Staying Fueled and Hydrated for 500 Miles
Fuel Facts
- Riding a bike burns up 400-600 calories per hour of saddle time
- Calories burned come from energy sources that are located in muscle, liver and blood stream as glucose; only blood stream source can quickly and easily be replenished during the day
- Biking constantly uses glucose stores in thighs….staying fueled with carbs in the blood will spare the stores in the thighs. If you run out of muscle stores of carbohydrates you will “bonk”
- To keep carbs supplied to bloodstream and spare the stores in the thigh you need constant supply of foods or energy that digest quickly and enter bloodstream almost immediately
- Sports drinks, power bars and energy gels are designed to empty quickly out of the stomach
- 20 ounces of sports drink supplies only about 200 calories of fuel
- Energy gel is 100 calories of fuel
Power
bar averages 230 calories of easily digestible fuel
Hydration Facts
- If you bike you will sweat (even if you don’t go up a hill)
- If it is warm out you will sweat even more
- When you sweat you lose intra-cellular fluid
- Loss of intra-cellular fluid leads to decreased ability to perform work (bike)
- Dehydration and heatstroke are a direct result of too much loss of body fluid
- Drinking water is not the optimum way to replace fluids lost in sweat
Sweat = water + sodium + potassium + minor minerals
- Sports drinks have been designed to replace water and these essential minerals in the proportion found in sweat: the electrolytes + glucose are key to absorption at the cellular level
- Rule of thumb that is easy to follow: Minimum of 20 ounces of sports drink between every SAG stop (more on very hot or difficult cycling days)
Sports drinks (and powders mixed in correct proportion) are the easiest way to insure proper hydration from sweat and are a quick and constant supply of carbohydrates in blood stream so stores in thighs are spared.
Gels: good supply of 100 calories of easily digestible carbohydrates for blood stream. For quick emptying of stomach, it must be consumed with adequate water. Gels have some electrolytes but still not as effective as getting the already proportioned drink since the water consumed varies greatly with individuals.
Each person has distinct tastes and tolerations to various sports drinks. Use your training rides to find the one that suits you best (the one you can drink for a whole week!).
Recommended sports drinks available in powder form that are carbohydrate + electrolyte
- Gatorade
- Power bar endurance
- Clif shot electrolyte drink
- Cytomax
- Gu20 sports drink
Accelerade is a sports drink that has protein added to the formula. Research shows that protein in this small proportion increases endurance in athletes. However, the protein is tolerated very differently by individuals.
Power gels include but are not limited to:
- Power gels
- GU
- Carb Boom Energy Gel
- Clif Shot
- CytoSport Ctyomax Gulp N Go Gel
Fuel for an Anchor House Ride Day
Eat breakfast you are familiar with
Minimum of one bike bottle of premixed sports drink between SAG stops
1 bottle water and minimum of 300 calories of snack food that you like (goes down and stays down) at each SAG stop
If possible a lunch that is easily digestible (low in fat)
Gels can be part of SAG stop or any time during ride you feel energy leaving thighs…drink plenty of water with this gel
At end of ride first foods should be combination of easily digestible carbs and a bit of protein such as:
- Specially formulated recovery drinks
- Coke and protein bar
- Chocolate milk and energy bar
Dinner: Normal amount that you eat during week with emphasis on carbohydrates such as whole grains, pasta, rice, potatoes, vegetables and fruit