Breakfast porridge the night before

[Edwardoka]

Indeed. AND where and how hard you are riding.

I rushed out underfed to meet someone once and this was the result...

The ability of the bonk to separate you from your basic abilities really is remarkable, isn't it?

One time while hillwalking, we followed a sheep path and got lost. We each thought the other had brought food, but nope! The man with the hammer was unkind to me, the words "go on without me, save yourself" may have been wailed while on my knees, having failed to get down a slight slope in the traditional manner. We got down well after dark, and only because I had added waymarkers to my etrex before leaving. On arrival, I blacked out on the hall floor.

Amusing in retrospect but not a terribly high point

 

[Julia9054]

As for fasted rides, they can be good efficiency training for your metabolism. If you do so, go for short hard efforts or medium steady efforts.

Just to point out that the studies on the benefits of fasted training were done on men only. There is limited, small scale evidence that the same does not apply to female athletes and that in women it may even be detrimental. As usual, the proper studies have not been done using female subjects.

 

[Edwardoka]

Just to point out that the studies on the benefits of fasted training were done on men only. There is limited, small scale evidence that the same does not apply to female athletes and that in women it may even be detrimental. As usual, the proper studies have not been done using female subjects.

Good info, thanks. This is news to me - I knew that fasted training was controversial and that there's a lot of superstition around sports science but didn't want to confuse matters further.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

How far are you riding? I mostly ride without breakfast if doing a morning ride. If you don’t go smashing it, your body is quite happy burning fat for many hours without eating.

 

[winjim]

The ability of the bonk to separate you from your basic abilities really is remarkable, isn't it?

One time while hillwalking, we followed a sheep path and got lost. We each thought the other had brought food, but nope! The man with the hammer was unkind to me, the words "go on without me, save yourself" may have been wailed while on my knees, having failed to get down a slight slope in the traditional manner. We got down well after dark, and only because I had added waymarkers to my etrex before leaving. On arrival, I blacked out on the hall floor.

Amusing in retrospect but not a terribly high point

It's awful. People who've never experienced it seem to think it's just feeling a bit tired or having heavy legs but it is something else. I would say if you're going for anything more than a moderate ride, especially on an empty stomach then take something to eat. Anything, a banana, hunk of bread, chocolate, energy gel, even a sugary drink, just take something. You may never need it but you'll be glad to have it if you ever do.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

That by definition wouldn't be breakfast.

 

[postman]

A good bowl of porridge is a must for me.I have heard beans on toast is another,I also take dark chocolate out with me and even been known to scoff jelly babies,I enjoy my rides.Thats if I dont stop too often,got to find time for a latte or two.

 

[MntnMan62]

Why would you have to wait 3 hours to digest it? I'd wait maybe 30 to 45 minutes and then head out for your ride. For longer rides you will benefit because your body will be drawing from that morning sustenance allowing you to go further without bonking. Just ride.

 

[PaulSB]

I usually have porridge for breakfast before a ride but I then have to wait 3 hours to digest it all. Has anyone tried having their breakfast the night before and going out with just a coffee? I do like to put a bit of effort into the ride not just toddling along.

I always have porridge for breakfast, 40gm of oats with 280 of water flavoured with a spoon each of yoghurt and honey. The morning of a ride I increase this to 60gm oats and 360 water. I can ride 50 miles on this.

I try to eat an hour before the ride but often I'm eating while putting my kit on!!

It's hard to imagine why you need to wait three hours for digestion or how eating the night before would help.

 

[Randomnerd]

I’m often eating it while putting on my coat, and sometimes it goes with me on the ride. Rest of the porridge in an airtight box for a snack with some Brazil nuts and a banana - odd top up along the way.

 

[Domus]

I have porridge most mornings with seeds, fruit and honey usually about 08.00 and go out on the bike about 09.30 - 10.00. I stop anywhere between 25-30 Kms for a drink and a flapjack type bar and get home for lunch after 50 - 60 kms. Works for me. Bonked once when I stretched the usual 50 Km to 100 Kms. Bonked at about 90 Kms. It came on so fast Luckily I had some emergency grub in my saddlebag which got me home, then I could not fill myself up. Never again...................I hope.

 

[itboffin]

Don’t eat breakfast so less than 2 hours is just a cup of coffee +2 hours eat on the bike, bananas etc

 

[Ridgeway]

Get up, have breakfast, get dressed, prep bike, go ride.

That's exactly my routine although technically by having the porridge at 11:30am i suppose it's more like lunch

 

[steveindenmark]

I eat my porridge and then cycle. Whats this 3 hours bit all about?

 

[matticus]

Just to point out that the studies on the benefits of fasted training were done on men only. There is limited, small scale evidence that the same does not apply to female athletes and that in women it may even be detrimental. As usual, the proper studies have not been done using female subjects.

I hadn't heard that before. I'm very open to persuasion, but my hunch is that physiology doesn't vary in these areas between the sexes, so there won't be a difference.
"As usual, the proper studies have not been done using female subjects." - Yup, accepted as a common problem, but I wouldn't always regard it as a problem; i.e. if I read a convincing sports science paper (that wasn't on a female-specific problem!) that only had access to female subjects, I wouldn't immediately doubt its applicability to blokes.

I know a successful female ultra-athlete (has a GB vest!) who does most of her running fasted. (She eats like a horse when we ride together, mind ... )

I would happily recommend looking at fasted training to peeps of any gender. It might work for them, it might not ..