Training & Nutrition - Food Suggestions?

Alright, well since this is my first post, here it goes.

I recently started to get into road biking this summer as a way to just relax and get away from everything, all while getting some good exercise. However, it's pretty much developed into a little obsession I guess you could say, and judging by the other posts I've read so far, there are a few others with the same "problem" :)

Anway, I try to read everything I can about road biking, whether its techniques for training or skills or whatever, but I've never really been able to find any info about good meals after a day of riding to help you recover and replenish your energy for the next day. Mostly I've just read about how you should eat protein and carbs and things like that, but the real answer to what I was looking for was what kind of meals to make that taste good and give you the things you need for cycling. Anyone out there who would like to take the time to submit dinners or other meals that they like, while in a bicycling frame of mind, would be much appreciated!

My personal favorite due to ease of preperation is a shake of water,whey protein,raw oatmeal,two fruits(one usu. banana)and cream ,flax,natural peanut butter or coconut as a fat source.With more prep time pasta with tomato sauce along with a fresh salad with romaine or spinich as a base is nice as is brown rice with chicken and/or beans and with veges.As the weather gets cooler I may try some homemade chile or pizza with healthy ingredients.

Alright, thanks for your help! I'll have to try those out!

One of my favorites after a long ride is a turkey-salami sandwich with tofu cheese on whole wheat bread.

Gives me carbs, fiber, protien and whole grains and tastes great. If the ride was over 2 hours, I add a banana or a small bunch of grapes.

This one is for webist. Is there anything that you would suggest as a good meal for dinner? The post ride sandwich sounds good, I'll have to try it.

Generally I try to stick to vegies, fruit and some nuts for my late day meal. I often just throw a bunch of different vegies in a pot with some broth and make a soup.

Certainly, a good deal of the thinking that goes into any meal has a lot to do with the level of exercise I had that day. On a day with a 30+ mile hilly ride, I will chomp on some protien.

I must concern myself with blood sugar level too. That has a great deal of influence on my diet as well.

Alright, thank you for your suggestions! Right now I'm a college student on the typical college student diet, so I think that any change I can make to that will help improve my cycling!

I'm no racer but do quite a few longer (100km+) rides usually with a few decent hills thrown in just so I don't get bored. The day before (sometimes two days) before a big ride I'll cook up a big meal of Spaghetti Bolognaise (sp?) and that seems to help. On the ride I take as many bannanas as I can cram into my pack or jersey and a small resealable bag with some salted peanuts in it as well. If I have room I usually try and take a bottle of Gatorade or Powerade as well. I buy the powdered stuff and mix it up at home before I go, much cheaper that way.

Alright, thanks, I'd never thought of peanuts on longer rides. I'll have to add them for this weekend.

Peanuts work well on longer slower or moderate paced rides due to higher fat content.As I tend to be allergic to peanuts I use pistacios which also work well.

If you would like to know more about eating for performance and recovery then check out this article from Outside Magazine. The guy who developed Endorox, Ed Burke, I think (he's mentioned in the article) used to be a pro cyclist and is now a sports medicine type has some really good tips on using the glycemic index to base your diet and eating schedule on. It's all very logical and I've noticed a difference in performance on and off the bike.

If you're looking to control you blood sugar levels this is what it's all about. This is not a diet but a lifestyle change or guide if you will. Check it out and see how your eating habits match up. You'll find that this is all commen sense but it works and there is some science behind the guidelines to back it up.

Glycemic Index article (http://web.outsideonline.com/magazine/200105/200105body1.html)

My $.02.

Cheers,

Sean

Well bicycling is an endurance sort of thing. Bicycling burns between 30-55 calories per mile (depending on your weight, speed and number of hills). Most of the calories expended will be carbohydrate or fat.

You need about 500 calories of carbohydrate to fuel your nervous system each day. Your body can store between 2,000-2500 calories of carbohydrate. Since this is what gives you your performance in cycling, it feels best to be sure that your carbohydrate stores are "topped off". And pretty near everything I have read has said that complex carbohydrates are best - bread, vegetables, fruits, pasta, rice, potatos, etc.

