Long ride nutrition for Cyclists

In the weeks before the event

On any long ride (and by that we mean any ride over 3-4 hours in length you should start considering your nutrition many weeks, if not months, before your ride. Your starting point should be to anticipate the conditions. For example if your ride is an organized race, sportive etc there may be food provided - if so find out what. If you are riding a brevet or an unsupported ride you'll need to plan everything yourself. Remember you need to consider your bodies requirements for both food AND fluid.

The best way to find the winning formula is through trial and error. As your training steps up try to ensure you trial various foods and fluids during hard long rides that are closest in type to your event ride. You will soon discover whether you prefer the small size and convenience of gels, energy bars and energy drinks or whether your stomach prefers real foods such as jam and peanut butter sandwiches and fruit juices with water (which contain electrolytes).

On your longer training rides try to note how much fluid and food you are consuming and in what conditions. Naturally the temperature can vary the amount of fluid you need dramatically so pay attention to what your body need in various weather. Sometimes it can be easy to forget to eat or drink (especially in a race or big event). To avoid this problem it may be worth setting a small alarm to go off every 20 minute or so, reminding you to eat a little and drink, before it is too late.

The week before your ride

Most people have heard of carbo loading but don't really understand what it is. In the week before the event you should be tapering you training which in turn will help you maintain your glycogen (carbohydrate stores). Carbohydrate loading requires a regular healthy diet with the emphasis on making sure all you big meals contain lots of carbs, particularly in the last couple of days before the ride.

Aim to consume 8-10 grams of carbs per kg of body weight each day. This may seem like a lot and you may notice some small body weight gain (partially due to less calories being burnt from the tapering) however do not despair, this will most likely get burnt off during your race event.

Along with your carbo loading ensure you maintain your hydration. Drink plenty of water each day and aim to have your urine running clear (not yellow) at all times. Try to avoid too much caffeine of carbonated drinks as these can dehydrate you.

The morning of the ride

Try to avoid changing anything from your training. By now you should be in a good pre ride routine from your long training rides. The key here is to try not to change anything. Eat familiar foods that you know will not upset your stomach. Simple foods like oatmeal with fruit and plenty of fruit juice are hard to beat. Make sure you practice with different breakfasts in your training.

Try to avoid eating too close to the start to avoid feeling overly full while riding. A good guideline says that breakfast should contain about 50 grams of carbs for each hour before the ride it is eaten. The purpose of this meal is to top up your glycogen stores (that will have diminished slightly over night) and to ensure you have a good few calories in you to get you through the first couple of hours of riding.

During the ride

Again here you should be on autopilot. Assuming you have ironed out any issues in training you should not need to worry about what to eat and when you should know. As soon as you start riding start to eat and drink at regular intervals even if you do not feel the need to. Eat before you get hungry and drink before you get thirsty.

Fluid intake will depend on the temperatures. Again your specific amount per hour should have been worked out in training. This can be done easily by weighing yourself both before and after a long training ride. The difference is the amount of fluids lost through sweating. Divide this number by the number of hours of you ride and you'll know what you need to consume each hour at that temperature.

Consensus says that you will need between 30-60 grams of carbohydrates per hour. Eat to little and you'll go into a glycogen deficit and bonk. As mentioned earlier you can get these carbs through either real food, gels, energy bars or carbohydrate drinks. Find out what works best for you in training and stick with it on race day.