Quick Fuel question?

CyclingObsession

I have been looking on the internet but cant find any answers, I need ur advice, before a workout do you eat the calories you burn so you can fuel your workout, or do you eat afterwards or during? If I was to do a 20k TT training would I eat those calories before hand, maybe an hour or so? Cheers obviously long rides I know u carboload the night before, but I am talking about burning 600-900 calories,

SBezza

No, for most sessions you would do you will have plenty of stored fuel if you eat a decent diet during the day. If I do a 2 hour tempo ride which would use around 1800-1900 calories for me, I will have a snack 2 hours before, but I will not eat 1800 calories, and I will not eat during the ride either, and I just use water as my fluids. If I was to do a 20km TT or more likely for me a 40km TT, I would just eat a snack of a banana or similar, there is no need for masses of food. For 20km, I would think about 400-500 calories max would be used and you have more than enough glycogen for this (unless you starve yourself during the day). After the TT I would get a small amount of carbs in and some protein, again it really isn't long enough to worry about special requirements, the daily diet would take care of such a low energy usage.

You don't need to carb load before a long ride either, maybe if you were racing a long distance race and knew you were going to struggle to get the calories in during the event, but for a training ride, just eat a normal diet and your body will fuel the majority of the ride from it's fat reserves.

Cookie91

I tend to eat something an hour or two before, if it is a small ride like a 20k TT.

Small ride 1 hour - 2
Banana or chocolate bar before.

Medium Ride 2-3 hours
Same as above, but perhaps a snack in my back pocket

Longer 3 hours +
Couple of banana's, few snacks like a flapjack and maybe a sandwich.

It's all personal preference, give it a few hours and you'll be quoted that the body has enough glycogen for a 2 hour ride blah blah blah... However i find it quite nice to have something to settle my stomach, i only found this by trial and error. The longer rides are when I need to eat though, or my legs just suddenly feel like lead and you better hope its downhill home at that point.

With regards to afterwards, i continue my day as normal and eat my usual dinner. You may choose to drink special shakes etc. but nothing can beat some good solid well balanced food, followed by a cuppa tea and time appreciate to your hard work!

SBezza

Cookie91 wrote:

It's all personal preference, give it a few hours and you'll be quoted that the body has enough glycogen for a 2 hour ride blah blah blah... However i find it quite nice to have something to settle my stomach, i only found this by trial and error. The longer rides are when I need to eat though, or my legs just suddenly feel like lead and you better hope its downhill home at that point.

It has more than enough for greater than 2 hours depending on effort and how well adapted you are to burning fat efficiently. I have done 4 hour + rides on just water so it is possible, though I would suggest longer rides having something to eat is a better way of doing it.

There is enough stored glycogen when fully topped up for around 2 hours at a threshold effort (though you won't be able to do 2 hours at threshold), any intensity lower than threshold will use a mixture of glycogen and fat, the proportions of each are entirely unique and depend on how well fat adapted you are. For me I do regular (ie near daily) 2 hour hard rides with no food during the ride, but I do eat a good diet the rest of the time so I am always pretty well topped up glycogen wise. I wouldn't be able to eat anyhow as the intensity is too high to actually shove food down my throat LOL

Cookie91

I agree with you, just i see alot of posts on this forum where people mention the magic 2 hour glycogen store, and automatically it seems that some riders do this...

Rider A: " Hey, im doing my 2 hour tempo today."
Rider B: "Sweet, i brought two banans do you fancy the other one?"
Rider A:" No, im trying to lose weight plus you can ride for 2 hours without anything"
Rider B: "Cool, lets go!"
Few 1 hour 59 minutes later...
Rider A: " B!"
Rider B: " Yeah whats up? you got a puncture?"
Rider A:" No, we've have been riding for 1 hour and 59 minutes. I still got another 10 minutes to get home."
Rider B: "So?"
Rider A: "I don't know, 10 seconds till 2 hours! What if i explode?"
Rider B: "LOL!"

Unfortunately, Rider A actually imploded as his body had run out of glycogen. No worries, Rider B won his local TT and dedicated his victory to the people in Costa Rica who are kind enough to provide the world with bananas.

On a more serious note:

but I do eat a good diet the rest of the time so I am always pretty well topped up

Pretty much hits the nail on the head.

CyclingObsession

cheers for response, I went out for my first 100km cycle of this season last Sunday and I felt really shit near the end of the ride lack of energy and not used to the distance, It took me 3hr 30 mins to do it which was slow, any advice for these kind of issue fuel wise to stop leg pain and weakness.

SBezza

CyclingObsession wrote:

cheers for response, I went out for my first 100km cycle of this season last Sunday and I felt really shoot near the end of the ride lack of energy and [b}not used to the distance[/b], It took me 3hr 30 mins to do it which was slow, any advice for these kind of issue fuel wise to stop leg pain and weakness.

I doubt it was due to fuel, most likely fatigue, certainly if you were doing a distance that you are not used to. No doubt food helps, but it will not magically get rid of fatigue. Do them more frequently and you will get fitter and you will do them easier or harder.

bahzob

SBezza wrote:

No, for most sessions you would do you will have plenty of stored fuel if you eat a decent diet during the day. If I do a 2 hour tempo ride which would use around 1800-1900 calories for me, I will have a snack 2 hours before, but I will not eat 1800 calories, and I will not eat during the ride either, and I just use water as my fluids. If I was to do a 20km TT or more likely for me a 40km TT, I would just eat a snack of a banana or similar, there is no need for masses of food. For 20km, I would think about 400-500 calories max would be used and you have more than enough glycogen for this (unless you starve yourself during the day). After the TT I would get a small amount of carbs in and some protein, again it really isn't long enough to worry about special requirements, the daily diet would take care of such a low energy usage.

You don't need to carb load before a long ride either, maybe if you were racing a long distance race and knew you were going to struggle to get the calories in during the event, but for a training ride, just eat a normal diet and your body will fuel the majority of the ride from it's fat reserves.

This pretty much sums it up. Since this topic appears so often may be worth keeping it as a sticky.