Fuel up: the best foods for cycling

Planning a big ride? Get things off to a good start by starting your pre-ride nutrition the day before. 

A high-carb evening meal will top up your glycogen levels in preparation for a hard day’s pedalling. Our bodies store carbohydrates as glycogen in our muscles and liver, breaking it down quickly into glucose when we need energy. You want your glycogen stores to be nice and full for your ride, giving you plenty of energy potential to unleash. 

Go for foods with a low Glycaemic Index (GI) to give you a slower release of energy, such as:

•    Pasta

•    Wholegrain bread

•    Beans and pulses

•    Basmati rice

•    Boiled sweet potato (roasting dramatically increases their GI)

What to eat on the morning of your ride needs a little trial and error to learn what suits your body best. Some riders hate the sluggish feeling off setting off with a full stomach, whereas others find it impossible to ride hungry. 

We always recommend fuelling up in the morning, but the key is to choose foods which are kind to your digestive system. If possible, try and eat around 90 minutes before your ride to give yourself time to digest your breakfast.

Favourite pre-cycling breakfasts among the Neilson team include:

•    Porridge with berries and honey (oats give a great low GI energy release)

•    Bircher muesli

•    Scrambled eggs on wholemeal toast

•    Banana muffins

•    Bagels with jam

•    Pancakes with yoghurt and banana

•    Toasted teacakes with butter

Sound too heavy? A quick banana smoothie is light and easy but will give your energy stores a great top-up.  

Whether you love a good strong coffee before a ride again tends to come down to personal preference. Caffeine has been shown to enhance performance and power, but it’s not for everyone. If you simply don’t like the taste of coffee, try a caffeine sports gel instead.  

And last, but certainly not least, don’t forget to hydrate yourself well before setting off. 

Our bodies can only store a fairly small amount of carbohydrate, so it’s important to keep it topped up during rides. Stopping for regular snacks and drinks will ensure you don’t run out of energy and strength along the way. 

If you’ve followed the pre-ride nutrition plan, your glycogen stores should be able to fuel a good 90 minutes of riding without needing to refuel. After this point, a top-up of between 30g-60g of carbohydrate every hour is the recommended intake amount, whether you’re hungry or not.
 
Don’t overdo it though – your body can only process so much carbohydrate, so you won’t experience any additional performance benefits but you’re likely to find yourself with an unhappy stomach. 

Great riding snacks include:

•    Carbohydrate sports gels – these little pouches are small, weigh next to nothing and are packed with readily available energy.

•    Sports bars

•    Bananas

•    Flapjack or cereal bars

•    Oatcakes

•    Dried fruit

•    Jelly sweets (not the healthiest choice but so welcome when fatigue starts setting in) 

Hydration during your ride is vital, so make sure you carry plenty with you. Many riders add electrolyte tablets to their water, or drink isotonic sports drinks, to help replace essential minerals, such as sodium, potassium and magnesium, that are lost during an intense workout. This helps keep the fluids in your body balanced and your muscles working properly. 
 

You made it! Now it’s time to refuel and recover. 

Research shows that the first 20 minutes after a ride are the ideal time to replenish your energy stores, as your body is working at up to 150% of its normal repairing capabilities. Eating now will allow nutrients to travel efficiently through your body, arriving just where they’re needed in your depleted muscle glycogen stores. It’s not a disaster if you refuel a little later, but your body won’t gain as much from it. 

Replacing lost fluids is also super important, so make sure you have a good drink of water or sports drink after your ride – and keep drinking throughout the rest of the day. Prolonged dehydration can make you feel foggy and lethargic, killing that amazing post-ride buzz.

Post-ride snacks should be carbohydrate-rich, but also include around 20g of protein. This helps repair the fibres in your muscles and reduce aches and pains over the next day or two. And now’s the time to go for high-GI carbs that will be quickly absorbed into your body.  

Help your body recover with:

•    A tuna or chicken sandwich on white bread

•    Baked potato with cheese and beans

•    Chocolate milk (yes really, embrace your inner child)

•    A bowl of breakfast cereal and milk

•    Peanut butter on toast

•    Egg fried white rice

•    Smoked salmon on crackers

•    Protein shakes or smoothies

You’ll find specially formulated recovery drinks and bars on the market, which can be a quick and convenient way to refuel but as long as you’re getting both carbs and protein into you, you can’t go too far wrong. 

Looking forward to cycling on your Neilson holiday? Don’t worry about having the right food on hand to fuel your rides. Our delicious buffet meals give you a wide choice of options, allowing you to tailor your menu to your riding. Whether you need fresh fruit, hearty carbs, lean meats or a celebratory beer, we’ve got your cycling food and drink covered.