what is your go to mid-ride food(nutrition if you want to sound fancy)
10-05-20, 04:20 AM
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Food, a.k.a. "nutrition", has been at the forefront of my mind for several months. Fancy, technologically advanced cycling food is really expensive and I didn't find it any better (in terms of my performance) compared to "regular food", so I've been making my own energy balls and homemade gu and it's been working out very well. As for hydration, I like orange powdered gatorade at 1/2 strength.
Short Rides (< 30 miles) - Hydration only
Medium Rides (31 - 60 miles) - Hydration + homemade gu
Longer Rides (61 - 130 miles) - Hydration, 1 energy ball and homemade gu as needed
Generally speaking, I find it very easy to over eat on rides; and as a result, I've cut back significantly on my food intake over time. If I'm eating well and maintaining a balanced diet off the bike I don't find it necessary to take in a lot of food calories when I'm riding. I also eat something before my rides - usually an English muffin with butter and jam, and some yogurt with walnuts and rolled oats - which decreases the need for eating on the bike. Maintaining good hydration + electrolytes is much more important (for me). As long as I'm hydrated and have put something in my stomach before I leave the house I can comfortably get through a 100-mile ride with 3-4 liters of 1/2-strength Gatorade, a couple servings of homemade gu and 1 energy ball.
In case anyone is curious about the ingredients of my energy balls and gu, here are the basics...
Homemade Gu: raw agave syrup and brown rice syrup at a 1:2 ratio (roughly) with cocoa powder and ground ginger for flavor
Energy Balls: (dry ingredients) ground flax seeds, ground walnuts, rolled oats, cocoa powder, cinnamon, ground ginger; (wet ingredients) raw agave syrup, brown rice syrup, peanut butter, puréed dates
Short Rides (< 30 miles) - Hydration only
Medium Rides (31 - 60 miles) - Hydration + homemade gu
Longer Rides (61 - 130 miles) - Hydration, 1 energy ball and homemade gu as needed
Generally speaking, I find it very easy to over eat on rides; and as a result, I've cut back significantly on my food intake over time. If I'm eating well and maintaining a balanced diet off the bike I don't find it necessary to take in a lot of food calories when I'm riding. I also eat something before my rides - usually an English muffin with butter and jam, and some yogurt with walnuts and rolled oats - which decreases the need for eating on the bike. Maintaining good hydration + electrolytes is much more important (for me). As long as I'm hydrated and have put something in my stomach before I leave the house I can comfortably get through a 100-mile ride with 3-4 liters of 1/2-strength Gatorade, a couple servings of homemade gu and 1 energy ball.
In case anyone is curious about the ingredients of my energy balls and gu, here are the basics...
Homemade Gu: raw agave syrup and brown rice syrup at a 1:2 ratio (roughly) with cocoa powder and ground ginger for flavor
Energy Balls: (dry ingredients) ground flax seeds, ground walnuts, rolled oats, cocoa powder, cinnamon, ground ginger; (wet ingredients) raw agave syrup, brown rice syrup, peanut butter, puréed dates
