Questions tagged [nutrition]
What foods and drinks are suitable for cycling and training.
64 questions
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Is high-carbs consumption during Z2 rides efficient for weight-loss?
I am bit overweight (BMI: 30+, 89kg/170cm), riding regularly 3 times a week, 2hrs/50+km/flat road each time. Rides are mostly in Z2, with occasional Z4 ride (once every 2-3 rides). I enjoy the rides, ...
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Is it possible to use a glucose monitor to determine when to fuel?
This is a sequel question.
The hunger trigger is all but obscure over long bike rides. It is possible, for example, to keep on riding until muscle glycogen, blood sugar, and liver glycogen are ...
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Is there an established system (intervals, total intake) for fueling over longer rides to avoid a drop in performance?
I have a supply of 100-calorie food (gels).
I go on 2400-calorie rides with a group. (The number is merely
my cyclometer's estimate.)
In previous similar rides, I found that I remained among the third
...
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Should I add my base metabolic rate to a calorie estimate from a ride?
Hı,
I am beginner in cycling . I learned my body's Base Metabolic Rate (BMR) is burning 1700 calories at rest.
For example I burned 2000 calories in 4 hour cycling workout. Should I eat 2000 burnt ...
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How does one extrapolate riding calories to fellow riders?
A 30-kg child, a 60-kg adult, and a 90-kg adult go on a bike ride.
The 60-kg adult uses a cyclocomputer, which knows the weight of the adult—and gender and age, as well as the weight of the bike.
At ...
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Blood sugar spikes from high GI foods - a problem?
I read a lot of people saying you shouldn't fuel with sugary/high GI (Glycaemic Index)1 foods, as you'll get a blood sugar spike, an insulin release to cope with it, and then a subsequent blood sugar ...
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From the perspective of a cyclist, what is a common way to hydrate throughout the day?
A couple of nights ago, I went for a ride. My destination was only about 4 miles away from my house, and it was a downhill journey. Of course, I had to ride back up many hills to get back home, and ...
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What is the minimum carb intake to not bonk (but also not put on weight)?
Going on long bike rides (or otherwise doing any form of endurance workout) can result in "hitting the wall" or "bonking".
The well-known solution is to be mindful of one's carb ...
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Do you oscillate your diet along with your riding?
Briefly
If on alternate days you cycle and rest, and your ride uses, say, 1200 calories, what's better, to eat 2600 calories daily (and then where does the deficit come from on the riding days?) or to ...
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Why is lactose never mentioned as a fuel for cycling, either for short fast races or endurance?
Sucrose, dextrose, glucose and fructose, but never lactose. Why not, what's wrong with it as a source of fuel?
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Glycogen depletion, post-brief-ride recovery, and diet adjustment
On a mountain bike I had been working my way to minimize the time it takes me to do a 25-km round-trip.
Then on a road bike I have been trying to do the same for a 40-km round-trip.
My objective on ...
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Are there any studies on fat burning in performance cyclists?
I know if you're dawdling along you can eat pretty much anything to keep you going, but if you're putting in effort you need to take on carbs/sugars, right?
Anecdotally from a pro coach who said it ...
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How quickly can the body restore energy reserves mid-ride/post-bonk, and how do we optimise this?
I'm interested in how we can maximise restoring energy stores (mainly glycogen, but I'm deliberately being vague) either between closely spaced rides or on long rides.
I ask in the context of a ...
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4L of water and 2 max protein bars. Is it sufficient for a four hour ride? [closed]
I am from India and it's really tough getting gels. So I thought I'd put for protein bars which are pretty easy to get. But Alot of people say to have carbohydrates every hour of your ride. Can anyone ...
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Do I need to be aware of my diet?
I have recently started biking consistently: commute 2x 5km@12min from/to school + 1x 12km@22min in the evening before dinner almost everyday.
Now I started reading and viewing deeper into the "...
