Blog

Cycling or road cycling, for example, is a perfect way to stay fit and burn calories. However, the right nutrition plan is important. We therefore regularly get the question why a cycling food plan if you are going to cycle. If you don’t eat the right food and, for example, eat a lot of junk food or other unhealthy meals, your energy level will also be low. This is one answer to the question why have a cycling food plan.

Of course, there are more reasons for why turn on a cycling food plan. You can find them below in our blog.

The meal before cycling

What is best to eat before cycling depends on a number of things. The duration and distance of the bike ride plays an important role. A short cycle training is of course very different from an endurance training of for example 6 hours for which you have planned. If you’re going to cycle for one or two hours, then you don’t need to eat very much beforehand. Just never get on your bike hungry. For example, eat a sandwich or a banana before you get on your bike.

If you plan to cycle for several hours, it is important to eat enough carbohydrates beforehand. Eating carbohydrates before cycling provides your body with extra energy. There are several products that contain carbohydrates. Think of whole grain bread, muesli, quinoa, whole grain rice or whole grain pasta. If you are planning on cycling for a whole day, or even several days; you can start piling on carbohydrates the night before. To avoid stomach problems, because you suddenly eat very differently, we recommend not to overdo it.

Energy consumption during cycling

During cycling you lose a lot of fluids and you use a lot of energy from your glycogen reserves. It is important that these are well replenished, so you have enough energy for an intensive workout of about 1.5 hours. The body will then switch completely to burning fat and protein. You can then only achieve 50% of your power output. Because of the effort you are making and the sweating, it is important to drink enough.

A sweat loss of 2% or more has a negative effect on performance during training. It is important to avoid this. With long endurance training, it is therefore important to drink enough. The amount of fluid you lose depends on the effort and, for example, the weather. The amount of fluid you lose also varies per person. On average, you need about 500 to 1,000 milliliters of fluid during a bicycle training lasting more than one hour. It’s important that this drink also contains carbohydrates to replenish your glycogen stores to keep your levels high during the effort. In addition, this promotes recovery after the workout.

Make a nutrition plan

Good preparation is half the battle and this also applies to when you get on your bike. Eating well and sufficiently in advance will be the fuel of your body during cycling. Therefore, make a clear and good plan in advance and get on your bike with enough energy.