Nutfition nutrition affects every aspect of cycling. There are Nutirtion important enzymes in your muscles that Nutrition for cyclists you to produce energy Succulent Fruit Pies enough to Nutrrition high-intensity efforts, and chronically training without carbohydrate Nutrition for cyclists reduce Nutrition for cyclists Nutritin of them in your muscle. No matter how much money you might invest in a new set of wheels, or how hard you train, a great nutrition plan and cycling diet is the bedrock for staying healthy and, above all else, enjoying cycling even more! If the aim of your session is to ride hard, then you need carbohydrate to fuel it. Did you just complete a big bike ride?

Nutrition for cyclists -

We get it. So are we! So we know that YOU know the importance of good cycling nutrition. However, the sheer abundance of information out there can be complicated, conflicting, and confusing In all, not a happy package.

At Veloforte, not only do we love cycling, we love great food and eating well too some have called us greedy.

This is accurate. No matter how much money you might invest in a new set of wheels, or how hard you train, a great nutrition plan and cycling diet is the bedrock for staying healthy and, above all else, enjoying cycling even more! What you put into your body, you get out of it.

Our aim is to take you back to the basics for a simple approach on how to get nutrition right so you can focus on enjoying your rides. Good nutrition affects every aspect of cycling. If you want to cycle at your best, recover well, and stay fit and healthy, understanding the main nutrients that make up your diet is the crucial first step.

Here's a look at the most important nutrients for cyclists to put in their bodies. We can store in the form of glycogen within our liver and muscles enough fuel for approx 90 mins of exercise at any one time.

Anything beyond that means we need to ensure that we take on board extra carbohydrates at regular intervals to avoid the dreaded cycling bonk.

When our bodies run out of energy, our cycling essentially grinds to a halt - or at least a very slow and awkward wobble! If you are training for a longer cycling event such as a race, sportive, or Audax, it is really important that you practice different fuelling strategies during your training to ensure you get the most out of what you put into your body.

Not only does this help fix a strategy in your mind, make it familiar, and form a routine, it can help train your body and digestive system to better absorb carbohydrates to give you a much-needed boost during those longer rides.

Including your nutrition and fuelling strategy into your cycling training means you'll also develop and support your needs for managing weight-loss, endurance capability, and cycling power. Depending on the intensity of your ride, you should aim to intake between 30gg of carbohydrate per hour and up to 90g if part of the carbohydrate is being supplemented by a mix of glucose and fructose the sugar from fruit.

This is because fructose actually increases the efficiency of your carb absorption, meaning you can take even more on board and fuel yourself for even longer. You can read more about the best carbs for cycling here. Carbohydrates help you to perform at your best for longer, so we at Veloforte have naturally focused on healthy carb intake with many of our energy bars for you to enjoy on your rides.

Take our Mixed Endurance Pack , for example: it contains our Classico , Ciocco , and Di Bosco bars for dual source carbs on the go. We have you covered there as well with our range of Veloforte Energy Gels.

Protein wears many hats within the human body. It helps to strengthen and repair damaged tissue, allows metabolic reactions to take place, and helps coordinate and regulate your essential bodily functions including maintaining appropriate fluid and pH balance. Protein is absolutely essential for cycling recovery.

You can even take a bar on your ride and wash it down with one of our specially formulated Veloforte recovery shakes for the most efficient protein intake just after your ride. When you exercise, you break down muscle as you push it to its limits. That muscle needs to be repaired in order for it to adapt to more strain.

Depending on the intensity of your ride, you should be looking to take about 1. If you feel that you need to lose weight to optimise your body and health for your rides, then taking recovery days where you reduce your carbohydrate intake and up your protein intake is highly recommended.

Vitamin D is a key component for building stronger muscles, stronger bones, and increasing your metabolism - leading to shorter recovery times. You need vitamin C to give your immune system a boost and allow it to protect you from nasties that might keep you out of the saddle and place you ill in bed instead.

No one wants that. It also helps fight cardiovascular disease, prevent wrinkles, and keep your eyes healthy pretty great benefits for cyclists all-round - especially those of us who care for our complexions. Vitamin C is abundantly found in fruits and vegetables, but, admit it… are you really eating your 5 a day?

Of course, if fresh fruits and vegetables especially citrus fruits, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes etc. Vitamin E protects the cells within your muscles and lungs - both of these are obviously pretty important for cyclists, so we should do our best to give them a helping hand, right?

