Cyclists - any fueling tips?

izobel

I've been cycling about 6 months. Love it. Do 2-3 hours 5 times a week at around 22k/hr. Not so fast but full-on pedaling because it is a flat course - no climbs, no coasting - and always a strong headwind in one direction (and inexplicably the other direction as well, I'm sure!). Unfortunately it makes me permanently hungry. Any suggestions for either fueling before, or really filling foods for after? I've always been a distance runner and it doesn't make me as hungry and burns so many more calories.

Any advice welcome because if I ate to satisfy my hunger I would pile on the weight.

KatieM7

I eat high fiber and high protein foods and that helps me with the hunger! Hope that helps.

skywalker

Take a few Cliff bars on your rides. They help me when I feel like I'm running out of steam on a long ride.

tavander

Try some Sharkies. Just google it, they are yummy and I found they were easy to keep in a pocket and snack on while riding. Same with fig newtons. I would also make my healthy banana bread, cut into smaller pieces and make little peanut butter sandwiches out of it. Good carbs and protein.

goatskinlegs

Cliff's or Luna's are good, but I find that they always fall alittle short, or maybe I just have a high Metabolic rate. Either way, Met-RX makes the Big100,I can eat one of those wait 5 minutes and BAM!!!! exercise all day! Just a thought, but you can find them at most conveinent stores and gas stations so thats always good when you're on a ride. KEEP IT UP!

jacolyncoker

I ride my bike about 20 miles every day in 1 hour and 40 minutes, and usually I have a turkey sandwhich with green tea before I leave. And I bring water with the fiber powder mixed in with me.

tavander

I forgot to add, are you drinking more than just water? You'll need to replenish your electrolytes and salt. When i was training for my endurance event, i would alternate between 1 bottle electrolytes (i liked accelerade) and 1 bottle of Nuun. Sporting goods stores or cycle shops will often have sample sizes so you can see what works for you.

kjrosa

first of all my dad and brother are the ones that are avid "hard core" cyclist not me...maybe when i get down to my target weight ...my dad road across the united states and back when he was 17, and my dad and brother together, more times than i could count the fingers on my hands, have ridden from canada to mexico (my mom participated once...i was training for that ride but got pregnant so my mom took my place instead). my dad says he eats what ever he could get his hands on lol...no but really the best that they recommend is nuts and avocados for protein and fat, instant oatmeal (they are hard core and will mix it with their cold water and eat it) and apples for carbs, and gatorade for electrolytes...i hope that helps...that is what my family does and they swear by it ...they also say that when they pick up fast food because that is their only choice that they feel really sluggish and more intense muscle pain...they say that they feel the best when they stick to the foods i told you above even though it can get boring after a while...

hope that helps

PaleoIsPossible

I used to eat cottage cheese & all bran bran buds mixed together before I went on rides, because it kept me from getting hungry. However, I did some research recently, and from many sources I've heard it's not beneficial to eat anything high in fiber before rides (or any work out for that matter) because it reduces your body's ability to process sugar which you need for energy. So since then, I'll eat an apple or an orange, and a graham cracker or something and just bring a power bar with me or something in case I get hungry on the way, but I haven't yet so far... probably because my mind is so focused on riding, and tends to just block everything else out.

happy_jax

If I ever haven't had enough to eat/drink throughout the day to give me energy before a big ride - I always have some of the Powerbar supplement. (Powerbar Energize - Orange C2 Max Drink). They do berry and lemon flavours too, though the orange is my favourite. It's in powder format, so you just shake up what you need so there's no waste. Does the same job as the many hydration/electrolyte drinks out there - but for me, it has been the best one. It's not too sweet and gives you heaps of energy, which seems to be more long-lasting then some other brands! I definitely recommend giving it a try!

I know they also do a recovery one for after the ride to prevent the "slump" but to be honest, I'm always pretty exhilarated from the ride anyway, so have never really bothered with this - just stuck to water (to save calories too! hehe).

izobel

Thanks a lot everyone. I really appreciate the suggestions. I do go with energy bars and sport drinks - and really notice the boost when I'm cycling. I probably take a little less than I should trying to minimise calories and then end up ravenous for the next 24 hours.