Nutrition for the most common types of rides

Different types of rides require different nutritional plans as well as differing caloric requirements and recommendations. There are numerous do's and don'ts relating to nutritional support. This section of our site will look at the most common types of rides providing recommendations for each type. For those 'in-training', only certain sections will be particularly appropriate as a high carbohydrate diet is an absolute must at all times.

The rides types we will cover are:

Cycle to work or social ride - a mild to moderate effort, lasting 15 to 20 miles

The basic training ride - moderate intensity, 15 to 50 miles

An interval session - intermittently high intensity lasting 10 to 30 miles

Long distance ride - moderate intensity, 50 to 100 + miles

A race - high intensity, 20 - 30 miles

A multi-day 'tour' - moderate intensity, 50 to 100 miles per day

Not every type, or distance, of ride is covered, though we have attempted to cover the most frequent types. Most of them will simply require some tweaking to cover your own types of ride.

Cycle to Work or Social ride

This ride is usually done at a comfortable pace of about 50-60% VO2 max. for 1 to 2 hours daily. The goal is to have a comfortable ride with energy left for the remainder of the day. Often this type of ride is used by racing cyclists as a recovery ride.

4 days prior - balanced diet with 60-70% Calories from carbohydrates, though a normal diet is obviously all that is really necessary for this type of ride. No structured nutritional preparation is really necessary.
5 minutes before - nothing special
during the ride - eating is optional for a ride of 2 hours or less
post ride - a mid morning snack might be a good idea but is not essential; a good balanced diet will replace any glycogen used during this ride.
fluids - one water bottle per hour, perhaps a bit more in hot weather.

BASIC TRAINING RIDE

This ride will often be a bit longer than the 2 hour limit that can lead to the dreaded 'bonk', so eating on the bike is important. As training intensity increases above 60%, it is probably important to avoid eating an substantial quantity in the 2-4 hour pre-ride interval. This will help you to avoid Gastro Intestinal distress, the dreaded up-chuck.

4 days prior - ensure a balanced diet with 60-70% calories from carbohydrates; at least 600 grams of carbohydrate the day prior to the ride.
2-4 hours prior - try to eat 2 hours before the ride, if the intensity is moderate, eating during the ride is OK however avoid fatty foods.
5 minutes prior - nothing special
during the ride - start eating regular snacks, 'chew' energy gels, or drink sports drinks at the beginning of the ride to replace the calories burned
post ride - a post ride carbohydrate snack, particularly in the 30-60 minutes immediately afterwards. This will take advantage of a window that your body uses to maximise glycogen resynthesis. It may also help cut down on muscle soreness. A recovery drink containing protein is also recommended for the over 40's.
fluids - one water bottle per hour, perhaps a bit more in hot weather.

LONG DISTANCE

This ride will definitely cause you to 'bonk' if you don't replace carbohydrates whilst riding, so eating on the bike is essential. As intensity increases above 60% VO2 max., it becomes even more important to avoid eating in the 2-4 hour pre-ride interval to avoid Gastro Intestinal distress, vomitting. However, if your plan is a long, slow training ride, this is not as important. A 300 gram carbohydrate meal 2 to 4 hours before this ride helps "top up your glycogen tank".

4 days prior - balanced diet with 70-80 % Calories from carbohydrates; at least 600 grams per day of carbohydrates in the 2 to 3 days prior to the ride
2 - 4 hours prior - if the intensity is moderate, eating during this interval is OK, but avoid fatty foods and eat at least 2 hours before the ride. A 300 gram carbohydrate meal 2 to 4 hour pre-ride is recommended if possible
5 minutes prior - nothing special
during the ride - regular snacks, energy gels, or sports drinks to replace the estimated calories burned per hour
post ride - a post ride carbohydrate snack, particularly in the 30-60 minutes immediately afterwards. This will take advantage of a window that your body uses to maximise glycogen resynthesis. It may also help cut down on muscle soreness. A recovery drink containing protein is also recommended for the over 40's. Eat a high carbohydrate meal in the evening of the ride.
fluids - one water bottle per hour, perhaps a bit more in hot weather

INTERVALS

For intervals, it is key to have your stomach empty, or you risk the Gastro Iintestinal distress that goes with exercising close to, or above 100% VO2 max. In simple terms you become a member of 'The Up-chuck Club'; you vomit. You will also sweat a great deal, so fluid intake needs to be watched.