You want to keep your fat fairly low. Your protein requirements might go up a tad but not much. Any excess protein you eat will merely be converted into carbohydrates anyway (or fat if you eat way too much).

I have found that I can lose weight pretty quickly by doing a bunch of miles and keeping my carbohydrate stores "topped off". But that only works when I have the time to do a bunch of miles.

I also don't fool around with the fancy supplements. I have a lot of background in physiology, biochemistry etc etc and I don't find the case for them very persuasive.

For example a power bar = a snickers bar + half a glass of milk

Better yet eat a banana - sugars, complex carbs, vitamins, electrolytes and a biodegradeable package.

If you ride hard and often you can eat just about anything you want, simply avoid processed foods and supplement your diet with EnduroxR4. If you love pasta (as I do) - bonus.

The pasta option works for me, it's my favorite (well, next to seafood!) Anyway, thanks to everyone who has responded so far. It's given me a good start to training and getting in shape!

after a workout, especially cycling, food has to be interesting to me because i have a very short attention span. i immediately consume 60 grams of carb. in the way of Luna Bars. i like the peanut butter and jelly kind because they are not as sweet as the others. if you are looking for dinner options that are tasty and nutritious, check out any cookbooks by Nina Simonds. she rocks. she definitely has an asian bend on her food. the sauces are flavorful and delicious. you can always substitute brown rice for the white rice, since white rice ranks high on the glycemic index, and sends blood sugar sky high. no i am not a "no carb" fanatic. diabetes is in my family, so i have to be careful what kind of carbs i eat. i also love sushi after a ride. lots of glutinous rice here, but i try and eat the sashimi first, and the rice last.

another book to check out is "Endurance Sports Nutrition" by suzanne girard-eberle.

just my 2 cents,

hey rotifer, don't take this the wrong way, but that dancing banana is sooo cute.:p ;)

hey homebrew, thanks for that article about ed burke. i am definitely going to check out his books.

ride on!!

I am one of the low carb folks. I aviod processed starch and potatos like the pleague. I only eat lots of carbs when I am riding or going to ride. I keep my glycemic index low, don't worry about fats, exersize regularly and take vitamin suplaments.
I'm a med tech and have been keeping up with my lipid levels over the last year since I started this life style. My Triglyceride levels have droped by 1/2 my Cholestorl has droped about 20% and my HDL levels continue to climb, probly due to the exersize, and I feel great.

I have lost 50lbs this way.

BTW I eat lot's of low carb vegies and some fruit.
I also don't get hungry on a regular basis like I did before. I think the massive consumption of simple carbs, starch and sugar, is the number 1 reason for the number of new dibetics that spring forth every year. Just like an alcoholic abusing there liver with excesive amounts of toxins, the life style millins of americans are living is killing their pancreas.

Don't get me wrong. Carbs are the energy source as long as there is a fire to feed, but in excess they hurt you if you don't burn them.

I agree with everything your saying in fact I like to harp on many of the same points but he was asking about meals to replentish fuel stores for extended athletic activity(cycling )and that as you allude to is where carbs have their place.

RWTD You'r right, please excuse me for harping.:o
With out knowing personal preferences of this individual I'll let you in on my little secret. Many times after an extremly long and or hard ride I like to go to buffet type resturants. I try to eat a balance of carbs and protein.
I have noticed that since the weather has cooled down when I return from a long ride I just can't seem to get warm untill I eat and it has time to digest. I guess I must burn up most of my glycogen suplies and there isn't enough excess energy left to stoke the heater.:eek:

I think a Tex-Mex meal may be in order here also!

Hi Uciflylow I'm a low-carber as well and feeling quite well with it..

It's really weird, I've been in long-distance cycling from 1994-1999 and then just touring till now and I still haven't figured out my nutrition..
Discovered I ate way too few proteins and too many carbs.. also not often enough.

The key to good performance on the bike is like with drinking.. eat little bits and often.

After the bike ride, it is similar to workouts..

