Cycle to work nutrition

Twi78

Dear all!

I have recently starting cycling, more so in the past year, and towards the end of last season before light ended play, I started cycling to work. My aim this year is to go all out starting in the next couple of weeks and cycle 2-3 times per week. My route is 12 miles each way with 1, 2 mile climb (5%) and 3 short sharp climbs (10%). Its a great route and really enjoy it but found that when I attempted 3 cycles in a week, come the Saturday I was falling asleep in the afternoon and just felt tired. I have been told it is probably to do with my nutrition before and after the journey, but not really sure what I should be taking for a 40 minute journey each way?

Can anyone give any nutrition advice for my commutes?

Thanks

daxplusplus

It could be nutrition but it could also just be that your tired

Try and get enough sleep - I find it very easy to build up a bit of a sleep deficit across the working week and then come the weekend I too am really tired. Without work to get you up and out of the house I think my body suddenly realises how tired it actually is.

You could also be tired just becuase your body is not used to the new work loads .. up to a point this simply gets better with time as your body adapts.

As of last May I started to cysle into work too .. 45 mile round trip. Started once a week and as of Sept was 3 times a week. The other two days I go rock climbing in the evening. Come the weekend if I've been staying up late I bloody well feel it. Nothing to do with nutrition.

If I don't eat well then I just run out of energy on the rides themselves. To get over that I used to have an "energy" drink on each ride - over time I've weaned myself off of these as I don't think they are necessary if you eat well the rest of the time.

noodleman

Wouldn't think anything is needed other than proper meals. Unless you are already doing lots of other exercise. 40 mins isn't a huge amount of excersise. Maybe eat a breakfast bar when you get to work and then Just your lunch at midday. Over time, you will find it much less tiring.

Monty Dog

I would avoid the temptation to think you need to eat more as you could end up putting on weight - all your energy needs can be readily supplied by your body 'stores' and 40 mins isn't enough to metabolise any food consumed on the way. A balanced diet should meet your needs but perhaps eating a banana or cereal bar when you get to work will 'top you up'.

t5nel

I have a similar sounding commute to you (though less hilly) from sunny Crowthorne to less sunny Aldershot.

If I have been off the bike for a bit and I jump back in with 5 days a week I do find I need more sleep! My wife notices as normally I would head up to bed after her where as when cycling my body tells me to sleep more. I definitely over-ate at first based on ludicrous garmin calorie assumptions!!! To be honest if you really are not eating enough I would expect to get symptoms like light headedness when standing up quickly etc. and real lethargy (e.g. you suddenly realise that you have been completely motionless on the sofa for 30 minutes)

Tiredness means just that IME

Tim

SBezza

As mentioned above, nothing special needed. If you have time, eat breakfast before you leave for work. If you can't do that, just have breakfast when you get to work.

You don't mention how many hours sleep you get a night during the week, if you are not getting enough hours during the week, they body will try and make up for it somehow.

CiB

Proper breakfast, decent mid-day intake and a proper evening meal will suffice for 12 miles. As above, it's 40 mins give or take. That's not enough to warrant a special diet, but you might be right to assume you've earnt a bar of chocolate occasionally.

I do 20+ a couple of days a week and all 5 days last week and don't feel the need to eat energy bars, energy drinks & energy meals. Odd bar of chocolate though, or a packet of choc digestives in the cupboard? Mmm yes please.

alihisgreat

a sugary sports drink should be enough to top you up at work/home assuming you are eating proper meals.. and as a bonus it will hydrate you better so you will feel better and recover faster as a result of that.


I tend to neck a bottle of Lucozade sport to give me a small carb boost (and rehydrate because I'm a sweaty guy), and don't eat anything after a ride unless i go over 30miles or push really hard.


the 2 miles climb is probably the bit doing the damage, you just need a little sugar boost at the end of the ride.

team47b

Monty Dog wrote:

I would avoid the temptation to think you need to eat more as you could end up putting on weight - all your energy needs can be readily supplied by your body 'stores' and 40 mins isn't enough to metabolise any food consumed on the way. A balanced diet should meet your needs but perhaps eating a banana or cereal bar when you get to work will 'top you up'.

