Nutritional information
As you begin your training for your big ride, your body will need the right foods with the right type of
energy to fuel this increased activity. To help ensure you put the right fuel into your body, try to
increase your intake of healthy carbohydrates, whilst reducing your intake of sugars and saturated
fats.
Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred source of energy. The body stores carbohydrates in the form
of glycogen in the muscles and liver. During exercise, your body relies mainly on glycogen for its fuel.
Energy is also obtained from body fat and can be obtained from protein by breaking down muscle
tissue, but this is undesirable. For most people the body operates at its best by using carbohydrate as
its main fuel source. When training for and competing in an endurance event, it’s important to ensure
that you top up your glycogen stores by eating the right amount of carbohydrate-rich foods and fluids
before, during and after exercise. It’s best to discuss this with your coach, sports dietitian or other
sport health care professional.
Food for sport
For longer-lasting energy, go for foods such as wholegrain breads and cereals, pasta, fruit, low-fat
yoghurt and milk and beans and lentils. These foods have a low glycaemic index (GI) which means
they contain carbohydrates which take longer to break down. By releasing energy at a slow, steady
rate, they provide your body with sustained energy over a longer period of time. This helps keep your
blood sugar levels more stable and for longer, and helps ensure you meet your energy needs so you
can perform at your best.
What to eat while training for a cycling event
While training for a cycling event you may be involved in moderate to high intensity exercise sessions
of an hour or more several times a week. For people who are a healthy weight, make sure you include
extra, healthy carbohydrates in your meals and snacks throughout the day to meet the increased
energy demands of your training. Some fruit and a tub of low-fat yoghurt, or an English muffin with
honey/jam around one to four hours before training is a good example of a healthy snack to help
boost your energy in preparation for the exercise ahead. Lean protein will help you bounce back from
the last ride and build those muscles for the next one too. Lean red meat and fish are great sources of
protein. It’s also important to stay well hydrated. Drink plenty of water before you start your training
session then replenish your fluid levels at least every 20 minutes or so after exercise. Generally
you’re well hydrated if your urine is a clear, pale yellow colour.
Tips for eating well for training
Here are some sure-fire meal ideas to help you eat well during the training period.
Breakfast: Porridge, fruit and a tub of low-fat yoghurt, muesli, toast, eggs. Where possible, avoid
foods with high amounts of saturated fats or sugars. These include processed cereals, bacon, raisin
toasts, sweet muffins, crumpets and croissants. These are okay occasionally but they’re not
recommended to have on a daily basis.
Lunch: Wholemeal or grain sandwiches and wraps with salad, lean red meat or chicken.
Snacks: Unsalted nuts, celery and carrots sticks, or fruit.
Dinner: Lean red meat, fish, chicken with the skin off, curries, vegetables, tomato-based pasta sauces
(rather than creamy pastas which can be high in fats), noodles or rice. After exercise: Try to have
some fluids and eat a meal consisting of healthy carbohydrates and high-quality protein (e.g. a fruit
smoothie made with low-fat milk, or a baked potato with low-fat cheese) within two hours of an
exercise session. This will help to replenish some of the energy lost during your activity.
How much do I need to drink?
There isn’t one amount of fluid that will keep you hydrated during and after exercise. It really depends
on the kind of activity you’re doing, how long you’re doing it, the weather or environment, and how
well hydrated you are beforehand. One way to gauge your individual fluid needs is to monitor your
weight before and after exercise. Any change in weight (accounting for differences in conditions and
clothing) reflects your total fluid loss, meaning that if you lose weight, you have sweated more than
the fluid you have consumed. Based on this, you can estimate approximately how much you need to
consume during your ride to stay hydrated. For example, if you lose 1kg during an activity lasting 1.5
hours, you need 1L of fluid to replace this so aim to drink between 200–250mL every 20 minutes or
so. During the recovery period after exercise, you continue to lose fluids through sweating and urine
losses. So you can also plan to replace this in the next 2–6 hours after exercise by drinking about
125–150% of the fluid lost. For example, if you lost 1 kg you will need to drink 1.25–1.5L to help
rehydrate.