Question for the cyclist.....

bsharrah
bsharrah Posts: 129 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I may post this on a cycling specific forum, and if anyone can recommend a good one that would be great.

I started riding at least once a week to burn calories for the purpose of losing weight, along with all the other exercising I do (running, strength training, circuit training, etc.). I noticed that after about 2-3 hours my body feels like it is "out of gas". I researched this a bit and spoke to a cyclist, and learned that after about 2 hours the body needs calories to sustain longer rides, and companies such as Hammer Nutrition sell products designed to fuel rides over 2 hours.

My question is this.....if my primary goal of riding is to burn calories for weight loss, would it make more sense just to keep my rides in the 2-3 hour duration? If I need to consume more to ride more than that, would that not defeat my purpose of riding? I understand longer rides can still be a benefit to overall health but I am looking to optimize my time, and I am not sure I would be doing that riding 3+ hours if I need to eat more to do so.

Just a note for the non-cyclist out there who are reading this, I am not talking about upping my calories throughout the day, but actually consuming calories during the ride for the purpose of continuing to ride. Think of it like this, would you spend another hour on the treadmill if you had to eat something while on the treadmill to do so?

Replies

  • Gapwedge01
    Gapwedge01 Posts: 494
    I may post this on a cycling specific forum, and if anyone can recommend a good one that would be great.

    I started riding at least once a week to burn calories for the purpose of losing weight, along with all the other exercising I do (running, strength training, circuit training, etc.). I noticed that after about 2-3 hours my body feels like it is "out of gas". I researched this a bit and spoke to a cyclist, and learned that after about 2 hours the body needs calories to sustain longer rides, and companies such as Hammer Nutrition sell products designed to fuel rides over 2 hours.

    My question is this.....if my primary goal of riding is to burn calories for weight loss, would it make more sense just to keep my rides in the 2-3 hour duration? If I need to consume more to ride more than that, would that not defeat my purpose of riding? I understand longer rides can still be a benefit to overall health but I am looking to optimize my time, and I am not sure I would be doing that riding 3+ hours if I need to eat more to do so.

    Just a note for the non-cyclist out there who are reading this, I am not talking about upping my calories throughout the day, but actually consuming calories during the ride for the purpose of continuing to ride. Think of it like this, would you spend another hour on the treadmill if you had to eat something while on the treadmill to do so?

    Refer to this link as to why you need to add simple carbs to your longer rides. I have experienced this [bonking] first hand in a 50 mile ride in 90 degree weather and had to be picked up by a SAG wagon and carried to the finish at mile 37. I carry Gu Gels and Accelerade Gels in my bike jersey. Other cyclists have their favorites. Some carry PB&J sandwich squares. But the bottom line is if you are on your bike 2-3 hours especially in the summer months you will need something more than water. I carry 2 bottles one with G2 Gatorade and the other water and alternate every 15 minutes. An hour or less you can ride with just water. Once you experience bonking you won't worry about how many calories you are burning. You will burn plenty of calories riding 2-3 hours at a decent pace. The extra calories from Gu gels are minor. Hope this helps.

    http://tunedintocycling.wordpress.com/2008/05/10/cycling-nutrition-the-bonk/
  • bsharrah
    bsharrah Posts: 129 Member
    Thanks for the input. I guess what I am wondering is if it is worthwhile, for weight loss, to ride for more than a couple hours if I am going to need to eat something if I want to go past that point, or just limit the rides to about 2 hours instead.
  • steph_smiles
    steph_smiles Posts: 7 Member
    I recently went out for 2.5 hours and I crashed (or bonked) and got muscle cramps. Based on my understanding what I would eat would be minor in comparison to what I burn for those hours. Think of a payday bar (just one square) something with sugar and protein. If you are riding for multiple hours, you are burning around 800 - 1000 calories. (Not to mention what you will burn through the rest of the day.) I think to add a 100 - 200 calories to push through that is well worth it.

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