Indeed, increased vitamin E intakes have been proven to actually boost your lung capacity at altitude, which is great news! Tour de France, anyone…? Magnesium helps regulate your blood sugar, blood pressure, bone development, and nerve function.

Moreover, it actually helps your body to more efficiently process carbohydrates and fats for fuel as well - obviously excellent for us cyclists, so Magnesium is pretty key. Fortunately, it can be easily found across the food groups in vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, poultry, fish, beef, and even chocolate… yep.

Bonus for choc lovers and chasers of sweet treats. But, for everyone else, stick to eating whole foods maybe not too much choc though in healthy amounts and you should be fine! We all remember those lessons from school, right? This will obviously impact your rides immensely and in a negative way.

Not great. Meat-eaters rejoice, because you can get plenty of iron through eating regular healthy portions of meat and fish.

An amazing, pocket-sized way to fuel up on the go. We at Veloforte have spent years playing with natural recipes for the perfect energy bars that not only give you the boost you need, but also taste great! After all, you want to enjoy what you eat, right? Much like energy bars, protein bars are small, convenient, and easy ways to both fuel yourself and get some extra protein needed to help your muscles recover.

Check out our Forza and Mocha bars to get the little protein kick you need. Naturally, we have the perfect solutions to your energy gel needs at Veloforte, allowing you to get the speedy energy you need quickly, conveniently, and in a gel packed full of natural goodness.

Recovery shakes are just what you need to get that injection of protein as soon after your ride as possible for maximum benefits. Naturally, the extra protein helps your muscles recover from the exertion faster and more efficiently and promotes healthy development.

Of course, we at Veloforte have considered recovery shakes as well and have developed our Vita and Nova shakes to be packed with protein to help your recovery.

Excellent ways for your body to get the carbohydrates and sugars that it needs, pasta and rice are cheap, quick, and easy ways to get what you need. Broccoli, spinach, kale, cauliflower, cabbage - all are excellent for providing you with the vitamins and minerals that your body needs.

These are especially good for providing you with an iron boost, so ensure that you eat these alongside some citrus fruits to get the most iron bang for your buck. An amazing source of carbohydrates, protein, and vitamins, you can enjoy either white or sweet potatoes and reap the benefits.

Whites are better at giving you a prod of potassium, whilst sweet potatoes will up your vitamin A intake. Both are great and healthy options in moderation - and maybe not in the form of crisps or fries.

Oats are amongst the healthiest grains you can eat, will keep you full for a long time, and are suitable for coeliacs being gluten-free. Oats are also loaded with important vitamins and minerals like magnesium, iron, zinc, and vitamin B3. Blueberries are tiny but loaded with antioxidants, fiber, vitamin C , and vitamin K.

For a real treat, try cooking blueberries with a touch of maple syrup and pouring over pancakes or waffles. Loaded with antioxidants, fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, and potassium, broccoli is a true powerhouse veggie. Roast them in the oven with some salt, pepper, and olive oil.

Rich in anti-inflammatory fats, salmon makes a great stand-alone dish as well as addition to any salad. Fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, or sardines, delivers heart-healthy omega 3 fatty acids.

Pickles and other fermented foods such as kimchi and sauerkraut are loaded with probiotics, the good bacteria in your gut that impact your immune function, mood, digestion, and even your weight.

Full of sodium, some cyclists even eat them as a mid-ride snack , to help replenish their electrolytes. Hummus is a Middle Eastern dip that begs you to scoop it up with carrots or celery, making it a great snack choice. The dip has tons of vitamins and minerals along with healthy fat and plant-based protein.

I have a little square a day and that does it for me. Packed with fiber, beans do much more than help to keep you regular. They may also help to regulate blood sugar, improve cholesterol, and bolster overall gut health. Add them to chili, mash them into dip, use them to replace some of the ground beef in tacos and other dishes, or sneak them into brownie and other dessert recipes.

Is coffee good for you? You bet. In addition to perking you up, coffee may help to drop your risk for heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. For an extra health boost, try kicking things up by adding spices to your coffee grounds before brewing.

For every scoop of ground coffee, add ¼ teaspoon of either ground cinnamon, cardamom, or turmeric to the filter.

