Suggestions for Quick Morning Fuel/Meal

[Greg180]

I typically get up at 0530 on training/riding days, (Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri). I use 15-30 minutes for stretching and coffee. This has worked fine but my increase in riding time/distance is causing me to run out of body fuel before the end of my ride. Currently I am riding 1-1.5 hours at 16MPH pace, (lots of hills where I live), but want to increase it to two hours. Can't do that on an empty stomach. Occasionally I will have an eight ounce glass of orage juice with Whey Protien if I am going to do intervals or a longer climb.

Riding after work is sketchy...Schedule varies as to when I will get home. Currently I have one group ride scheduled per week and one rest day.

Any sugggestions would be appreciated especially those that do not require banging around the pot and pans...My wife is already complaining about the cold bed after 0530.;)

[DannoXYZ]

Big bowl of instant oatmeal before you leave? Pancakes?

You can always eat on the ride. Dried apricots are good, PB&J, bananas. Not tough to take in 1000 calories+ between pre-ride meal and whatever you eat on the ride itself.

If you're doing anything of intensity at all, like sprints and intervals, you're gonna be burning 100% glycogen, so you'll need to eat carbs to replenish that supply. Otherwise, your body will gladly take apart perfectly good muscle-tissue for fuel..

If you want to burn mostly fat, slow down under 10mph... might be OK for a 4-6 hour endurance ride, but doesn't do you much good in the 2-hour time-frame you have.

[timmhaan]

i have basically the same schedule. i wake up at 5:45am everyday for a 1.5-2 hour ride.

it's important to get everything ready the night before so you don't have to wake up your wife. i put out the bowl (for cereal), get the coffee ready, put out a banana, and my vitamin pill.

a good cereal with nuts, rasins, or fruit is good for energy. plus the banana. you might want to fill your water bottle with a sports drink so you can get a little boost during your ride.

after the ride i have the whey protein shake and some toast with low-fat cottage cheese. then off to work.

[Logistics]

One thing that worked for me was timmhaan mentioned by having all things ready to go the night before. I will generally have a diet pop and a bowl of cereal or oatmeal, then I slam a bottle of Twinlab Ultra Fuel w/ 100g carbs and that sets me straight for long rides. All of this followed by a whey protein shake when I finish. Sometimes when I am in a hurry to get going casue I slept in I will eat an energy bar and take a couple with me on rides but I never tend to miss the Ultra Fuel. If I forget to eat something and use the bars I tend to be more hungry when I get home.

[Greg180]

I didn't think that your body could process those foods adequately enough during the two hour ride. Don't you also lose some of the energy from the food to the digestion process? I guess this is splitting hairs...

[supcom]

Drink a bottle of Ensure. It's balanced nutrition, digests quickly and a favorite of ultramarathon cyclists. No milk products that might upset your stomach.

[ericgu]

When I do early morning rides on the weekend, I have a clif bar, drink a glass of accelerade, then get ready to go, and I'm fine. Well, other than the fact that I don't perform that well early in the morning, but I have enough calories.

I eat cereal days I don't ride, but I can't do the milk thing before a ride...

[socalrider]

I have been eating the South Beach diet breakfast wraps in the morning.. Good mix of carbs and protein, only 200 calories..

Very good light meal.. 2 minutes in the microwave and done.. The Denver and Southwestern are my favorites.. You can find them on sale sometimes for 2.50 for 2 wraps.. Normally they are about 4.00 for 2 wraps..

http://www.southbeachdiet.com/kraft/kraft.asp

[tippy]

.... you're gonna be burning 100% glycogen, so you'll need to eat carbs to replenish that supply. I was under the impression (which I admit could be entirely wrong) that it takes a while (overnight-ish) for your body to restock a sufficient amount of glycogen to support lots of climbing and intervals. How much glycogen would your body stock up just an hour or two prior to a ride? Or did you mean to take in the carbs the night before you ride?

Good Luck,
d.tipton

[C_Heath]

Im not a morning person so theres no way Im crawlin out at 0530. more power to ya.

shew.

;)

[supcom]

I was under the impression (which I admit could be entirely wrong) that it takes a while (overnight-ish) for your body to restock a sufficient amount of glycogen to support lots of climbing and intervals. How much glycogen would your body stock up just an hour or two prior to a ride? Or did you mean to take in the carbs the night before you ride?

Good Luck,
d.tipton

Your muscles will also burn glucose that you get from a high carb breakfast. After sleeping all night your liver, which maintains blood sugar levels, could use some help in supplying glucose to the brain as well. And although a 1 to 1.5 hour ride is not going to result in a bonk, you will certainly be more motivated to ride if you aren't feeling hunger pangs.

[Rodney Crater]

Big bowl of instant oatmeal before you leave? Pancakes? ...

I have recently taken to eating a couple of frozen pancakes in the morning. As long as they are slightly sweet they go down well and you can break them into bite sized pieces with your fingers :) I usually throw a banana in to the bag for post ride. Mine is a short commute though, 3 miles, but I do push it.

['nother]

Oatmeal or other multi/whole-grain cereal + a little brown sugar + scoop of whey protein powder + handful of pecans or walnuts. Good mix of simple + complex carbs, protein & "good" fat. Sticks with me for 2-hour morning rides. Longer than that needs supplementation of course.

[DannoXYZ]

I was under the impression (which I admit could be entirely wrong) that it takes a while (overnight-ish) for your body to restock a sufficient amount of glycogen to support lots of climbing and intervals. How much glycogen would your body stock up just an hour or two prior to a ride? Or did you mean to take in the carbs the night before you ride?It takes about 10-14 hours to fully recover and stock up from a completely depleted state, say... a bonk. So depending upon how much he ate the day before and what kind of workout he had, he may not have the full supply of 2000 calories in reserves. Most likely 1500-1800 calories. If he's planning on increasing his ride to 2-hours, with high-intensity, this can certainly bring him within 30-60 minutes of a bonk. Not a big deal if he eats a modest breakfast and something on the ride itself. If he eats 2-hours before the ride, he can have 400-500 calories extra in his bloodstream and stomach that'll be used on the ride. So that's definitely good enough for a 2-hour ride. With breakfast + eating on the bike he can take in 500+ 2x250= 1000 calories on top of his stored reserves, good for a 3-hour intense ride. I doubt a bonk's going to be an issue, but after-ride replenishment meal is definitely in order.

A British study on school kids a year or so ago showed kids eating just toast didn't do as well on schoolwork as kids having toast+beans. So it appears that the body does wake up with some deficiencies that needs a meal to top-off. Breakfast is the most important meal ... :) Sometimes I do skip meals, but it'll always be dinner... leaves more room for liquor!