Nutrition Advice

[softlips]

Well done on the weight loss, I know how determined you have to be to do this.

As you've now found, it's important to fuel during a long ride. There's no need to carb load the night before, but porridge before the ride is good and some fuel during it too. There's a reason why most clubs have a coffee and cake stop. May be worth carrying an energy bar or a couple of gels if you need extra.

[Vorpal]

Well done.

I've had the bonk before and it's no fun. If I'm going on a ride over about 30 miles, I usually take some emergency supplies. The further I'm going, the more I take. The minimum is a spare banana, and enough powdered mix to make up one energy drink (I buy powdered drink mix for something like Powerade). I don't usually drink the energy drinks; they are little more than electrolytes and sugar, but if I bonk (or am in danger of it) the combination of banana and drink mix added to my water is usually enough to get me somewhere I can take a break and get some proper food into me.

I learned to recognise the signs and eat and drink before I got the bonk, but it's important to me to eat something every couple of hours, and get a good meal every 4 or 5 hours. I also find that it helps to mix electrolyte drops into every second watter bottle.

Also, how well I eat the day before, and how well I sleep can also affect such things, as well as conditions during the ride. I'm more likely to have a problem on cool windy day because when it's hot out, I'm really conscious of how much I drink. When it's cool out, I'm less likely to think about it, and therefore less likely to drink enough. I also use more energy against the wind, but it's another thing I may not think much about.

[NUKe]

Dev
you are doing great. And you are right energy bars goes against what you are trying to achieve, but doing 40 miles you are burning calories above. So you can allow a few more calories the extra 10 mile

use something like this to work out how many
https://caloriesburnedhq.com/calories-burned-biking/ and then allow yourself something to cover the extra effort.
you are Probably looking at around 200 K Calories for the extra 10 miles
Bonk is caused by the brain sensing blood sugar is low, however you can trick it. one technique I have used in the past is wine gums. if you get to that state eat, 2 or 3 to give your stomach something to work upon the put another one in your cheek and try not to eat it. The body then registers that you have food and more is on the way.
Other foods you can try are fresh nuts (not roasted ones) and dried Fruit.

It is difficult you are doing exercise which demands calories but you are trying to keep the calories down. Does the Slimming world plan allow you calories for the extra exercise. perhaps you could make those ride specific.
You do need to refuel.

[Norman H]

NUKe wrote:

Bonk is caused by the brain sensing blood sugar is low, however you can trick it. ......

I'm not sure what you're suggesting here. Why would you want to do that?

Wine gums are a useful emergency treatment to relieve the immediate symptoms, but low blood glucose is a serious condition and in extremis can be life threatening. It's not just your physical performance that will be impaired, a brain starved of glucose is hardly likely to be functioning at a level sufficient to ride a bike in busy traffic. As stated previously, prevention is better than cure, but if you do recognise the onset of bonking, the only sensible thing to do is to stop riding and eat some carbohydrate rich food.

[NUKe]

Im not talking about hypoglycemia here just the normal run of the mill bonking, you can easily carry on for the 10 miles or so.the body will fat burn, which is what dev is trying to do.

[531colin]

Low blood sugar is low blood sugar, and you will bonk if your blood sugar drops and you try to exercise.
Simple carbohydrates (sugars) are a "quick fix" but complex carbohydrates an hour earlier is better, ie. no sugar spike.
(Fat metabolism adaptation and extra food for exercise came up on the first page.)

[ianrobo]

Evening guys

Been on a bit of a personal journey since the end of March, got diagnosed with dangerously high blood pressure and was massively over weight so joined Slimming World & took up cycling to do some low impact exercise along side the diet. Started with small mile here, mile there, rides and have built it up to doing 10 mile most mornings before work and last weekend completed my first 50 mile ride and have lost 6 stone in weight

Now the problem i'm having on the longer rides i'm ok to about 30mile then i just feel like i'm running on empty, last Sat at 40 mile (ten mile from home so had to carry on) i got really light headed and had the shakes to the point where i had to stop for 15 mins to compose myself

Any of you guys good with nutrition advice, bearing in mind i'm on a diet what can i put in to get me through these rides without doing energy bars which go against the diet

Thank's in advance

Not going to go down the route of mentioning Keto however you have 2000 calories of glycogen available and in 40 miles no way should you be bonking (usually when these stores are used up. I wonder have you go files of your rides somewhere, do you log power or HR and maybe the simple fact you are riding at too high a zone for your fitness levels ?

