Originally Posted by
LAshotgun
First thanks for the responses. Some more details:
I usually eat about 500 calories (all carbs) in the morning 1/2 hour before a ride. Then after the ride I eat at least 1000 calories high in protein and carbs. Whenever I step up the intensity I get very tired and will nap for 1-2 hours out of exhaustion. I then stay hungry and tired throughout the day and end up eating a lot of junk food just for the carbs. On my rides I drink plenty of water but don't consume any calories. Would consuming calories on the ride help prevent my crashing? I stay hydrated throughout the day.
I get about 6 hours of sleep a night, which seems to be enough.
Eliminate the 500 cals of carbs 1/2 hours before the ride. If you must eat before a ride, do so at least 2 hours beforehand; otherwise, your insulin levels skyrocket and your ability to burn fat is reduced by 70%. By cutting out those useless 500 cals of sugars before a ride, your body will burn more fat pure and simple. You would be better consuming say 100 cals per hour on the ride starting about 30 minutes into the ride. At that point, it is nearly impossible to spike your insulin levels. Eating too much has other effects on the bike.....
As far as being tired, you are either doing too much intensity or I might suggest reducing the 1000 cal post ride carb regimen to maybe 600 Kcals and continue refueling at a lower rate for the rest of the day. Post ride recovery should be 2-3 grams of carbs per kilo of body weight.....this is over the 4 hour window when refueling is much faster than normal.