The active ingredient, allicin, may help to keep cholesterol levels low, protect your cells from oxidative damage, and normalize blood pressure and blood sugar. Raw, minced garlic offers the most health bang for your buck. Tuesday: Intensity, 2 hours; carbs for breakfast oatmeal, cereal, breads, jams, etc.

Just lean breakfast towards carbs, aim to finish solid foods 3h before the ride. This may take some adjustments due to work and depends on when you are riding. Wednesday, Moderate riding, 2 hours, no major focus on carbs, eat normal proportions. Thursday, Endurance Riding, 2 hours, no major focus on carbs, eat normal proportions, unless you have a big day on the weekend, in which case you want to start carb loading.

Friday, OFF, lean more towards protein and healthy fats to stay full; extra carbs not needed, unless you have a big day on the weekend, in which case you want to start carb loading. Saturday, Big Ride or Race: CARBS before the ride, protein and carbs after to recover and rebuild.

Sunday, Big Ride or Race: CARBS before the ride, protein and carbs after to recover and rebuild. Take a look at this infographic which will break down our Nutrition Fueling Suggestions:.

Keep in mind the key word: BASICS. We get more into carbohydrate loading at the bottom of this article. Watts are made in the kitchen. Look for nuts, avocados, olive oil. Nutrition was always a hard thing for me to understand when I first started riding in I had no clue as to what I should eat and when.

Everyone has heard the saying that you should focus all of your shopping on the outer ring of the grocery store : produce, meat, dairy, go home. But skip the processed junk food. Bread is delicious; Patrick makes his own and I try to eat high quality breads, but hey, store bought bread happens.

Try to avoid bread with weird ingredients and preservatives. Bread should go stale in a few days if it is fresh and the most natural kind!

In the video below, I discuss my grocery list! I know, how silly. Focus all of your shopping on the outer ring of the grocery store. The best diet for cycling should feature healthy, real food like what is listed below:.

Bananas Avocados Grapes Spinach Kale This Living Lettuce is DOPE Carrots Mushrooms White Onion Apples Peppers: I like red, yellow, and orange the most.

Potatoes; I like white, red, or sweet! Tomatoes; all kinds, especially the little colorful ones Pickles sometimes, not really a usual thing Frozen Fruit - big into blueberries, cherries, pineapple, and strawberries. RICE RICE RICE. Get some Korean sweet and spicy sauce.

Only purchase ones with no nitrates. Know thyself! Nothing tastes as good as being fit feels, and high performance expectations require high performance fueling! pasta, in small portions, to hit that 10g per 1kg of body weight for carb loading. For a cycling diet plan, aside from just focusing on the macronutrients, one also needs to consider the timing and intensities of the activities that you are fueling for.

Also, there is a full product suite here, rated best cycling nutrition, to help you out, with Torq Energy discount code EVOQBIKE. To answer this one, carbs is the answer for cycling performance.

This will fuel all your efforts. Try to finish eating solid foods 3 hours before a high intensity session, or 90 minutes before an endurance session. You can use drink mix or any liquid carbs in the time leading up to the event or ride, to keep your carb stores topped off.

You want to refeed with normal whole foods and utilize carbs and protein. You can find a wide variety of bars, gels, and chews, along with hydration products, to get you through your even without any GI Distress.

I use exclusively Maple Syrup in a soft flask, and sugar water. Remember, during the ride you do not want to consume much protein, fat or fiber: these all slow the delivery of carbs and even fluids. Carbs are able to sustain high intensity outputs, whereas fats cannot.

Related Post: When to Consume Caffeine Gels in Cycling. If it is just a m of endurance, you can eat less. Return from ride and consume 20g of protein, then next comes the carbs.

We simply lean our cycling diet towards carbs. What does this mean? We really focus on eating carbs for 2 days before a big criterium or circuit race, but not on a massive carb loading schedule.

We lean towards g of carbs per 1kg of body weight. Yes, that is a lot of carbs. During the event we stick to maple syrup and sugar water, but you can also use a sports mix, gels, and bars. You want fuel that is easily digestible. One serving of sugar water the morning of your race is helpful as well, or whatever carb based drink you consume; and then one serving to stay topped off before the race.

If it is a zone 2 endurance ride , eat your normal breakfast and just lean towards carbs. Stay on top of the fuel during the ride, getting g of carbs per hour. Most gels and drink mixes are just carbs, whereas you need to be careful when it comes to the bars that you eat.

