Training & Nutrition - What should I eat for my 40 mile ride?

Hi,
I am doing a 40 mile ride on May 31st and was wondering if I could get some nutrition tips before my ride. I want to make sure I am eating the proper foods so I have energy throughout the ride. Thanks!

Drink one 750 ml bottle of water and/or sports drink every 1 to 1.5 hours.

Eat about 250 calories per hour. Your food choices could be fruit, cookies, granola bars, beef jerky, salted almonds, pastries, or whatever strikes your fancy. Your sports drink calories count in this as well.

How long is your 40 miles going to take you?

Knowing nothing about it I'd suggest 2 bottles of HEED and maybe a gel or two. Alternatively, water and maybe a banana or some cookies halfway.

Of course if your 40 miles is a tough session of climbing in the mountains you'll want more food and liquids.

Hydration is most important, especially if it's hot.

For rides 40 or less, I normally eat a granola bar before I leave and just make sure I get plenty of fluids during the ride.

What should I eat for my 40 mile ride? The same thing you would eat if you are going to walk, or do yard work or to most anything.

And what ever I eat for a ride has nothing to do with you unless we are the same age, gender and or near the same level of fitness status and are going to ride the same 40 mile route. Get it?

I'd eat a bowl of oatmeal and drink a big mug o' java. But that's me.

I do not know what you should eat since your calorie requirements are most likely different than mine.
For a flat 40 miles I do not need anything. If it has a ton of climbing I bring enough calories to get me through the length of time I expect it to take.

I prefer to eat a decent breakfast an hour or two before the ride. Low glycemic carbs, some protein, and some fruit. Then for rides under 2-2.5 hours I don't bring any food. For rides longer than that I have sports drink and bars, and start comsuming calories an hour or so into the ride. For long races I'll eat 2-3 hours before and start comsuming calories when the race starts.


The length of ride you can do before you need to eat varies. It's usually shorter in less trained people. You'll have to experiment to find out what it is for you.

I'd eat a bowl of oatmeal and drink a big mug o' java. But that's me.

I would start with coffee, then some cereal, a pb&j sandwich, and some meat - like leftovers from supper the night before. A piece of cold fried chicken would be perfect. Then munch an apple and have a soft drink. Water and gatorade on the ride.

Mango or banana and some water.

too many variables to advise you specifically, but you should stick to foods you know and that your body is used to, just find a way to carry them. I'm fond of bananas, raisins, and turkey sandwiches, and for liquids: water and a little Gatorade for flavor (I don't mean mix them together just carry both)

flat 40 miles I wouldn't worry about anything but liquids and don't start the ride on an empty stomach. if it is 40 miles in the hills then you might want to bring a small snack.

Before the ride, I would eat some Kashi crunch cereal, orange and a bananna. I would also be sure to get some fluids in me. Coffee and/or vitamin water is my favorite. Accelerade in the water bottle for the ride. I would eat at least one mini clif bar and a bag of sport beans durring the ride. I would have some cold liquids (g2 or powerade) waiting on me in a cooler in my car and a protien bar. If it was a lil farther then I would have an R4 recovery drink in my cooler too.

I prefer to eat a decent breakfast an hour or two before the ride. Low glycemic carbs, some protein, and some fruit. Then for rides under 2-2.5 hours I don't bring any food. For rides longer than that I have sports drink and bars, and start consuming calories an hour or so into the ride. For long races I'll eat 2-3 hours before and start consuming calories when the race starts.

The length of ride you can do before you need to eat varies. It's usually shorter in less trained people. You'll have to experiment to find out what it is for you.

^ What he said ^..... If your topped off, you store enough glycogen for about 2 hours.

yeah eat a big breakfast and work out a good BM and you should be good.

Hope the ride went well! I think the best advice is to eat what you know will digest when you're riding. I think how much you need to eat varies depending on a number of factors, including the time of day and your fitness level. On a recent fairly hilly 40 mile ride I had a banana, a PB& J on whole wheat, and a sports drink (in addition to water). Finished the PBJ pretty close to home and had an active afternoon w/ plenty of energy. This ride overlapped my usual lunch time. Earlier in the day, I would probably have done ok w/ just the banana and drink. Some of these really efficient riders could go w/ just water, but I would bonk. Personally, bananas put fuel in my tank.

for a moderate three hour ride, i'd head for the best ice cream shop that's about twenty miles away.

