Day before the ride:

While your mind is drifting off to the ride to come, you should be busy with “carb loading”: consuming a lot of carbohydrates to store extra energy. The goal is to consume 8-10 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight across the day. For someone with a body weight of 70kg, this means 560-700 grams of carbohydrates. A large amount, so we recommend to consume the total quantity of carbohydrates across 3 meals and 3 snacks. The food in those meals should be easy to digest (a low amount of fibers and fats) and with a limited amount of protein. Products which can help to consume easily a large amount of carbohydrates are “fluid sugars”, such as jam, soda and honey. Eat for example some white bread with jam for lunch and pasta/rice for dinner.

Breakfast:

The big moment is there. You’ll be starting your long ride in just a few hours with a big smile (or serious, concentrated face). The day should be started with a breakfast rich in carbohydrates, about 2.5 to 3 grams per kilogram of body weight. Moreover, your breakfast should be easy to digest. One of the favorite breakfasts from our riders is oatmeal with apple, raisins, cinnamon and some honey/maple syrup. You will need all those carbohydrates to give it your all. Also, make sure to drink enough right from the moment you wake up. Tip: if your urine is dark yellow, you drank too little. The lighter the color, the better.

One hour before the ride:

In case a couple of hours have gone by since your breakfast, it is a wise decision to consume some food high in carbohydrates just before you go out for your ride (for extra energy,) just like our riders do. Perfect pre-ride snacks are a banana or granola bar. And don’t forget to keep drinking!


During the ride:

During the ride it is important to replenish in terms of water and carbohydrates. Eat and drink before you notice that your energy drops and/or you get thirsty. The rule is to consume at least 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour with, for example, an energy bar or sports drink. This is quite a large amount of carbohydrates, so make sure you already consume this amount during your training rides beforehand and eat in portions of 30 grams (equivalent of one energy bar/gel). Not used to this amount yet? Just eat what you are used to and eat several smaller portions.

Besides, we recommend to be as self-sufficient as possible. Your body can react in a negative way to products you are not used to nor do you know the nutritional value of products you can buy along the way (e.g. in gas stations). Take your own snacks, bars, etc. with you so that you know upfront how many carbohydrates you will consume and to avoid unpleasant stomach issues.

After the ride:

You did it! It is time to celebrate your victory with some ice cold (alcohol free) beer, you deserved it. Just don’t forget to work on your recovery directly after your ride by eating a protein bar and drinking some soda (carbohydrates). First the recovery part. There is plenty of time to celebrate your accomplishment afterwards.

Wondering if this strategy differs from that of our riders during a long ride? The differences are minimal! Our riders also work on carb loading the day upfront, have a breakfast high in carbohydrates and drink sufficiently. The main difference is the recovery post-ride. You can enjoy your personal victory, but the recovery process of our riders is strictly managed.

Do you want to discover how much you need to eat? The FoodCoach App will guide you to bring focus and translate your food recommendations into real food and meals.

The The Athlete's FoodCoach Premium app can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play Store and used with a ten euro monthly subscription. The annual price is fifty euros.