When to take on board food?

Brushiemma10w

I realise this will vary from person to person, but as a rule, roughly at what distance would you start to consume food on the bike? 30/40/50+ miles?
Assuming you've eaten a decent breakfast and set off within an hour of finishing same.
When taking on board fluids, I know you should drink before you're thirsty, but should you eat before you're hungry?
Sorry for the dumbass questions, but don't want to set off on a longer ride without adequate fuel

turboslave

After lots of experimenting, when I am on a longer ride over 1.5hrs, I take on food every hour of my ride normally starting within the first hr, I find this not only helps on the ride, no more coming home empty, but also improves my recovery.

Intake could be anything from a banana, half an energy bar, fig roll, gell ect all consumed with an energy drink.

Shorter rides are a quick scoff before a ride with water only.

atb

Down the Road

30 MILES Water
40 miles water
50 miles water and maybe a gel after 2 hours

All finished with an espresso at the end and breakfast

rick_chasey

For me, on a fast club run after the first 90 minutes it's every 20minutes of something or else I get hungry. > and that is after a big lunch.

I have also noticed I eat waaay more frequently then others on the ride.


On rides on my own I can go 2hrs without any food if I've eaten reasonably beforehand.


As such, I have concluded it is a very personal thing.

Slack

There is not really a right or wrong answer, as it depends on how much your body has adapted to cycling (ie how fit you are), and the intensity of the ride. All you can do is try different things. However, you should definitely eat before you're hungry.

One year on for me and I'm just about working out what works for me; which is:

For long steady rides of 45 miles plus, where it's likely I'm out for 3-6 six hours I will start to graze after the first hour, and then every 30-45mins with a large mouthful of something.

Fast club rides of 35 miles I don't bother at all with food or energy drink as these are often over within 2 hours.

Apperently at different levels of intensity your body uses different ratios of fat and carbs as energy, A really slow ride will burn more fat than carbs, and vice versa for high intensity.

nakita222

I start eating from around 30miles
30miles carb/electrolyte drink
30-40miles carb/electrolyte drink half a bar
40-50 carb/electrolyte drink 1bar
50-60 carb/electrolyte drink 2bar
60-70 car/electrolyte drink 3bars, and I still bonk

In the summer I prefer gels,they don't melt or go squidgee like bars. Although, the don't give me the same kick.

springtide9

OK for 2 hrs, but use carb/electrolyte drinks as I find they are better for hydration than just water.

If longer than 2 hrs, will eat a bar once per hour. Don't generally use Gels as they seem to give me cramps (and there is not enough substance), but useful for running (as you can't eat a bar and run easily)

I have tried 'cake shop' stops, but find cake doesn't hit the spot unfortunately. Bars are generally not very nice, but work for me.

Have yet to 'bonk' using this strategy - "so if it isn't broke..." [I'm reluctant to change]
In terms of distance using the above, have managed a 125 mile ride as well as an 8hr MTB endurance race.

Not skinny, so eating on rides is the least of my worries in terms of weekly food intake.

Nerrep

Depends on ride length for me. Anything up to 25 miles, I don't eat at all. 25-35, I'll eat a cereal bar at about half way. More than this, I'll eat a mouthful of something (Snickers being a current favourite) every thirty minutes from setting off. I'll generally have a couple of gulps of energy drink (ribena, diluted 1:4 with a bit of salt in) every ten to fifteen minutes whatever the ride length.

This works fine for me. The last time I tried not eating, I was very seriously considering stopping passers by and begging them for food after around 40 miles

Dmak

turboslave wrote:

1.5hrs

+1

Anything over this and yeah I take food. Any old crap will do for me, chocolate, flapjacks, mars bars. Plus an electrolyte drink.

Anything less I take only water and make sure I'm well watered before I leave.

MrBibble

I need to do more miles :shock:

I did a 24miler at the weekend, 1hr in and i'm over halfway on the first bottle and a banana and cereal bar down already. Protein shake and a big breakfast chased down with a muscle pump NOX drink for good measure!

Considered skinny at 74kgs and six foot tall 8)

Monty Dog

Typically, 1-2 hours before you start depleting your body reserves and after about 3 hours you'll 'bonk' if not topped up (depending on exercise intensity / your 'economy'). If you're on a long ride start taking on energy food / drinks after about 30 mins. You'll need to find out what works for you. Avoid straight sugars / chocolate as the glycemic kick can may you feel worse after an initial high - complex carbs such as bananas and cereal / energy bars are better

captain_tiara

Although best to avoid bananas in the summer if it's hot & you're sweating.

You sweat a lot of sodium, bananas contain a lot of potassium, & you end up with an electrolyte imbalance [trust me I done me a degree in dis stuff].

Personally I eat a lot of flapjack & malt loaf, for rides over 25miles, starting around the hour mark. You've got about an hours worth of energy in your muscles, after that it's gylcogen pulled from your liver [opposite effect from insulin] & after that it's fat catalysis.

Once you've bonked you've bonked.

Bar Shaker

Better to eat too soon than too late.

After an hour I eat a fig roll or two every 30 minutes and also have a gel on the second hour then every hour.

I have Lucozade powder in my my drinks.

SBezza

Down the Road wrote:

30 MILES Water
40 miles water
50 miles water and maybe a gel after 2 hours

+1 to this, but not a gel, these are only used for racing by myself. I would have a bar of some description possibly, or take energy drink instead of water.

Basically for me, anything less than 2.5 hours is done without food, especially after eating a breakfast. Endurance rides of 50+ miles I would eat after about 1.5 hours and every hour eat a bar.

You should be able to do a hard 2 hour ride without bonking if you eat a decent diet, with training you can go longer. I have done 2.5 hour tempo rides without food, and haven't bonked.