[DEV5]

Evening guys

Been on a bit of a personal journey since the end of March, got diagnosed with dangerously high blood pressure and was massively over weight so joined Slimming World & took up cycling to do some low impact exercise along side the diet. Started with small mile here, mile there, rides and have built it up to doing 10 mile most mornings before work and last weekend completed my first 50 mile ride and have lost 6 stone in weight

Now the problem i'm having on the longer rides i'm ok to about 30mile then i just feel like i'm running on empty, last Sat at 40 mile (ten mile from home so had to carry on) i got really light headed and had the shakes to the point where i had to stop for 15 mins to compose myself

Any of you guys good with nutrition advice, bearing in mind i'm on a diet what can i put in to get me through these rides without doing energy bars which go against the diet

Thank's in advance

Not going to go down the route of mentioning Keto however you have 2000 calories of glycogen available and in 40 miles no way should you be bonking (usually when these stores are used up. I wonder have you go files of your rides somewhere, do you log power or HR and maybe the simple fact you are riding at too high a zone for your fitness levels ?

Only log i do is on Stravia

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Lack of fitness age and carrying extra weight mean that every thing comes on sooner.
Also it would be more helpful to gauge effort in hours and minutes rather than miles.
A hrm means it could be assessed how hard you are working too.

This explains more about how the body uses food.
http://www.humankinetics.com/excerpts/e ... el-sources

[ianrobo]

Evening guys

Been on a bit of a personal journey since the end of March, got diagnosed with dangerously high blood pressure and was massively over weight so joined Slimming World & took up cycling to do some low impact exercise along side the diet. Started with small mile here, mile there, rides and have built it up to doing 10 mile most mornings before work and last weekend completed my first 50 mile ride and have lost 6 stone in weight

Now the problem i'm having on the longer rides i'm ok to about 30mile then i just feel like i'm running on empty, last Sat at 40 mile (ten mile from home so had to carry on) i got really light headed and had the shakes to the point where i had to stop for 15 mins to compose myself

Any of you guys good with nutrition advice, bearing in mind i'm on a diet what can i put in to get me through these rides without doing energy bars which go against the diet

Thank's in advance

Not going to go down the route of mentioning Keto however you have 2000 calories of glycogen available and in 40 miles no way should you be bonking (usually when these stores are used up. I wonder have you go files of your rides somewhere, do you log power or HR and maybe the simple fact you are riding at too high a zone for your fitness levels ?

Only log i do is on Stravia

PM me a link of your rides and let me know.

I am happy to show your mine today for example - https://www.strava.com/activities/1136683471

[thirdcrank]

I wonder if dedicated dieting has been leaving you low on fuel even before you set off on your bike; after all, losing weight generally means consuming fewer calories than you are burning. As others have said, cycling causes your blood/sugar level to drop gradually, but when it gets below a certain level the symptoms generally begin suddenly and can be distressing. The good news is that the symptoms can be relieved by eating something containing "energy" even though that may go against the grain with your dieting. Prevention is better than cure, so eating a little and often before there's a problem is the best way, especially in the context of your dieting. Keep off junk foods and sweets but IMO there's no need for special sports nutrition.

I think you have to get away from the idea that cycling is a good way to lose weight in itself, because that's the route to more bonk/ hunger knock / whatever anybody else calls it. It's best as "part of a calorie-controlled diet" as the saying goes but don't try to control the calories too much before and during cycling. The other benefits of cycling are so great that the fact that it will give you a healthy appetite when you don't want one is worth it.

Hydration is much better understood than it used to be so don't forget that as well.

I'd join with the others in congratulating you on your achievements so far and wishing you well in future. Keep at it. Another important point is that you will soon gain the experience to know what works for you and if you keep at it, you will achieve more in terms of distance etc.