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Touring on meal replacements (Soylent or alternatives). Anyone tried? Thoughts, impressions?
Has anyone tried going on a bicycle tour fueled by meal replacements like Soylent or alternatives?
Can you carry more food like this, could it give you more range, or open up areas of the map that ...
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Fuelling multi-day riding (carb loading/replacement)
Carb loading (cycling weekly) is reckoned to be useful for exercise over about 90 minutes, so is probably a good idea for all-day riding. Done properly you're taking on extra carbs starting 36--48 ...
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When should I use an energy gel?
I recently procured some energy gel tubes (as a prize for being able to pick up a coin from the ground while on my bike), and I'm not sure what to do with them. I mean, they're for eating, of course, ...
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How to avoid the road bike physique
Due to a house move I am soon to become a road bike commuter with approx. 18 miles to cover. I could do with loosing a few kgs but am worried about developing the emaciated physique so apparent in ...
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Ride a Century Without Stopping?
Under what circumstances would it be advisable to ride a century without stopping?
If a person had: 100% daylight; no mechanical failures; and, no stop signs or lights to deal with, it would seem ...
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How do I force my body to use triglycerides while training?
I am an amateur road cyclist (5'9" and 80kg) and happen to have a high level of triglycerides and VLDL.
I am trying to understand how the body uses fats as fuel on a ride and how I can force the ...
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Do fat cyclists bonk?
(this isn't a discussion on the attractiveness of large cyclists and likelihood of sexual congress...)
In my cycling career I have varied between 22 stone and 15 stone. At 6'2" the leanest I have ...
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What are good vegan diet resources for bicyclists? [closed]
I am a vegetarian, and I bike 100-150 miles a week. I see that many cyclists are vegans, and I would love to try a vegan diet compatible with the high energy input that cycling requires.
Can you ...
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What ingredients are necessary in a sports drink when you must drink a lot?
Comments to this answer say e.g.,
Can't stress enough how ... important it is to drink more than just water
... (and other people's comments then ask for details about the drink's contents).
The ...
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Eating while biking
I like to bike over my lunch hour, so I prefer to eat while biking if possible. My main problem is that I get all messy and will often choke when coming to a rapid stop. My weekly meals are pb &j ...
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Eating during a 170 mile ride
I am doing a solo, unsupported 2 day charity ride, covering 260 miles in total. I am not taking any panniers or backpack, the only things im taking will fit in my saddlebag and my jersey pockets.
...
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What is a good daytime nutrition plan for evening racing
I've joined a local road racing league, it's lots of fun. I'm pushing myself and breaking lots of PBs in the process of trying not to get dropped (which I inevitably do).
As well as the craft of ...
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Nutrition during long rides while reducing fat
I am reducing fat for a month doing gym and spinning, and now I'd want to add cycling to it. On spinning days I've been eating like in non-training days, about 2100kcal. But it lasted 1,5h max, what ...
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Why does hunger have a much more drastic effect in cycling than in other endurance activities?
When I'm out cycling I know that once I feel hungry, I only have around half an hour to refuel, otherwise I will bonk in a way that all performance is lost and it feels as if the only way to get me ...
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What does "2×4" refer when talking about food?
This post repeatedly uses "2×4" when referring to food eaten on a long, multiday tour. I suspect it's a shorthand for nutritional guidelines when planning meals but it's hard to Google for. What does ...
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Food to keep in pannier long-term until it's needed?
For long planned cycles, I'm able to plan to feed myself. But sometimes in the evenings I leave work and just decide to set out for an extra half an hour's cycling about for fun - then four hours ...
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Are out of date energy gels bad for you?
I have some energy gel sachets that are a few months out of date. Do they contain anything that might be dangerous after their best-before date?
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Food for 400+km ride? (in single session) [closed]
Last September I did a 400km trip in ~23 hours.
For food I went through 20 cliff bars. My stomach was pretty upset with all of those.
This year I wanna try 500km.
