Originally Posted by
Veloria
I would prefer to do without energy drinks, gels or pills; I prefer to eat natural foods. Will try eating more caloric meals before rides with slow-release carbs.
You can eat things like fig newtons but you also need to understand that you MUST also take in electrolytes and fluids. And, if you eat "heavy" complex foods before a ride you will not get much usable energy from them during the ride because they digest slowly. That may also hamper your ability to digest other foods during that time period.
You NEED electrolytes. Thus I would suggest an exercise drink mix in your water bottles. You also NEED to intake around 250 calories per hour (that's a lot of fig newtons over the course of 3 hours. Which could lead to digestive problems if you are susceptible to fruit "issues") so I suggest an energy bar of some type (cliff bar, powerbar, etc)
A protein drink mix before riding may help slow down (or stop) the onset of the shakes.
Remember, cycling is an exercise that is being sustained over a very long period of time. You have to eat and drink to keep it up or your body will shut down. It sounds like that is what your body is telling you at this point. To stop it, you need to eat concentrated FUEL that can be digested while exercising. That ain't your normal type of food.