Since I low-carb, I drink a combination of
- 100 g quark (looks like yoghurt,but is like cottage cheese, 7-11 g of protein/100g)
- 25 g of whey protein (about 20 g of protein)
- 60 ml of cream (provides 25 g of fat)
The key thing is to take this drink right after the work out/ride.

For a non-low carber, you'd need to have a 4:1 ratio of carbs:protein.. I've heard this is the perfect combination for recovery. Drinks are good and easy, but if you can run to a buffet meal as mentioned before and pick healthy protein sources as well as lots of carbs you'll be allright too..

As for me, I refeed once a week with a high-carb, low-fat day.. the low-fat is a bit diff, so I make it a 'healthy' junk day.

Fietser

uc I don't think you were harping.Given the epidemic carb addiction rampant in this country and resultant chronic health problems it is important to stress any carbs loaded up on need to be burned before more carbs are consumed in other words as I think you all are saying you need to eat for your activity level and cut carbs for low activity or quick weight loss.Timing of carbs is important as well particularly if you want to consume high glycemic simple carbs they should be limited to directly before during or after intense exercise.Of course since I tend to have a fast metabolism and high activity level I have to eat plenty of carbs to keep from losing weight and I find it difficult to keep my energy stores topped up even with an occasional buffet.Now you got me started lol.

I have to say, I love my carbs. Pasta, potatoes, you name it, buddy! I also have to say that I've had only one illness of any description (the 'flu) in the last four years. What are these health problems you speak of?

Were talking about couch potatoes and thus I don't think you qualify.Diabetes as uc mentioned is the most direct but obesity caused by overconsumption of carbs combined with lack of physical activity is being implicated in a numbers of diseases such as heart disease etc.

Originally posted by RWTD
Were talking about couch potatoes and thus I don't think you qualify.

OK, now I understand.

Yesterday was my carbup day.. and in contrast to my low-carb day I felt incredibly sluggish and sleepy today! This also had to do with lack of physical activity as Sunday is my rest day.

Yay for low-carb meals!

The reason why I still carb up is to restore glycogen levels and the high food consumption also tricks my body into believing there's no reason to hoard fat as there is no crisis (6 days/week I'm about 500-600 kcal below maintenance intake). :beer:

Were talking about couch potatoes and overconsumption of carbs!

This is my harp! The problem is in modern society we have ready access to high cal, good tasting, high carb food stuff. The problem is that most americans don't do nearly the physical activity it takes to make use of this high calorie load. If you are into bike commuting or other high calorie burning physical activity you arn't hurting yourself. I would like to add here that it is still better to get the carbs from whole grain, less refined carb source. It is just better on your body than a sudden rush of glucose you get from simple carbs.

I try and cary carb sources that are a combo of simple and more complex carbs when I ride long rides. I ran out of an energy source on a long ride this past summer and had to almost crawl home. :eek: I agree that it is more important for long rides to eat a little on a regular basis than depend on your reserves for longer rides. I can make a 20 mile ride at a brisk pace on one meal that has some carbs in the mix. If I go longer than that I have to eat on the go.

In nature refined carbs, fat, and salt is at a premium in most ancient human populations. We are pre programed to have a natural affinity for these things and are predisposed to over indulge in sugar, fats and saltiness. Your body has to have all of these to function properly, therefore no diet that eliminates all of any of these is not practical.
Every one should educate themselves to how much of each thing they need and which foods provide proper balance for the task at hand. Most regular people have no clue as to the true amount of calories that pass there lipps or how it affects there body!

I have noticed that here in the USA almost all of out food has sugar added to it! I have noticed that cheeper brands of processed foods have lower carbs. The extra cost is in the added sugar!:eek:

Forgive me for rambling but the thing that really opened my eyes to this carb issue was a commerical for a low carb diet that ask "Are you eating like a pig?". Having grown up in a farming family I got to thinking, you know that is right, farm animals are fattened up on almost all grain with a very low fat content!

