- Nutrition and training go together
however if you have one without the other,
you're not going to get the desire effects
and ultimately, you're not going to get fitter,
stronger, and faster.
After all, we are all aspiring to be better
and more well-rounded cyclists.
(playful electronic music)
Right, let's start off with a bit of science.
When we exercise, our bodies use carbohydrates
and fats as fuel.
Our bodies naturally store about 400-500 grams
in muscle and lipid glycogen
but when we exercise and we run out of those stores,
we end up losing energy and end up hitting the wall,
which is commonly known as bonking.
So when we exercise, we need to top up on our carbohydrates
using bars, gels, or even real foods
to reduce the risk of, well, bonking and feeling like this.
The average person can only process
one gram of carbohydrate per minute,
no matter how much we consume.
So there's more emphasis on eating little often
than eating loads at one time.
But how do we translate that to on-the-bike fueling?
Right, let's start off with a nice, easy one-hour ride.
You've had a good, healthy breakfast
filled with slow-releasing carbohydrates
so when you get out on the bike,
there's more emphasis on keeping well-hydrated
than keeping fueled on the bike.
I like to start my day off with oats and yogurt and fruit.
This gives you a good source
of slow-release of carbohydrates and proteins,
which will set me up for the day.
Now that all being said,
it is worth taking a bar when you head out on the bike
because you never know how you're going to feel
when you get out there.
- So now we're getting onto the longer rides.
You're going to want to make sure
you're fueled for the entire duration.
Extensive research has shown
that carbohydrates improve endurance performance.
We recommend you start with two bottles on your bike
and at least one of these should be topped up
with some form of electrolyte.
This is because as we exercise,
we naturally lose fluid and therefore electrolytes
and you need to stay on top of replenishing those
because even just 2% dehydration
will cause a reduction in your performance,
even if you can't feel it.
So now that you've thought about your fluids,
next up you want to think about what to eat on the bike.
And we recommend taking a sports bar for a start,
alongside a banana or something like that.
It's good to mix natural foods with sports foods
because you get the benefits of the sports bars,
which are practical and easy to take with you,
but you also get the nutrients from the natural foods
and it's good to keep that balance.
A sports bar like this, which weighs 30 grams
and has 25 grams of carbohydrates in it,
should be consumed roughly once every 30 minutes
and then you can use the natural foods
to top up as you feel.
Your stomach is basically a muscle like any other muscle,
so don't do something silly on race day
which you've never done before.
So practice with any sports nutrition
in the lead up to your big event
because the last thing you want to do
is shock your system and end up with an upset stomach.
Pros, for example, will use rice cakes in training
and in racing, that way they know
they're getting something consistent that's easy to consume
but also easy to carry on the bike.
One final thing to note on the food front though
is not to each too much at once.
Having two or three of these in a short period
is not going to do you any good whatsoever.
James said earlier
you can only process one gram of carbohydrate per minute
so that's only two of these in one single hour.
It's much better to take small bites little and often.
This will give you a much more even spread of energy
throughout the ride
and keep you well away from the dreaded bonk.
- So now we're onto the longer rides.
We want to start thinking about fueling the night before
so a good, healthy, fully carbohydrate-loaded meal,
like pasta or rice, is really worth having.
And then onto the day of the race or the day of the event
or even the day of the long ride,
you want to think about a good, healthy, solid breakfast,
like porridge or granola
that is fully filled with the slow-releasing carbohydrates.
And then when it's onto the bike, at least take two bottles
because you're probably going to want to
fill a bottle up on the way.
It's worth living by the rule of one bottle per hour
and if you have some carbohydrate powder
or even electrolyte tab,
that will help put carbohydrates back in
and it also will help you keep hydrated
throughout your ride.
- Start your rides by consuming your solids
but as the ride goes on,
you can then maybe consider something like a gel.
Gels are full of glucose,
which is a super fast-acting energy source.
They're also a great boost in that final hour of your ride
and they're ideal in emergency scenarios
when you feel like you're on your last legs.
They're quick and easy to consume
but also they're small and easily tucked away
in a jersey pocket.
You can pretty much forget you've even got them on you.
- So you've just come in off your ride
and now's the time to think about recovery
and thinking about replenishing the carbohydrates
and proteins that you've lost.
And a great way to start doing this
is by taking a recovery shake
30 minutes within your workout.
- The reason for doing this
is you want to get those nutrients back into your body
as fast as possible.
A recovery drink like that is a great snack
but it is by no means a replacement for a proper meal
and you can have that 60 minutes later, couldn't you?
- Yes, you can.
So if you did enjoy this video and it really helped you,
then don't forget to give it a big thumbs up.
- And for more training videos, click down there.