Originally Posted by
Tariq08
What's your typical diet like on a riding day? Do you eat a lot the night before? Before or after the ride? I don't normally count calories but according to my iPhone I burned 3500 calories on my ride yesterday (3 hours at 20.5 mph), if that's true it seems like I would have to eat a hell of a lot just to not get sick. Fortunately I had a big pasta dinner the night before and a big meal after the ride too. I'm just wondering if I overdid it, underdid it, or did it just right. I want to start going on longer rides more often I just want to make sure I do it the healthy way. Thanks.
Firstly, there is a high chance that the numbers your iPhone are reporting to you are much greater than your actual energy expenditure in the ride. That program probably uses very general metrics to calculate that result, which probably does not factor in your actual effort.
Secondly, and more importantly, when you're riding that kind of distance regularly, carbohydrate and portion control are very important. You want to eat enough carbohydrates to replenish your stores, but also eat in small enough portions to curb your hunger and prevent you from eating your own house after a ride.
With that said, on a long ride (50+ miles), I consume goo shots and lots of liquid on a timely basis to avoid getting super hungry at the end of the ride. When I'm done, I quickly drink something with electrolytes and eat something with enough carbos to get my glycogenic levels back up (i.e. avoid getting massively tired). After about an hour or two, I can eat a medium-sized meal like normal.