I realy sould be riding insted of typing. hehehe:D

Don't get me started on gainfed feedlot meat lol.However everything you say is so true all the more reason to remember to always cycle vigiously if you are going to eat like a cyclict regularly.As a confirmation for your last post as well as initial post on my recent tour as on many long rides I started craving salt so really started overdoing it with those packets you get at fast food restuarants.Usually the added salt helps me with energy but after not too much of this I noticed my lips were becoming dry and parched and I started getting a cramp in one of my calves.As I suspected potassium would help the cramping and had some high potassium sources in fruit I had been carrying but neglecting at the time I immediately stopped and had a feast on apricots and oranges and it was surprising how fast all the above symptoms disappeared .The above example shows the need for sodium(salt) during extended physical activity but the importance that it be balanced with potassium intake which unfortunately most sources of added/refined salt don't include.

Indeed.. I had cramps a few weeks ago and since I wasn't carrying my normal Ca/Mg tablets which are said to prevent cramps (you put them in water), I asked at the gym whether they had licorice (salty). Nope.. and since I didn't want to buy a drink loaded with carbs (I'm on a ketodiet) I asked for plain salt and put a bit in my post-workout drink (whey, cottage cheese & cream). Gross, but it worked.
At home I have salt with extra potassium and magnesium, but I decided to take in my daily allowed carbs for the workout by taking 1 banana or a few dried apricots along.. f**k the raised glycogen levels in my liver (it is said that fructose from fruit will deposit in liver, rather than in my muscles), I don't want to have cramps.
Problem with regular licorice is that I'm an addict...
Edit: and unfortunately it is regular salt (NaCl) again, I said that the manufacturers should have sport's licorice.. actually I bought a twig of licorice root a few days ago and am chewing on it today (doesn't have a lot of carbs, but satisfies my licorice cravings quite well)

By the way, my main problem has always been that I ate far too little 'normal' food and would then binge on the wrong kind of foods (ice-crem, licorice, french fries, chips, cakes). This would especially occur a few days after a gruelling cycling weekend with not enough food intake.. a couple of days later the calorie loss would have been countered by major binges.. am trying to curb them now with this keto-diet..

Fietser, who's also a farmer girl .. and is sad to see that dear brother wants to fatten cattle on grain as well!

Fietser I drink a similar shake multiple times a day but I usually substitute fruits,grains(oatmeal)and sometimes a raw egg(jumbo lol)for the cottage cheese as I'm actually on a weight gain (as muscle) program and have a body type where I have to worry more about weight loss (particularly as muscle) than fat gain.You are right about fructose from fruit storing in the liver then as fat bypassing the muscle from my understanding so fruit should be used for quick energy or recovery but not energy storage /replentishment.I also agree potassium and magnesium are two extremely important minerals for energy production and recovery(actually magnesium has so many important functions its amazing)its a shame they are processed out of most refined products and not even added back in any enrichment attempt.However I find snacking on fruits and nuts while cycling helps me with these minerals just watch the added salt on nuts .

Originally posted by RWTD
Peanuts work well on longer slower or moderate paced rides due to higher fat content.As I tend to be allergic to peanuts I use pistacios which also work well.
Only trouble with pistachios is that you need to peel them yourself (it is possible to buy peeled ones but they aren't as delicious or cheap) and by doing so, half of them may disappear into your mouth.. :D

Actually one of the pluses I found with pistacios is when you have to shell them it limits the number you can eat at one time particular while riding on a bike .However I did find on my recent tour when I started eating them again after the above noted cramping incident they did start making my lips parched indicating the high sodium content they can have from added salt.

Originally posted by RWTD
Actually one of the pluses I found with pistacios is when you have to shell them it limits the number you can eat at one time particular while riding on a bike .However I did find on my recent tour when I started eating them again after the above noted cramping incident they did start making my lips parched indicating the high sodium content they can have from added salt.

Or the chapped fingers from splitting them up, like what happened to an acquaintance when he was touring in Iran, the country with the best pistachio nuts ;)

Moon pie and an RC. (I'm from Kentucky - land of 4,000,000 people and 15 last names)

I ride a road not far from home that is on the TN,KY state line. West to east and I'm in TN all the way, east to west I'm in KY that way I can enjoy two states in the same ride.:p

You do know that the tooth brush was also invented in Kentucky don't you? Any where else and it would have been called the teeth brush.:eek: