Nutrition - what do you do?

Darkman
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Nutrition - what do you do?

Post by Darkman »

Did a 44 mile ride yesterday in 28C heat. Fairly flat, but 15 miles of it was into an evil headwind coming in off the North Sea.

I carried 2 x 750ml High5 energy drink (horrible, sticky mess but that's for another discussion). Ran out with eight miles to go. Two miles from home, the dreaded bonk was looming large.

I ride solo and not really one for cafe stops, but yesterday I definitely could have done with a boost.

What do you carry? Can't say I want to go the gel route as I find them horribly expensive for what they are. Homemade stuffs?
Jdsk
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Re: Nutrition - what do you do?

Post by Jdsk »

Five pages of "Healthy food/snacks suggestions" including some recipes:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=137726

Jonathan
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Paulatic
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Re: Nutrition - what do you do?

Post by Paulatic »

For 44mls if I wasn’t stopping at a cafe I’d be carrying some sandwiches Usually honey or cheese. Along with an oat bar.
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: Nutrition - what do you do?

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
Not miles but more importantly "Time And Effort (level)"
I can do four hours at full gas but three hours for any mortal is enough normally, including me.
I just like to point out 4 hours normally renders a melt down in movement for me!

My simple advise is after two hours of heavy effort, you will have needed to carry food to eat on route! .....unless you anticipate home soon.
Also remember drinking without eating will wash out salt and you will take hours to recover!

Simple a bottle of fluid an hour in hot weather.
Water purification tabs allow you to use stream water if you have to.
Extra water cage / bladder pack.
Sandwiches are good for staying power.
No need for anything fancy or expensive.

I have done several solo self sufficient day rides of 250 miles.
Walked 46.5 miles in a day (16.5 hrs) with camping gear.
And you just need food which contains more than pure sugar / pure protein.

I could probably go all day and far with no fluid / food as much as anyone but............I would not advise such!

If planning hard effort or continuous effort of more than two hours start eating after half an hour on the bike, for performance that will last easily up to 12 hrs if you are fit enough...................................................

It works...............

Hard effort = average heart rate above 75% of your max.
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Jdsk
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Re: Nutrition - what do you do?

Post by Jdsk »

NATURAL ANKLING wrote: 9 Sep 2021, 12:21pmAlso remember drinking without eating will wash out salt and you will take hours to recover!
Healthy humans have massive capacity for retention of sodium by the kidney. I wouldn't worry about this for moderate exercise in the UK for people who have healthy kidneys and aren't on relevant medication.

The effects of sodium (and sugar) on water absorption by the gut are much more important.

Jonathan
Tim Holman
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Re: Nutrition - what do you do?

Post by Tim Holman »

Bassett's Jelly Babies and water!
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Re: Nutrition - what do you do?

Post by Jdsk »

"You can tell a lot about a man from the way he eats his Jelly Babies", as Reagan didn't say.

: - )

Jonathan
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Re: Nutrition - what do you do?

Post by axel_knutt »

Up to 25 miles I did non-stop, 30-40 miles I stopped once for a snack (nuts/biscuits). More than that, I stopped every hour and ate around 250-350 kcals (sandwiches first, then nuts/bics when they ran out). What you can get away with for one day is very different to what you can do if you're riding all day every day.
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Darkman
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Re: Nutrition - what do you do?

Post by Darkman »

How do I know my max heart rate? Googling suggests 220- age, which gives me 174. Seems kinda low? That said I think I was hanging around 155-160 most of yesterday, though on shorter, hillier/harder rides I've gone to mid 180s.

I think I may ditch the energy drink and go for another drink option that doesn't get all over my bike frame in future.

As for snacks, cheese sandwiches can work. :mrgreen:
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: Nutrition - what do you do?

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
Darkman wrote: 9 Sep 2021, 2:05pm How do I know my max heart rate? Googling suggests 220- age, which gives me 174. Seems kinda low? That said I think I was hanging around 155-160 most of yesterday, though on shorter, hillier/harder rides I've gone to mid 180s.

I think I may ditch the energy drink and go for another drink option that doesn't get all over my bike frame in future.

As for snacks, cheese sandwiches can work. :mrgreen:
You are going to need a heart rate monitor whilst riding to accurately monitor and record actual figures, you need to know average over the time period.
You will note I not mention specific figures, more average of your individual max (obtainable).
Individuals vary greatly on max.
Obtaining actual max is very hard, but I would start on what's your highest you have every seen recently in the last 5 years say.
I would start on 190 for you as you can easily hit 185.
If your average your ride was 155 then % of max is 81.5................not bad........over three hours say that would be pretty hard effort. in my book.

