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Trailfood


jackthelad's picture

By jackthelad - Posted on 23 August 2014

NB: Originally posted elsewhere on the Global Riders Network and appears via syndication.

who here eats what? when out riding
i eat the odd fresh and dried fruit
banannas apricots figs etc
bars, and gels, but generally after a minimum of 20 ks or so for the processed stuff.
list your favourites, recommendations , recipes for energy bars etc
Start....

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staffe's picture

For training rides I normally just eat the cheapes crappiest Musli bars I can find like Coles brand or stuff from aldi. Packed with sugar and not fit for normal consumption. One every 20ks or so. Water to drink.

After a big training ride I have a protein bar for recovery, This is immediately after not 20 minutes later. That really helps with recovery.

During races I go for the Gu sachets and power bars. Endura to drink and water. A Gu Espresso Lovers when the legs are starting to ache is always a winner.

DudeistPriest's picture

Clif Shots(with caffeine) and Clif Bars.

rossco_'s picture

I tend to lose some weight in normal ride so just banana, 2 scoop energy power with 1.5 liter water. On trainer, I do 1 hour after dinner with water only. For group ride or race, heap of banana, high 5 gel and energy drink plus water.

Brian's picture

I use torq gels, torq bars and powerbars for training and racing. I can't stomach anything in my drink so its always just plain water.
Cheers
Brian

Oldernslower's picture

When was training used the following - but this was combined with pre and post ride nutrition strategy and different for different types of rides.

On indoor trainer:
For a 55min PPAR-delta (Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor) session first thing in morning (no water breakfast, food, anything, ie in a glycogen depleted state). Supposed to increase burning of fat which increases fat burning enzymes - (PPARs). (NOTE this is the natural way to increase this activator NOT the doping kind http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/11395/Doping-A...

S.H.I.T.S on the indoor turbo trainer - (Seriously High Interval Training Session sometimes called HIITS) nothing but a choc milk after - if I can make it to the fridge!

Training ride up to 120 mins @ average of 75% max HR - just water and maybe a half a Zipvit ZV8 energy bar (or similar). Unless doing a 85% avg power/Cardio HR ride, in which case Hi-Five (or similar) energy powder in water.

Long ride (120min+) Hi Five or similar (eg Balance) energy powder mixed with Whey at 4:1 (carbs to protein) in camelbak. Seperate water in bottle with electrolytes and maybe energy bar. If doing an 80% max HR then would also use gels, some with caffeine.

The mixture levels would change depending on temperature/weather - high temperature Lower carb content in water, lower temp Higher carb content.

hawkeye's picture

I aim at 1g per kg of bodyweight. That will do me for several hours if I start on the carbs in the first 15min.

What that looks like for me is one bottle of SIS Go Electrolyte plus 1 High5 gel plus a quarter white bread jam sandwich per hour.

The last round of the Shimano GP really brought home to me how much that little bit of solid food helps. Just Gels and drinks isn't quite enough for 4+ hours straight of going hard.

obmal's picture

I used to add some powder to the bottles and carry a bar or something, but really now for anything under 3 hours I will pretty much just do with water in the bottles and build up a substantial hunger for my next meal.

Sometimes when I commute and know that I won't be able to do breakfast when I get into work, I may add some sugary stuff and protein powder to the commuter water mix.. just so I don't get super hungry and eat all the tea room cookies before lunch.

If its cool enough I even find that can get by on one water bottle for a couple hours on the roadie.

I have bonked hard before so know how it feels, once when my plans changed and I ended up riding a hour or so longer than anticipated, but this was well into the painful end of a full day ride.

No doubt I'm completely wrong about this, but I find that I'm fat enough to power myself for a substantial period with just water and perhaps a sugar hit (pull into a servo for a coke) when I bonk well after 4-5 hours.

Is it even possible to run out of "energy" and actually seriously need to eat something on a ride less than about 4 hours anyways?

hawkeye's picture

@obmal it depends on the pace. All day endurance pace, sure the energy demands are a lot less. Aerobic threshold pace burns fuel at a much higher rate, and that's where the 1-1.2 g per kg body mass rule comes in.

Brian's picture

Besides my weekday morning rides which are 1-2 hours I eat on all my rides. Sometimes I even eat on these rides. I figure, if I eat on a ride where I haven't really needed to then its just going to help with my recovery. There's nothing worse then running out of energy.

I also eat before every ride.

choppertank3e's picture

Went for my first all day in a long while a few weeks back. Ate Pasta and bread for breakfast and took Raviolli and oranges and apples. Stopped for fruit then stopped longer for first can. Then stopped for more fruit and then before coming home ate second large can. Drank nothing but water and ate more pasta when I got home. My home pasta was full of Broccoli. Very out of shape I only rode about 56km hikeabiked about 6more rerode a few of my favourite trails and 5 or 6 kms was from trail to trainstation. Left at 5:30am got home about 5pm. Rested well the next day and was fine at work on Monday.
Real food is cheaper and better. Gels and such are for racing.

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