Best nutrition during and after ride

matudavey

During a ride I always use High5, but only use the caffeine version twice per week, to try not to desensitise to it.
I often use creatine; despite the extra weight from water retention I find it does assist with cycling performance and recovery.

I've tried the train low/race high method of training with Zero hydration tablets and found that performance during training was terrible; you're training your muscles and CV system, not your ability to metabolise sugar!

After - I find BCAAs during and after a ride help a lot with muscle soreness (powder in drinks and tabs for general use).
Vitamin C (I have the effervescent ones) seems to help with recovery too.
Cereal with lots of fruit, seeds and protein shake straight after seems to hit the spot and get a good mixture of fast and slow carbs and protein to refuel and recover.
For the longer term post-exercise I eat a lot of vegetables, protein and don't skimp on the fat.

Herbsman

Further to my comments above, SIS Go bars are WAY too hard. I strained my jaw muscles eating one on a training camp despite the ambient temperature being close to 30 degrees.

Herbsman

How much is a Snickers bar BTW? And how much do they weigh?

I think ham and cheese sandwiches are far superior to energy bars or nutty chocolate bars for endurance rides...

ric/rstsport

really? I find the cherry one softish and chewy. and that was in 7or 8oC!

how would a ham & cheese sandwich be superior? (i'm not saying i dont eat similar, but i'm curious in what way you think it's superior)

Herbsman

Only because they're (a bit) less processed, and take longer to digest so I can ride longer without getting hungry again. Also, they taste much nicer than sickly sweet energy bars, which I get sick of after one or two.

I think the cherry ones are softest although still too hard. Banana ones are the worst. Maybe it varies from batch to batch but I've had 150 of them over the last few years and they've all been pretty hard, with the last batch I bought being the hardest.

ric/rstsport

i'm guessing, if you say purchase sliced ham that people buy ready sliced that this is pretty badly processed (i'm a vegetarian so don't eat meat etc, but i see what my partner buys for sliced ham). cheese is also processed. bread too is processed. whether they're more or less processed than energy bars i'm not entirely sure, but i wouldn't call them natural (that would be something like a piece of fresh fruit).

i don't find energy bars (or gels) sickly, sweet. but i do find the drinks overly sweet. i also find that i don't get that hungry when riding and so whatever i eat while riding fills me up.

the Torq bars are very soft (and tasty).

Tom Dean

I have tried a banana sis bar and they are delicious. I am too stingy to buy then all the time though. Bananas for me and maybe a cereal bar on longer rides. I only use energy drink in races.

okgo

Malt loaf is a good one I think. Do most if my training rides in winter with one of those. Cheap, tasty enough, easy to carry, low fat for all the haters and energy packed. On the rides where we stop then its cake for me

mrfpb

Re: Snickers

To quote Tim Lawson of SIS (Sports Nutrition leader) "Fats are highly calorific but there are essential fatty acids which you need. There is no such thing as an essential carbohydrate." from spring 2013 edition of Cycling Fitness magazine.

Given the number of energy and protein bars containing nuts on the market, buying a snickers for 1/2 of the price sounds like a good idea. Peanuts seem to be a superfood for sporty types.

buckles

That's why I can't understand why people don't eat the skin on chicken, they're scared of a natural fat but they still put artificial, processed, 'spreadable butter' on their toast :?

thiscocks

Milk

mrfpb

thiscocks wrote:

Milk

Yes, but after or at a cafe stop. Not so good for carrying on the bike on a hot day.

matudavey

mrfpb wrote:

thiscocks wrote:

Milk

Yes, but after or at a cafe stop. Not so good for carrying on the bike on a hot day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FM3Em7FIOc

thiscocks

Lol definitely after, although never tried it on bike I'm sure I'd echo Ron burgundys comment