If this is a ride of less than 1 1/2 to 2 hours, there is probably not a need to carbo supplement during the ride however I personally find this of benefit, if for no other reason than that the carbo drink I take, tastes nice.

4 days prior - balanced diet with 60-70% Calories from carbohydrates
2-4 hours prior - preferably don't eat in the 2-4 hours before this training ride
5 minutes prior - nothing special, an energy bar, or similar, is OK if you're feeling hungry
during the ride - depends on the total time/distance to be covered. If it's truly focused on intervals, no carbs are needed.
post ride - a post ride carbohydrate snack, particularly in the 30-60 minutes immediately afterwards. This will take advantage of a window that your body uses to maximise glycogen resynthesis. It may also help cut down on muscle soreness. A recovery drink containing protein is also recommended for the over 40's.
fluids - one water bottle per hour as an absolute minimum

RACE

To many this is what cycling's all about, and good nutrition and planning your eating strategy can make a huge difference to your results. You will need a good carbohydrate base to maximize your muscle glycogen reserves and you need to avoid over-eating in the 2 - 4 hour pre-event interval to keep your stomach empty or you risk the Gastro Intestinal distress that goes with exercising close to or above 100% VO2 max. You will also sweat more during a race, so fluid replacement needs to be watched.

If this is a ride of less than 1 1/2 to 2 hours, there is no real need to carbo supplement during the ride.

4 days prior - balanced diet with 60-70% Calories from carbohydrates; 600 Calories of carbohydrate per day in the three days prior to the event
2 - 4 hours prior - don't eat too much in the 4 hours before this ride
5 minutes prior - an energy bar, or other carbohydrate snack is a good idea
during the ride - even for an event of 1 1/2 hours or less, a liquid carbohydrate supplement should be used and if it's going to be longer, you will definitely need carbohydrate supplements. You should begin your snacks, energy gels, or sports drinks as soon as the event starts
post ride - a post ride carbohydrate snack, particularly in the 30-60 minutes immediately afterwards. This will take advantage of a window that your body uses to maximise glycogen resynthesis. It may also help cut down on muscle soreness. A recovery drink containing protein is also recommended for the over 40's. Eat a high carbohydrate meal that night to replace the muscle glycogen that may have been completely depleted during the event.
fluids - one water bottle per hour as an absolute minimum

MULTIDAY RIDE or BIKE TOUR

This ride is basically the same as the long training ride, but you need to be careful to eat a high carbohydrate meal each evening or you will slowly become glycogen depleted. If this happens chronic fatigue will develop.

If this is going to be a high intensity event on certain days, (intensity above 60% VO2 max.), it is important to avoid eating too much in the 2-4 hour pre-ride interval to avoid Gastro Intestinal distress. But on those long slow days, that's not an issue. A 300 gram carbohydrate meal each day 2 to 4 hours before the ride will maximize glycogen reserves.

This is the dietary program most appropriate for a multi-day bike tour.

4 days prior - balanced diet with 60-70% Calories from carbohydrates; at least 600 Cal per day of carbohydrates in the 2 to 3 days prior to the ride
2 - 4 hours prior - if the intensity is moderate, eating during this interval is OK, but avoid fatty foods and eat 2 hours before the ride. A 300 gram carbohydrate meal 3 to 4 hour pre ride is recommended.
5 minutes prior - nothing special
during the ride - regular snacks, energy gels, or sports drinks to replace the estimated Calories burned per hour
post ride - a post ride carbohydrate snack, particularly in the 30-60 minutes immediately afterwards. This will take advantage of a window that your body uses to maximise glycogen resynthesis. It may also help cut down on muscle soreness. A recovery drink containing protein is also recommended for the over 40's. Eat a high carbohydrate meal that night after the ride, and try to eat at least 600 grams of carbohydrate per day above and beyond that needed to replace the calories burned on that day's ride.
fluids - one water bottle per hour, perhaps a bit more in hot weather