Is there a 'pro way' of drinking/eating on the bike?

csp

Whenever I eat or drink during hard efforts, I'm gasping for air afterwards and my heart rate goes way up. Pros appear to be completely uneffected by any such effects even during obviously very hard efforts in breakaways or the final kilometers of a race.

plowmar

Must admit this hasn't happened to me, but I do tend only to have eats or drinks before putting an effort in to allow me to have some energy.

I can see that you are not a newcomer so are your rides constant effort or do you have regular slack timed that you can use to take on food etc. and is it quick acting or slow burn stuff which could make the heart work harder to get blood to the tummy.

Pgascoyne

One thing I try to do is take small bites of food or sips of water and time it so that when I swallow it doesn't interfere with my breathing.

So try not to gulp water or stuff your mouth with too much food as your restricting your ability to take on board oxygen and thus only able to breathing through your nose(when chewing food) and none at all when gulping a large amount of fluid.

When you're seriously exerting yourself it's even harder to do the simplest thing as take a sip as you find you're panting so much you physically can't eat or drink until you've gotten your breathing under control.
I hope that make sense! :?

csp

Thanks for the replies. Of course, my rides aren't all out efforts all the time, but I wanted to know if there was some way of being able to eat or drink without disrupting the rhythm of breathing (sort of like musicians' circular breathing)

nferrar

Best thing is to avoid eating during a really hard effort, other than that there's no magic trick, as said above just eat small amounts at a time so you can breath more.

McBain_v1

The "bite-sized chunks" way is usually best. I cut up my Torq bars into little cubes so I can just pop one in my gob as I cycle along (works best if you have a Tri-bar bag). Think about fueling up before making your ball-busting effort.

GiantMike

I find it's best to take a huge gulp of drink just as you're breathing in hard to make sure you get a good cough/gasp cycle going. If you do it well you can get the drink up your nose too and all over the bars.

I did a great one of these on a 25 mile TT.

danowat

Definately wait for a lesser effort part before taking on food or drink.

In a long TT (50 and above), I tend to wait till after the / a turn, or a downhill part before drinking.

sjedwardz

Its certainly a lot easier than doing it whilst running!

I find that when on the bike I still have an appetite and can eat most things some of the Ultra runs I did I really had to force food down me and often had to stop just to be able to swallow. I think running is a lot more of a stress on the system.

I remember trying to save some time on one running race by trying to add water to an isotonic powder WHILST running. Needless to say it didn't work and I spent the rest of the time wearing a sticky mess :oops:

Ron Stuart

Some good tips above, all I would add is to practise eating and drinking when it's difficult ie. up a hill (not too steep) on a training ride get used to getting food out of rear pockets at speed and think about what size bites you need to store in the pocket, also try undoing an end of a wrapper before you set off, maybe put all food bites in one pocket and other stuff in other pockets. Practise, practise makes you safer rider as well as you can eat drink in a straight line.

keef66

eating / drinking like a pro seems to involve some kind of hand signal which heralds the arrival of the team car and an impromptu mobile picnic.

when I start waving at passing motorists all I get is abuse!

bluesparx

I have the same problem and I think it may be due to narrow nasal passages. This is definitely an issue for certain people who have to wear those nose expander devices, and I often wondered why because I always breath with my mouth hanging gormlessly open. I now realise this may not be the norm. It might be worth trying one yourself.

Herbsman

Why on earth anyone would want to eat while riding up a hill is beyond me. If you are able to eat even a gel when climbing then you're not doing it hard enough.

csp

bluesparx wrote:

I have the same problem and I think it may be due to narrow nasal passages. This is definitely an issue for certain people who have to wear those nose expander devices, and I often wondered why because I always breath with my mouth hanging gormlessly open. I now realise this may not be the norm. It might be worth trying one yourself.

This could be it. I can hardly breathe through my nostrils.

Ron Stuart

Herbsman wrote:

Why on earth anyone would want to eat while riding up a hill is beyond me. If you are able to eat even a gel when climbing then you're not doing it hard enough.

The reason is two fold,

Firstly it is difficult, and if you able to do this with the least discomfort plus skill then when you do it on the flatter parcours you will find it easier and the chances are that you will ride still in a straight line.

Secondly I did the Maratona dles Dolomitie Grand Fondo some years back and as far as fueling is concerned you either only eat/drink at the feeds which are absolutely rammed with bikes banging into the back of your legs as people take their bikes as well to the tables of food, or you learn to eat as you go on parcours that either going up or down for large periods of time. You will find that on the descents with the number of bikes about traveling at a huge range of speeds you will want both hands on the handlebars. So that leaves two options:-

1. You learn to eat when it's difficult, in a bunch maybe in the saddle but climbing, not on the steep sections.

or ....

2. You get the hunger knock and die a thousand deaths.

That's why my friend.
Sure if the ride has flat sections make the most of it but there are a large number of crashes where riders switch off, go for the drinks/food in a bunch wobble hit a wheel and end up on the deck. You have seen the pro’s crash on the flat, well it can happen at times just as easy with raw amateurs.

Pro Riders pedal up large climbs, take a gillet or newspaper at the last 50-80m then take hands off bars while still riding up get themselves re-clothed then do the descent.

Rouge Penguin

Practice.
Dont try too eat/drink if youre breathing heavily, just wait till youve caught your breath. Small gulps, not trying to knock it in one.

Ron Stuart

Rouge Penguin wrote:

Practice.
Dont try too eat/drink if youre breathing heavily, just wait till youve caught your breath. Small gulps, not trying to knock it in one.

Now your talking but not while your eating :oops:

d87heaven

I find squirting the drink into my mouth by squeezing the bottle best, that way I can still breathe whilst taking the drink. If I have to suck at the teet I get all breathless :shock:

Ron Stuart

d87heaven wrote:

I find squirting the drink into my mouth by squeezing the bottle best, that way I can still breathe whilst taking the drink. If I have to suck at the teet I get all breathless :shock:

"to suck at the teet"....... now I'm getting breathless :shock:

Herbsman

Ron Stuart wrote:

Herbsman wrote:

Why on earth anyone would want to eat while riding up a hill is beyond me. If you are able to eat even a gel when climbing then you're not doing it hard enough.

The reason is two fold,

Firstly it is difficult, and if you able to do this with the least discomfort plus skill then when you do it on the flatter parcours you will find it easier and the chances are that you will ride still in a straight line.

Secondly I did the Maratona dles Dolomitie Grand Fondo some years back and as far as fueling is concerned you either only eat/drink at the feeds which are absolutely rammed with bikes banging into the back of your legs as people take their bikes as well to the tables of food, or you learn to eat as you go on parcours that either going up or down for large periods of time. You will find that on the descents with the number of bikes about traveling at a huge range of speeds you will want both hands on the handlebars. So that leaves two options:-

1. You learn to eat when it's difficult, in a bunch maybe in the saddle but climbing, not on the steep sections.

or ....

2. You get the hunger knock and die a thousand deaths.

That's why my friend.
Sure if the ride has flat sections make the most of it but there are a large number of crashes where riders switch off, go for the drinks/food in a bunch wobble hit a wheel and end up on the deck. You have seen the pro’s crash on the flat, well it can happen at times just as easy with raw amateurs.

Pro Riders pedal up large climbs, take a gillet or newspaper at the last 50-80m then take hands off bars while still riding up get themselves re-clothed then do the descent.

TL;DR. Sorry