The ancient wisdom says that you should be hungry by the end of a long ride, but the latest science shows that you should actually be comfortably fed the whole time. Modern cycling nutrition strives to get as much fuel into your body as possible without hitting the hard physical limit – known as your puke factor. The professionals in the world tour races eat 120 grams an hour or more, which adds up to 5,400 calories a day, almost three times the amount a normal American consumes.
Why Is It So Important to Eat While Riding?
The amount of steady energy output your muscles can exert is partly a function of how much fuel they have, in the form of glycogen. So long as the glycogen’s there and metabolic waste is managed, your muscles can keep working almost indefinitely. The easiest source of muscle glycogen comes from simple carbohydrates like brown sugar, but fat, protein, and salt also help keep you going, and a little ginger keeps the mixture from coming up. The nutrition products Tailwind recommends balance these factors to get you the fuel you need while also helping you keep that fuel in your stomach.
Our Products and Why We Like Them
Tailwind
No relation to the shop! But we do like the name. Tailwind started on a hot day at a bike race with the founder’s head in a trash can, spewing out the “nutrition mix” recommended by other riders. He thought there has to better way, and after research and experimentation he came up with the formulas now used in Tailwind nutrition products. These gels and hydration packs are made to be palatable and easy on the gut, especially on long, brutal rides or races. We get great feedback on these products.
Gu
The grandmother of sports nutrition, Gu has been selling energy gels since 1993. They have an impressive selection of science-backed products including chews, gels, drink mix, cookies, and capsules in a variety of flavors. Gu products work for any type of endurance athlete and they’re one of the most popular choices.
Scratch Labs
Scratch is best known for their hydration options, which come in several flavors, with vegan options as well. Their hydration mixes were developed specifically for professional cyclists, and are able to hydrate better than plain water due to their electrolyte blend. What makes them different than something like Gatorade is less sugar, more sodium, and no artificial flavors or colors – just real fruit. Scratch is one of the most popular nutrition brands we sell.
Untapped
Using pure Vermont maple syrup as its primary ingredient, Untapped offers highly digestible nutrition with few highly processed ingredients. Maple syrup makes a great endurance fuel because it is low glycemic, meaning it digests slower than regular sugar, so you refuel your muscles without sudden energy dips. It also has natural amino acids and antioxidants, plus it’s water-soluble so it goes down easy and stays in your stomach.
How Much Should I Eat and Drink?
That’s a question with varying answers, but generally if you are out for part of the day you should aim for 60-90 grams an hour, which equals one or two gel packets. For hydration, most experts suggest you drink before you get thirsty – so take a swig every fifteen minutes or so, depending on how hot you get. The longer and harder your ride, the more you should imbibe, up to the point where you feel sick or heavy-in-the-gut, of course. With practice, you may be able to eat as much as 150 grams an hour, which will keep your energy levels topped up.
For short rides lasting less than an hour you probably won’t drain your glycogen stores or need major refueling. You should still eat something like a single gel pack after your warm-up because studies show activating your taste receptors and getting your gut juices moving lets your body release a little more energy than it normally would.
Personal Story: Gas Station Nutrition versus Tailwind-Approved Nutrition
The Fall Color Festival in southern Wisconsin is 22+ miles of rough single track where a hundred riders are let loose all at once. The first time I raced it I only had 1 water bottle, and my nutrition consisted of candy bars and granola packets I picked up at the gas station on the way up. I figured that would be plenty for just 22 miles, as I had ridden that far before on just one bottle and some snacks.
The race ended up taking three hours. I was the third-slowest finisher and felt like I was going to die when I finally made it to the finish line. It took me days to recover, and in hindsight I think I had a minor heatstroke.
The next year I raced it with a full compliment of Gu gels and chews, plus Scratch Labs hydration in my bottle with plain water in my hydration pack to wash it down. I set my Garmin’s timer to remind me to eat and drink every 15 minutes too, just in case.
Despite having the same fitness levels between both races, my second attempt finished 30 minutes sooner than my first. More importantly, I felt great the whole time and even sprinted against another racer at the end – just for fun of course, we both still finished 45 minutes behind the race leaders.
After the race I drank Scratch Recovery Mix and felt good enough to ride my bike to work the next day. Yeah, I was tired, but not dead like the year before.
Final Thoughts
If you’re new to cycling nutrition, it’s a good idea to grab a bunch of different brands, flavors, and textures to see what you like best. Use them during low-pressure training rides and never try something new on a race day. Once you figure out your preferred brands and delivery systems, work on stomaching as much as you feel comfortable with to keep your glycogen stores topped up. Have questions? Ask our friendly staff or one of the team members out at Chicagoland races.