Carbs (especially simple ones) are converted to glucose within minutes, it's protein conversion to energy that takes a long time.

But I agree if you eat your carb breakfast as part of your balanced diet before you set off you will have enough energy to cycle for 40 minutes. As a rough guide 10grams of carbs would be enough energy to do that ride, a small bowl of porridge, 40grams is about 15grams of carbs. Eat some protein within 30 minutes of finishing your ride to help muscle repair.

You're probably just tired. Have a nap

mrbrightside

I have a similar 12.5 mile each way commute, just without the hills. I'm currently just under 90kg's and trying to get down to 85kg and i do the following;

Glass of water
Cycle into work
3 x wheetabix
mid-morning couple of boiled eggs / bananas
1pm protein shake
2pm weights session in the gym
3pm sweet potato and tin tuna.
5.30 cycle home
Dinner soup and some chicken or similar

I find this enough, if anything feel more awake..

mrbrightside

... oh, and some green tea tablets through the day. that might help lol!

Pross

I usually have 3 Weetabix before I leave, a fairly light lunch and some more Weetabix an hour before I leave as I found myself flagging on the ride home a few times in the past (18.5 mile each way). I've just started commuting regularly as well as upping my leisure riding, going to the gym regularly and watching my food intake to lose weight. i was noticeably tired for the first couple of weeks but I think it was just my body adjusting to the shock of the sudden increase in work. 6 weeks in and I'm feeling better than I have in years.

MichaelW

I have 4 weetabix. Beat that!!!!
You should eat as big a breakfast as you can cope with, pref a slow release, complex carb style (porridge, museli, wholemeal toast etc).
I used to scoff my packed lunch around 11:00 then go for a proper lunch later.
Stuffing a big carb-heavy lunch will make you sleepy. I get into the habit of a coffee and something sugary to get me through the 2:30 low.
Have a bite to eat about 1 hr before your ride home.
Make sure you drink enough during the day.
Dont be afraid to take a day off riding.
Have a big meal in the evening after your ride.

Get into a habit and your body should cope OK.

simon_e

If you eat reasonably the day before you should be able to ride to work without eating beforehand.

I don't have anything before riding the ~40mins to work these days and don't feel any worse for it. I have a large glass of warm water before getting ready to leave the house, then juice and porridge and sometimes some walnut halves or almonds at work. Mid-afternoon I have a banana or some raisins if I feel a bit peckish. Afternoon slump may be the body's reaction to a high GI lunch, I walk down the lane near work for 20mins to get me away from the desk.

After reading some articles (including some by http://www.optimumnutrition4sport.com/ who advocates training on empty) I have also been doing weekend morning rides for up to 2 hours a few times with no food and felt good.

My tiredness levels appear to depend more on sleep than anything else. A couple of disturbed nights is soon felt in the legs Unless you're trying to lose weight as well as ride hard you'll surely adapt to the distance in due course.

Flexisurfer

I have a 15 mile each way commute to work and ride every day when I'm doing 8am starts which is very other week. I don't eat anything prior to my ride in just take a bottle with a water and squash mix, on the ride home I try and eat a standard nutrigrain bar and have a cuppa about an hour before. I ride a different route home that's more challenging and generaly try and hammer it but feel fine after. I think you need to try and make sure you get something inside you prior to the ride home and just manage your diet in general, getting a good mix of carbs and protein.

Flexisurfer

MrBrightside wrote:

I have a similar 12.5 mile each way commute, just without the hills. I'm currently just under 90kg's and trying to get down to 85kg and i do the following;

Glass of water
Cycle into work
3 x wheetabix
mid-morning couple of boiled eggs / bananas
1pm protein shake
2pm weights session in the gym
3pm sweet potato and tin tuna.
5.30 cycle home
Dinner soup and some chicken or similar

I find this enough, if anything feel more awake..

