Eating food

portland_bill

This might sound like a silly question but I'm just curious as to how many of you concentrate on what you eat the day before or the day of a ride.

Two times recently, I've found myself struggling on not particularly long rides. The first time I hadn't eaten properly all morning because I was too busy sorting the kids out and by the time I'd got them sorted it was time to go out, so I didn't get any breakfast. I went out on my bike around lunchtime but realised just beforehand that I hadn't actually eaten anything so I just had a slice of toast with some peanut butter on it and went out for my ride. I got 10 miles in and started flagging really badly so just headed home.

On Tuesday night, I'd had a slice of toast with peanut butter for breakfast, a sandwich and a yoghurt for lunch and then did a 33 mile ride with my club in the evening and was fine most of the way around but at about 25miles just suddenly felt like I'd run out of energy and the last 5 miles were spent easing off to save some energy, then pushing on for a few mins, and then easing off again and so on...

I just wondered if anyone has any suggestions or recommendations as to what they eat or make sure they do to prepare for rides.

porker33

Of course you need fuel, eat well even if you are not riding, that way your body gets used to it.

portland_bill

Very helpful! Cheers!

ShutUpLegs

A sensible balanced diet is all that is needed

phreak

Not sure what you normally eat but a slice of toast, then a sandwich and a yoghurt is not much food at all. If I was training I'd probably have that much for breakfast alone.

I mean your BMR is probably going to be around 1800, so even if you did nothing all day you'd need that much, and that's ignoring your training requirements. I'd be surprised if you've even topped 800 there.

portland_bill

Trying to lose weight at the same time though so don't want to pile up on calories just to make more to have to burn off.

t.m.h.n.e.t

Portland Bill wrote:

Trying to lose weight at the same time though so don't want to pile up on calories just to make more to have to burn off.

That isn't how it works.

Calculated BMR x exercise level = Maintenance calories - sensible deficit which factors exercise.

ie: 3000maintenance - 1000 = 500cals from food deficit/500 burned through activity. You can't consume much less than your body requires,then burn more again through exercise,It simply can't work.

http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

dw300

If you're one of these people who eat their dinner at 6pm and then don't eat again till morning, and then miss breakfast .. that's over half a day where you're depleting your glycogen. Do that several days in a row and you'll feel like sh*te. You only use a little from each meal to replenish it, it can take 2 or 3 days in some cases, because if you're only eating to fuel your current activity the level never rises.

I think this is a massive reason where you get people who are completely bone idle, and have a taste of fatty foods and less so for sweet carbs carbs. They go around complaining they're always tired and lethargic even though they never do anything.

portland_bill

Both interesting posts and pretty much what I was looking for. My eating patterns aren't necessarily what they should be but I have a pretty good diet excepting the odd blow out every few weeks when the smell of salt and vinegar from the local chippy catches my nostrils, but yeah, we eat a good balance of fish, chicken, red meat, veg and carby stuff.

I guess what I should have said is are there any foods you avoid/target eating the day or so before a big ride?

I'm going to look into what you said though T.M.H.N.E.T. Sounds interesting.

ShutUpLegs

Portland Bill wrote:

I guess what I should have said is are there any foods you avoid/target eating the day or so before a big ride?

Curry

ut_och_cykla

Take something simple with you on longer/harder rides - like flapjack, jam sarnie, diluted fruit juice,banana etc. If you eat ok day before (& don't ride that day) you should be topped up - but carb stores will only last 1-3 hours depending on how hard you ride, and you can only take up about 60g carbs/hour -so starting topped up with normal diet & extras little & often during ride will help a lot. As you get fitter you will be able to ride harder/further withoout extras too - good luck!

t.m.h.n.e.t

ut_och_cykla wrote:

Take something simple with you on longer/harder rides - like flapjack, jam sarnie, diluted fruit juice,banana etc. If you eat ok day before (& don't ride that day) you should be topped up - but carb stores will only last 1-3 hours depending on how hard you ride, and you can only take up about 60g carbs/hour -so starting topped up with normal diet & extras little & often during ride will help a lot. As you get fitter you will be able to ride harder/further withoout extras too - good luck!

80g

Herbsman

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

ut_och_cykla wrote:

Take something simple with you on longer/harder rides - like flapjack, jam sarnie, diluted fruit juice,banana etc. If you eat ok day before (& don't ride that day) you should be topped up - but carb stores will only last 1-3 hours depending on how hard you ride, and you can only take up about 60g carbs/hour -so starting topped up with normal diet & extras little & often during ride will help a lot. As you get fitter you will be able to ride harder/further withoout extras too - good luck!

80g

Depends.

ut_och_cykla

Wrote "about 60g" - some studies show closer to 100g hour for certain people & correct mix of carb typres/chain length but 60 is a pretty well accepted figure - point being made was compared to what you can use up 60g (or even 80) isn't going to get you very far if your reserves are already low...