Some are very high fat, and this is not what you want to be fueling with on long rides, since fat cannot be used for energy as efficiently as carbohydrates. The general recommendation for carb loading is g of carbs per 1kg of body weight.

YES, that is a lot of carbs, and YES, you will go over your normal amount of calories for the day. We hadn't been able to get an answer from anyone on how this math works out; if your glycogen stores can only hold g of carbs, why are we eating more?

Is it usable within the blood stream? The answer to that is NO, as only 4g floats throughout the blood stream. Staying topped off on carbs for long, high intensity sessions, will allow you to lay down the watts like you have not done before.

Drink more water or decaf teas, eat a hearty breakfast when you are hungry, and let your normal activities bring you back to race weight. Yes, fueling for a race needs to be carbohydrate focused, and while we focus on eating whole foods and being healthy, sometimes when you are at a race hotel, you need cereal!

I would only recommend eating one bowl; try to find oatmeal instead. I mistakenly used to carb with a lot of cereal; it never left me feeling full and my legs felt trashed on some hard efforts.

Stay away from boxed cereals IMO. Yes, carb loading works! More carbohydrate equals higher glycogen stores. Highly regarded nutritionist Asker Jeukendrup wrote up this history on carb loading. Here are the cliff notes version.

Does carb loading work? It was originally thought that you needed to deplete the carbohydrate stores in your body for a few days, and then start carb loading, creating a higher than normal level of glycogen. While your body does replete glycogen faster if you have fully depleted the stores, it does not bring them up to a higher level.

This created athletes that felt weak and irritable, due to the lack of carbohydrates providing energy. A taper strategy became more popular as you got closer to your event, you trained less, and consumed more carbohydrates.

This works well and was a 7 day carb loading plan. Eventually, a 2 day program took over and this seems to be the most prevalent way of carb loading in , and the one that we promote.

Simply put, carb loading is shifting your diet towards carbohydrates for 48 hours before your event, leaving the fats and proteins off of your plate.

Before any big race! When To Carb Load? Before any intense training session that will last over 3 hours. Carb loading is defined as g of carbs per 1kg of body weight. Most athletes underestimate how many carbs they should consume. What are the best carbs for cycling? All of them. Just kidding.

When choosing my carbs for cycling, I like a variety, which mainly include rice, apples, bananas, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, and some bread and pasta.

I made a video that we will post that shows exactly what I ate for mile gravel race where I burned 5, calories. I flatted and had to TT a bunch to try to reach the lead group again, but either way, I would have burned about 4, calories that day.

Good carb loading foods include fruit, oatmeal, rice, breads, sweet potatoes, more rice , a burrito. I hit over 1,g of carbs the day before the race.

Make sure your digestive system can handle all the fiber before you go overboard and only use fruit as your carb loading food, or if you eat too much processed foods, you may find yourself bound up and unable to really excrete it all before the race starts.

Weight gain: for every 1g of carb you retain 3g of water. This will create some weight gain, but it will come off as you race. The benefit of having carbohydrates to fuel your racing and exercise are well worth the slight gain.

Odd feelings: honestly, sometimes all the carbs make me feel weird. Not sluggish, just loaded with a ton of sugar. I take those feelings and pour them onto the pedals. When do you want to utilize these carb loading foods like pasta, fruits, breads, etc?

Leaning your diet towards carbs simply means focusing on eating carbs over protein or fat the day before the hard intervals. Here are some easy pre-race carb loading food for your race morning, where you might not have fresh fruits or smoothies available. A bagel and an instant rice packet mixed with honey and peanut butter.

Do not eat eggs, sausage, bacon, avocado toast, etc. Those have too much fat and will NOT fuel your body for the bike race!

This Nutrifion has limited support cycclists your Nutrition for cyclists. We recommend switching to Edge, Chrome, Safari, Nutrition for cyclists Firefox. Spend £40 more for FREE shipping. FREE shipping will be applied at checkout. We get it. So are we! So we know that YOU know the importance of good cycling nutrition. Everyone fuels rides a little differently, which Green tea and sleep perfectly normal. Cyclist nutrition and hydration are not one cgclists fits all. However there are some key principles cyclists should use as starting points. Your nutrition strategy can only work if you are well hydrated. Dehydration slows gastric emptying and slows gut motility.