What to eat and drink during a long bike ride?
Whether you race or mainly enjoy long touring rides: nutrition during cycling becomes more important the longer you are on the road. During a long ride, your body uses a lot of carbohydrates and you lose fluid through sweating.
A good nutrition plan helps you to provide enough fuel and fluid. But how much should you eat and drink? These 6 tips will make it practical.
Tip 1: Start hydrated and keep drinking
Start your ride well-hydrated. How much you need along the way depends on your sweat loss, the weather, and the intensity. Therefore, there is no perfect amount that applies to every cyclist.
During long rides, an isotonic sports drink is practical because you consume fluids and carbohydrates at the same time. Sanas Isotonic Sport Drink combines both and also contains minerals.
A bottle of approximately 500 ml per hour can be a practical starting point, but adjust this to your personal fluid loss and circumstances.
Tip 2: Combine gels, bars, and sports drinks
Your nutrition during cycling doesn't always have to consist of the same form. Variety often makes long rides more enjoyable.
Energy gels are easy to carry and provide quick carbohydrates. An Energy Bar is solid food and can be pleasant when you're on the bike for hours. Energy fruits are a softer alternative to bars. Combine this with Isotonic Sports Drink or Alphamax Drink to spread your carbohydrates throughout the ride.
Tip 3: How many carbohydrates per hour while cycling?
For prolonged efforts, 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour is a commonly used guideline. For rides longer than about 2.5 to 3 hours, trained athletes can aim for 90 grams per hour.
A simple example:
1 bottle of Isotonic Sports Drink + 1 Energy Gel or Energy Bar per hour = approximately 60 grams of carbohydrates.
Do you want to aim for 90 grams? Then use our Alphamax drink instead of Isotonic Sports Drink. Build this up gradually during your training sessions. More is not automatically better if your stomach and intestines are not used to that amount.
Tip 4: Combine different carbohydrate sources
For higher carbohydrate intake, the combination of glucose and fructose is interesting. These carbohydrates use different routes for absorption in the intestine. This allows the body to absorb and utilize more carbohydrates at high intakes than with glucose alone.
A 2:1 glucose-fructose ratio is a known strategy in endurance sports and is used in various Sanas products. However, research also shows that other glucose-fructose ratios can be effective.
Tip 5: Also train your nutrition strategy
Don't test your sports nutrition for the first time during that one important cyclo or race.
Use long training sessions to discover how many carbohydrates and fluids you tolerate. This is also called gut training: you gradually get your stomach and intestines used to your planned nutrition strategy. Research suggests that the gut can partly adapt to a higher carbohydrate intake.
This way, you'll know which combination of Isomix, gels, and bars works for you on your big day.
Tip 6: Don't forget your recovery after cycling
Your nutrition plan doesn't stop when you get off the bike. After a long effort, carbohydrates and proteins are important in your recovery nutrition.
Sanas Recovery Shake combines both in one recovery shake. Carbohydrates help replenish your depleted glycogen stores, while proteins contribute to the maintenance and growth of muscle mass.
Train your nutrition like you train your legs
Good nutrition during cycling doesn't have to be complicated. Drink regularly, consume enough carbohydrates during long rides, and practice your nutrition plan beforehand.
👉 Discover our sports drinks and (recovery) protein shakes at: https://sanas.be/collections/powders
FAQ
Should you wait to eat until you get hungry on the bike?
No. For long rides, it's smarter to distribute your carbohydrates regularly throughout the ride from the start. This way, you don't have to wait until you notice your energy dropping.
