Eating!

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Moodyman

Legendary Member
My commute is 12 miles one way - takes around an hour per journey as there are significant climbs both ways.

Some days the return leg is hard work, other days I just fly.

I'm trying to understand what eating habits work best. I try to eat my lunch around 4 hours before I leave work and have a coffee and a banana shortly before the ride.

Any tips that work for others?
 

I am Spartacus

Über Member
Location
N Staffs
Think of it a different way
12 miles on a bike
=
4 mile run ( roughly guys - I am NOT starting argument about equivalents here)
How would you prepare as regards food and drink for that in order to get from a to b in the best possible way?
 
I can't offer any great tips, sorry. I do find, though, if I eat anything sugary later in the afternoon, that I get a mini bonk on the way home. I believe it is a hypoglycemic crash, where if you eat something sugary, your insulin level rises, then if you do exercise the insulin rise can result in a reduction of sugar availability, thus the crash...or something like that. It's been a long time since I read about it!
 
I'd expand what Magnatom says: the banana is being digested too quickly, so causing your blood sugar to spike, and the coffee is stimulating your pancreas to produce more insulin, lowering your blood sugar too quickly. Try tea, and a tuna sandwich, or banana, yoghurt and nuts or something. I only have an 8 mile cycle, but it's then a 40 min train journey and another hour til supper, so I'll often eat a small bowl of muesli just before starting, and then have a piece of fruit on the train, or by the time I get home I'm so hypo I will eat my own shorts.
 

thomas

the tank engine
Location
Woking/Norwich
I always found eating a lot worked well. On or off the bike :smile:.

I'd always have a big sarnie, crisps, pork pie, chocolate bar...then a couple bananas, satsuma, etc.

Seemed to do the trick. I'm sure that any sports dietitian would disagree though.
 

Rob3rt

Man or Moose!
Location
Manchester
I cycle 20 miles or go to the gym each evening after work, so to prepaire I have a bowl of porrige about 2 hours before leaving work, then a banana 30 mins before leaving work. I always feel fine. The only time I have been unable to train or cycle is 1st thing on the morning.

Besides this I eat nutella on toast for breakfast, and cereal and fruit throughout the day then pasta with some protein rich food(tuna etc) for tea, I eat something about every 2 hours between 10am and 8pm
 

HobbesChoice

New Member
Location
Essex
I had the best ride home last night than I've ever had, and I think that was due to my food intake. At lunch (12:30pm) I had shepherds pie which I'd brought in from home. Then at 3pm I had a handful of nuts and a handful of dried fruit with a go ahead orange and sultana bar which I took about 40 minutes to get through. I then left for my cycle home at 4:15pm and had no issues at all. This is having cycled just twice since the snow finished, so fitness levels are very low. I cycle 18 miles each way, so a substantial amount of energy is needed for me.
 

Crankarm

Guru
Location
Nr Cambridge
The trick is to eat slow release sugars rather than refined ones such as are found in choclit. Don't be afraid to eat potatoes which are a good source of carbs and fibre - just not chips. Eat a little often rather than a lot infrequently. There is a thread on this in health and fitness at the moment which is where this thread should be :tongue:.
 
I take an extra sandwich in my packed lunch and eat that either with a coffee or a fairly weak orange squash about an hour before cycling home. Seems to do the trick for me and also tides me nicely through to evening meal.
 

cyberknight

As long as I breathe, I attack.
Bannana + coffee around an hour and a half before i go home.

Seems to do the trick for me , or i would substitute a cereal bar but atm i like like when i get to work :evil:
 
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