Cruz Butcher

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