*powered by Dairy Queen*

But on a 30 mile ride with some moderate climbing you burn about 1500 calories. I don't see how some of the suggestions would be a good idea(Mango or banana and some water), as that seems hardly adequate. Yah you might be able to get by on that, but you have to think about what will give you optimum performance on the ride correct?

But on a 30 mile ride with some moderate climbing you burn about 1500 calories. I don't see how some of the suggestions would be a good idea(Mango or banana and some water), as that seems hardly adequate. Yah you might be able to get by on that, but you have to think about what will give you optimum performance on the ride correct?

You burn somewhere between about 500 and 600 calories per hour. If a 30 mile ride takes you 2 hours, you will have burned about 1000 to 1200 calories. You don't need to replace those calories calorie-for-calorie. You only need to replace about half or slightly less.

So, like I said ...

Drink one 750 ml bottle of water and/or sports drink every 1 to 1.5 hours.

Eat about 250 calories per hour. Your food choices could be fruit, cookies, granola bars, beef jerky, salted almonds, pastries, or whatever strikes your fancy. Your sports drink calories count in this as well.

Also keep in mind that the more fit you get, the less you can get by on because your body handles fuel more efficiently.


And also note that if you eat 500+ calories before you go out on the ride, you're good for the first hour at least. If you're only going to be out there for 2 hours, you can probably get away with just water because you've got ample calories stored in your body, and you can eat when you get in. If you're going for longer than 2 hours, you might want to consume a few calories.

A banana and take a bottle of water (more if you won't have any opportunity to stop for refills).

You burn somewhere between about 500 and 600 calories per hour. If a 30 mile ride takes you 2 hours, you will have burned about 1000 to 1200 calories. You don't need to replace those calories calorie-for-calorie. You only need to replace about half or slightly less.


Correct. You don't need to replace the fat that you burn - you only need to replace the carbs that you burn. Which is good, because you probably don't have enough blood to send to your stomach to digest all that you are burning.

sknhgy (http://www.bikeforums.net/member.php?u=64906), yo the man!!
I can't believe you guys - most of you drink/eat those fake synthetic chemicals !! gel or sport drinx, that is just BS marketing propaganda. I go with the natural and that's all I need: oats, fruits, vegies, OJ is my energy drink!!
No wonder why cancer rates are shooting!

sknhgy (http://www.bikeforums.net/member.php?u=64906), yo the man!!
I can't believe you guys - most of you drink/eat those fake synthetic chemicals !! gel or sport drinx, that is just BS marketing propaganda. I go with the natural and that's all I need: oats, fruits, vegies, OJ is my energy drink!!
No wonder why cancer rates are shooting!


Before you respond like that, it's helpful if you actually read all the responses rather than just wildly assuming what you thought we might have written. One person, of all the responses, mentioned gel, and that person mentioned real food as well. So ... have another read through all the posts and tell us what we actually did say that we ate.

I would start with coffee, then some cereal, a pb&j sandwich, and some meat - like leftovers from supper the night before. A piece of cold fried chicken would be perfect. Then munch an apple and have a soft drink. Water and gatorade on the ride.

i had to reply to your post- wasn't sure if you were joking but this is absolutely the funniest thing i've read in a while- the bit about cold fried chicken still cracks me up 2 months later.

40 miler would = 1 gatorade, and maybe a banana.

for a moderate three hour ride, i'd head for the best ice cream shop that's about twenty miles away.

*powered by Dairy Queen*

I'm curious if anyone else finds this true-- dairy products are one thing I can never eat on a long ride. I have a few opportunities for great ice cream along several long rides I take. It would be intestinal suicide though. I can drink a big glass of chocolate milk afterwards, but just not during.

I'm curious if anyone else finds this true-- dairy products are one thing I can never eat on a long ride. I have a few opportunities for great ice cream along several long rides I take. It would be intestinal suicide though. I can drink a big glass of chocolate milk afterwards, but just not during.

I'm slightly lactose intolerant. I can eat ice cream occasionally under calm, non-stressful situations ... like at the end of a long ride ... but not during.