Just read that you do a weights session at 2 then at 5:30 ride home, is that not counter productive?

t.m.h.n.e.t

Flexisurfer wrote:

MrBrightside wrote:

I have a similar 12.5 mile each way commute, just without the hills. I'm currently just under 90kg's and trying to get down to 85kg and i do the following;

Glass of water
Cycle into work
3 x wheetabix
mid-morning couple of boiled eggs / bananas
1pm protein shake
2pm weights session in the gym
3pm sweet potato and tin tuna.
5.30 cycle home
Dinner soup and some chicken or similar

I find this enough, if anything feel more awake..

Just read that you do a weights session at 2 then at 5:30 ride home, is that not counter productive?

I'd assume that he isn't a bodybuilder on a bulk so no.

MichaelW wrote:

I have 4 weetabix. Beat that!!!!
You should eat as big a breakfast as you can cope with, pref a slow release, complex carb style (porridge, museli, wholemeal toast etc).
I used to scoff my packed lunch around 11:00 then go for a proper lunch later.
Stuffing a big carb-heavy lunch will make you sleepy. I get into the habit of a coffee and something sugary to get me through the 2:30 low.
Have a bite to eat about 1 hr before your ride home.
Make sure you drink enough during the day.
Dont be afraid to take a day off riding.
Have a big meal in the evening after your ride.

Get into a habit and your body should cope OK.

You wouldn't need sugar to get through a low,if you didn't let your blood sugar level rise in the first place.

mrbrightside

Flexisurfer wrote:

MrBrightside wrote:

I have a similar 12.5 mile each way commute, just without the hills. I'm currently just under 90kg's and trying to get down to 85kg and i do the following;

Glass of water
Cycle into work
3 x wheetabix
mid-morning couple of boiled eggs / bananas
1pm protein shake
2pm weights session in the gym
3pm sweet potato and tin tuna.
5.30 cycle home
Dinner soup and some chicken or similar

I find this enough, if anything feel more awake..

Just read that you do a weights session at 2 then at 5:30 ride home, is that not counter productive?

At circa 700 cals, although not ideal, i'd say no, upper body (gym jones/hypertrophy) and core... but with kids at home and limited time you take what you can get.

I like cycling, i dont want to look like Wiggin's et al though...

Mr Dog

Pies

t.m.h.n.e.t

MrBrightside wrote:

Flexisurfer wrote:

MrBrightside wrote:

I have a similar 12.5 mile each way commute, just without the hills. I'm currently just under 90kg's and trying to get down to 85kg and i do the following;

Glass of water
Cycle into work
3 x wheetabix
mid-morning couple of boiled eggs / bananas
1pm protein shake
2pm weights session in the gym
3pm sweet potato and tin tuna.
5.30 cycle home
Dinner soup and some chicken or similar

I find this enough, if anything feel more awake..

Just read that you do a weights session at 2 then at 5:30 ride home, is that not counter productive?

At circa 700 cals, although not ideal, i'd say no, upper body (gym jones/hypertrophy) and core... but with kids at home and limited time you take what you can get.

I like cycling, i dont want to look like Wiggin's et al though...

Oh dear

mrbrightside

T.M.H.N.E.T wrote:

Oh dear

Oh dear?, someone has defected from the pro look ethos...

t.m.h.n.e.t

MrBrightside wrote:

T.M.H.N.E.T wrote:

Oh dear

Oh dear?, someone has defected from the pro look ethos...

You need to eat a lot more.

mrbrightside

T.M.H.N.E.T wrote:

MrBrightside wrote:

T.M.H.N.E.T wrote:

Oh dear

Oh dear?, someone has defected from the pro look ethos...

You need to eat a lot more.

Fair one.

I'm getting ravenous every few hours having to have a glass of milk before bed to get me through...

Also with the hunger there is the possibility if binging on crap.