How to Find the Best Food for Cycling

When you’re a cyclist, fueling is crucial. You need nourishment to sustain the energy requirements of cycling, recover between workouts, and adapt to challenging training loads. The best food for cycling is not a one-size-fits-all solution and will vary based on your specific needs and the characteristics of your upcoming workout. To optimize your cycling nutrition, it’s essential to identify foods that align with your training demands and suit your individual requirements.

Initially, it may take some experimentation to determine which foods work best for you. Once you discover the optimal cycling foods for your needs, fueling yourself both during and outside of cycling becomes second nature. To assist you in selecting the most suitable foods, here are guidelines for fueling cycling workouts, popular foods for endurance athletes, and strategies to enhance your nutrition before, during, and after workouts.

Before a Ride

The food you consume prior to your workout serves as a primary source of fuel during training. For high-intensity workouts performed at or above the Sweet Spot zone, consuming an adequate amount of carbohydrates before is essential. Carbohydrates serve as the main energy source during intense exercise, with glucose being the quick energy source your body relies on during high-intensity activities.

It is advised to have a carbohydrate-rich meal three to four hours before your workout. This timeframe allows for the digestion of complex carbs and proteins from a full meal, ensuring they are available as a fuel source during your session. Foods like sweet potatoes, legumes, pasta, and whole grains are excellent carbohydrate sources and form a solid foundation for a substantial pre-workout meal. If your workout is lower in intensity, the emphasis on carbohydrates in your pre-workout nutrition can be reduced. Nevertheless, incorporating carbohydrates along with other essential nutrients, proteins, and fats helps maintain glycogen stores for more intense workouts later on.

If you feel hungry between meals and your workout, consuming a snack about an hour before can help satiate you. Opt for easily digestible and quick energy sources for pre-workout snacks to avoid discomfort during training. Choices like fruit, smoothies, toast with spread, bars, bagels, and oats are suitable snacks to consume an hour before your workout.

What to Eat for Early Morning Workouts

Early morning training sessions often don’t allow for a three-hour window to eat and digest a substantial carb-rich meal. In such cases, some athletes opt to train fasted, which is acceptable for low-intensity workouts lasting less than an hour. However, for most cases, it is recommended to have a smaller carb-rich meal early on. Popular choices include oatmeal, toast, bagels, pancakes, fruit smoothies, and protein shakes.

Early Morning Tip: Preparing your morning nutrition the night before saves time and ensures you won’t skip your pre-workout meal.

During a Ride

Your pre-workout fuel isn’t the sole source of energy during training. Consuming additional calories during your ride is essential to maintain adequate fuel levels. Carbohydrates remain the preferred fuel source, ensuring you sustain energy during strenuous rides. For rides lasting over an hour, aim to consume 60-90g of carbohydrates per hour, and potentially more if you are accustomed to carb consumption during cycling.

Liquid carbohydrate sources like drink mixes are convenient for meeting your carb intake while cycling. They are easy to ingest, remember, and quick to digest. Energy gels are another convenient option, providing a quick carbohydrate and energy boost, particularly when coupled with a drink mix. However, some cyclists may prefer solid foods like energy bars, blocks, fruits, and baked goods for longer rides to supplement their carb intake and provide a more substantial source of energy.

During low-intensity workouts lasting less than an hour, you may not need additional fuel. The pre-workout nutrition should suffice for these lighter sessions, allowing you to experiment and find what works best for you.

After a Ride for Recovery

After completing your workout, your focus shifts from fueling performance to promoting recovery. Post-workout, your body’s demand for carbs and protein increases. Recovery shakes are a highly effective choice for providing essential nutrients after training, helping with glycogen replenishment and muscle recovery.

While the contents of your recovery shake are customizable based on preferences, research suggests that a carb-to-protein ratio of 3:1 to 4:1 is beneficial for cyclists, aiding in glycogen synthesis and muscle repair. While protein isn’t essential for recovery fuel, incorporating it into the mix has shown potential benefits without adverse effects. For more insights on recovery shakes and nutrition, refer to resources like “Timing Your Cycling Recovery Drink: What and When to Drink.”