P.S.-
My HR can vary in a band of say 10 beats ride to ride (avg) with same performance......................so you need to bear that in mind when judging performance effort.
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Please forgive the poor Grammar I blame it on my mobile and phat thinkers.
Darkman
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Re: Nutrition - what do you do?

Post by Darkman »

Good info, thanks.

I do have a heart rate monitor - Wahoo Tickr hooked up to my Elemnt Roam.
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Audax67
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Re: Nutrition - what do you do?

Post by Audax67 »

140k last Tuesday: lunch was 20cm-long sesame-seed roll full of ham, cheese & salad sandwich at 40km w. 2 large cafés-au-lait, pear & almond tart at 73k w. 2 more large cafés-au-lait, plain water in 1-litre front bottle, hi-concentrated Isostar with half a spoonful of bicarb in the 60 cl back one. Topped up front bottle when possible. Over the 5 km before the final quite-narsty climb I glugged down the remains of the back bottle followed by most of what remained up front and had a couple of bits of crystallized ginger because it's nice. Once home I had a pint of normal-strength Isostar/bicarb to stave off dehydration cramps, whereof came there none.

Food in the morning was 4 balls of tagliatelle (78g dry weight) with smoked lardons & raisins, salt & copious pepper + 2 mugs of tea. Post ride was a tarte flambée (think thin pizza covered in lardons & onions in a cream/bechamel matrix. Plus tea, of course.

Felt great during ride, ditto next day.
Have we got time for another cuppa?
mattsccm
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Re: Nutrition - what do you do?

Post by mattsccm »

44 miles might see me have a cheap cereal bar at about 30 miles if I hadn't bothered with breakfast. Usually I just have break fast and would be back before lunch. Unless it was getting on for 30 degrees I would have either one big or two small bottles of weak Vimto. Probably bring much of it home. Don't feel that I dehydate enough to slow me down in 3 or 4 hours.
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foxyrider
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Re: Nutrition - what do you do?

Post by foxyrider »

Darkman wrote: 9 Sep 2021, 12:02pm Did a 44 mile ride yesterday in 28C heat. Fairly flat, but 15 miles of it was into an evil headwind coming in off the North Sea.

I carried 2 x 750ml High5 energy drink (horrible, sticky mess but that's for another discussion). Ran out with eight miles to go. Two miles from home, the dreaded bonk was looming large.

I ride solo and not really one for cafe stops, but yesterday I definitely could have done with a boost.

What do you carry? Can't say I want to go the gel route as I find them horribly expensive for what they are. Homemade stuffs?
Tuesday it hit 30c here with a fairly stiff ESE breeze so of course i set off for a longish ride into that breeze! (162km on the clockwhen i got back).
Breakfast was 1 mug of white coffee and 2 slices of buttered toast with cream cheese.
lunch stop after 2h45m and @ 65km was 2 cheese and pickle breadcakes and a medium banana.
short stop @ 120km for ice cream and a litre of soft drink to supplement the 1.5 litres of water i set off with of which i finished with about 250ml left. Water is sipped as required during the ride, no mess, can be used for hand cleaning, head dousing and can be topped up fairly easily.
I did have a soreen bar, a gel and Bloc jelly energy sweets in the bag that i didn't need but were there 'in case'.

normal after ride is cup of tea, .5litre electrolyte drink (i use SIS tabs) then evening meal after i've showered.

We are of course all different, we ride in different terrain, at different speeds/effort levels - all things that can affect calorie consumption, sometimes i'll get a bag of chips for 'lunch', i might stop for tea and a bacon sarnie mid morning, tea and cake in the afternoon depending on where i find myself and what's available. I know that a breakfast of similar content will generally power me for up to 4 hours, i aim to stop no later than 3 hours out. I'd much rather take a gel and not use it than bonk out as you seemed to do.

The important things to do are to fuel before the ride but allow at least 30 mins before starting the ride, fuel during your ride to suit your effort that might be a cake bar, banana or a sandwich which could be eaten as you ride or during a short stop. TBH i rarely drink in the first couple of hours but i'll be sipping regularly after that especially if its anything like warm.
Convention? what's that then?
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Re: Nutrition - what do you do?

Post by fredN4 »

mattsccm wrote: 9 Sep 2021, 6:18pm 44 miles might see me have a cheap cereal bar at about 30 miles if I hadn't bothered with breakfast. Usually I just have break fast and would be back before lunch. Unless it was getting on for 30 degrees I would have either one big or two small bottles of weak Vimto. Probably bring much of it home. Don't feel that I dehydate enough to slow me down in 3 or 4 hours.
you sound pretty normal. bravo
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