I am looking for an alternative ...
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Is it realistic to fuel a long ride with NO sugar?
On a 6 hr. ride, I will burn around 4,800 cals.
Assuming I start the ride fully carb loaded with around 1,500 cals in me, that means I will have to consume an additional 3,300 cals over the 6 hours, ...
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What's the quickest "boost food" whilst riding in a fast bunch?
I am starting to ride with a bunch of cyclists doing on average 40 to 50k.
My personal average is around mid 30s to 45k/hr.
Aside from proper training, exercise and leg muscles, what food do you ...
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What are some good trail foods for long rides in mountainous terrain?
I'm going to be heading out to Durango in a couple weeks to ride and race and I could use some suggestions for good foods/snacks to take with when riding for 3-4 hours on singletrack trails. I'll be ...
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What supplies do riders carry on century sportives and how do they carry it?
I'm planning to ride my first century sportive later this summer and am wondering what I should carry along on the ride, and how I should carry it. It's clear to me from my training rides that ...
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Improving metabolic efficiency
I'm doing road cycling, on hills, over long distances.
Typically at the moment, I'll do two 30-40 mile evening rides in just under 2 hours. Generally either 50ft per mile climb or 100ft per mile ...
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What can I do to help me sustain frequent long-ish rides?
After nearly a year of commuting by bicycle to and from work 2-3 days per week, I have recently started cycling to work every day, 5 days a week, rain or shine. My commute is about 11-15 miles each ...
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Food during cross country ride
I'm trying to put together a list of foods I can easily replenish in the USA as I tour around the country on my bike. I'm looking for things that are:
non-perishable or last in 100F heat for at least ...
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Training fasted: just about weight loss?
Preparing for a 100mile ride in August I was thinking of following a training plan which came in a "Sportive Guide" given away with Cycling Plus magazine this month.
Some of the days on the plan ...
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How can I warm up/cook food while cycling?
I've been doing lots of long-distance cycling this year (150+ kilometers). With that much riding, there's obviously a need for some sustenance, and I'd rather not stop just to eat.
The protein/carb ...
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How can somebody with Type I diabetes keep blood sugar levels acceptable during and after a multi-hour ride?
I recently upgraded my bike to a Merckx EMX1 and started doing some serious riding. I am riding 50–70km(30–45 miles once a week usually including a second cat climb and sometimes one or ...
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What are some good eating habits? [closed]
I want to get myself back into road cycling. When I first bought my bike I was serious and was riding everyday 20-30 miles. I got burned out because I wasn't eating right.
This time around I want to ...
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Avoiding being wiped out after work commute?
I work ~15 miles from home and have made the decision to make the commute via bike. This is for a couple reasons. First of which being I don't actually have my license yet, second being that taking ...
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Cross training athlete, running out of energy during long rides, what should I eat before I ride?
I'm a high performance rower that uses cycling extensively to cross train (the local waterways are.....suboptimal some of the time).
When I'm out for longer rides (2-3hr) I generally run out of ...
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What foods do you consume after biking to retain energy?
I am a vegan and I bike around 10 miles to and fro from office everyday. After biking to office, I find myself in a low energy state which persists all through the day. I tried having couple of ...
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Will changing from a touring bike to a racing bike improve my energy level?
I'm 50 and have been cycling for years, but only 25 mile rides and indoor training. I've been training for 8 weeks, adding 5 miles a week to my big ride, but at 60 miles it is taking me 4:20 and I can'...
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Is this a good source of food for 25-50 mile ride?
I like to mix almonds, walnuts, raisins, cashews and dried blueberries together have them as a snack throughout the day. I've never tried this food source on a 25-50 mile ride. I'd like some thoughts ...
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Why aren't Tour de France riders going any faster?
I was having a look at the average speeds of the winner of the Tour de France over the years on this page. To help things along I put the data into LibreOffice and produced a plot:
I put on the chart ...
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