Cycling UK Forum

I am now into my first weeks working on a trainer in my lounge

It never occurred to me until now.

Should I eat before, way before, not before riding, and what is best (Diabetic but I rarely let that bother me )

Thanks

Oh and I ONLY do 20 minutes at a go so far

Are you trying to lose weight?

What type of diabetes do you have and what treatment are you on? And have you sought professional advice on the effect of what you eat on the complications of diabetes?

Jonathan

Lets assume you have built up your turbo session to the "very hard for 75mins"level.I would eat about 2hrs before.A 20min session is neither here nor there but the same applies unless,of course,your session is the first thing in the morning,in which case make it a med/easy session.Your body won,t be ready for an "eyeballs out" session on rolling out of bed first thing in the morning.

First of all, eating something a couple of hours before cycling / training is a good idea, simply meaning don't get up in the morning & start training on an empty stomach. On the other side of that, training immediately after a large meal is likely to be uncomfortable.

Other than that, I suggest trying a few different things and seeing what suits you. You probably don't need to make any change in your eating habits, at this point, though if you find that you are losing weight & don't want to, you need to increase your food intake.

I have just gone back to cycling, I am now up to 45 minutes a go (65, type 2) on the trainer

Many thanks all

You'll soon discover what works for you, but for many an hour's moderate exercise requires no different food intake to whatever you normally eat. Pretty much what Vorpal has already said, though if you have weight to lose you could also look into fasted cycling. It's something I do quite often, an hour before breakfast at an easy pace, though I don't know how that plays with diabetes.

IMO it’s not a good idea to eat a meal immediately before or close to vigorous exercise. Have a light meal at least two hours before hand, nothing too heavy. If you feel the need for a small snack after that or during exercise that should be ok as long as it is truly small.

I usually eat after turbo training, if you are a little hungry before you start, then a light snack will be OK. I’ll have a slice of toast with jam about half an hour before. I’m a Type 2 Diabetic too but find it doesn’t bother me. I can ride inside or out for 2-3 hours without having to eat much, though will often stop for tea and toast midway through an outdoor ride, through habit rather than necessity. It’s important to stay well hydrated whilst turboing, as you can really get up a healthy sweat!

Whenever you want.Porridge is good.Fruit/Nuts is good.Sorry no biscuits cakes etc.