Nutrition

Nutrition is a huge part of any type of physical exercise so we have spent a lot of time looking into the different nutrition options out there and finding out which one’s work best. A lot of brands and products on the market claim to be the best so we decided to trial them throughout our training.

We soon realised that as we were going to be on the road all day we need to make the most of breakfast and dinner and also finding a way of taking in carbs and water whilst on a bike.

Carbs table

Time:	Carb Intake:
2-3 hours before the ride	Low-mid GI: porridge, muesli, weetabix, rye bread toast or scrambled eggs

Our cooking facilities are going to be pretty limit so to get round this we are going to use Quaker oats (oats so simple) as they are easy to make.

30 minutes before the ride -

Mid GI snack: a banana

During the ride

Fast delivery, high GI isotonic energy drinks, energy gels,energy bars and dried fruit such as raisins are best. 80 -100grams an hour.

Trying to take food in on the move is going to be tricky so we decided to use a ‘topeak tri bag’ from tredz.co.uk It’s an easy to install bag which attaches to our bikes and will be a great help as its so important to eat on the go.

We have also found that Mule bar energy bars and mule bar gels provided us with good energy and a nice taste which all of us like. We will also be using the Science in sport GO hydro which will keep us hydrated when we need it most.

High 5 zero extreme can also be used for an extra caffeine boost when we are struggling to stay alert.

After the ride

Fast recovery, corn flakes or rice crispies (high GI) with milk (for the protein for muscle recovery) Jelly babies to get sugar back into the body

We've also been using maximuscle promax as this gets protein in to our bodies really quick and speeds up the recovery time even quicker.

2-3 hours after the ride

Low-mid GI: grilled salmon with steamed broccoli and sweet potato mash, mince beef,pasta  (low/medium GI carbs) is ideal

Our 10 Tips Avoid Premature Exhaustion

Our top 10 Nutrition tips

1. Eat a suitable diet as mentioned above ensuring your glycogen reserves are fully stocked

2. Increased high-mileage training will reduce glycogen consumption as your stamina builds (and muscle regeneration slows)

3. Gradually reduce mileage 7 days prior to a major endurance race to build glycogen reserves

4. There are glycogen reserves in muscles and the liver, however the reserve in the liver usually takes longer to mobilise. Therefore begin your ride relatively slowly for between 5-15 minutes (10-15 minutes is best), otherwise you'll burn up your muscles glycogen supply before the liver has started depletion.

5. Eat whilst cycling

6. Drink plenty even if you feel you don't need it

7. Eat lots of carbohydrates the night prior to cycling

8. If taking part in a race, eat at least 3 hours before the race and nothing after 1 hour before, otherwise eat food with low protein and fat so that it's digested quicker

9. Drink a strong black coffee 1 hour before cycling as the caffeine mobilises fatty acids - then follow with plenty of water

10. Don't forget to eat and drink as soon as possible after exercise to regain lost energy and fluid

JJ