After riding all summer building your stamina and strength on the bike, along comes fall and the time for a century ride. Make sure you’ve got the right nutritional balance to keep stoked and riding strong right to the end of your event.
Registered dietitian, CSEP-certified clinical exercise physiologist and sports nutrition specialist Beth Mansfield, tells you what to eat before, during and after your century ride.
The Best Energy Booster for the event day is a Carbohydrate-Rich DIET!
- * Prevent the need for quick energy
- * Eat before you run out of fuel.
- * Practice recovery nutrition
What you eat on race day can make a huge difference in your ability to maintain your pace near the end of your event and recover quickly afterwards. The training for your 100 km ride is the practice ground for you to determine which foods/fluids work best for you before, during and after training. It will also allow you to learn how much of what foods and fluids you will need to eat/drink to keep you energized. Use these tips in your training sessions NOW to determine your needs for this fall’s 100 km ride:
Experiment with the nutrition you need before the event. This will boost your confidence in the choices you make BEFORE, DURING and AFTER you cycle hard. Eating carbohydrates during exercise has the potential to delay fatigue and enhance your performance. Remember that everyone is different. What works for you is not necessarily the best choice for one of your training buddies! Make a list of potential “winning†foods and fluids to try out during training to see what works best for you.
Choose Smart Carbs
Carbohydrate rich foods (e.g. fruit, milk, yogurt, veggies, rice, pasta, breads, cereals, legumes, cookies, and sweet desserts) are vital for boosting pre-, during and post-workout energy levels and mood. Carbohydrate-rich foods are the body’s preferred source of fuel for higher intensity activity (race-pace cycling), plus they keep you in a positive frame of mind. Lack of carbs before and during a workout leads to whining, cranky cyclists who quickly run out of steam. But pay attention…not all carbs are the same! If you have trouble with wheat-based foods, choose rice, quinoa and potatoes as your starchy carbohydrates of choice. These are gluten-free/low-gluten alternatives to wheat-based products such as pasta, breads and wheat/oat-based cereals
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Elizabeth (Beth) Mansfield, MSc, RD, is a registered dietitian, CSEP-certified clinical exercise physiologist and sports nutrition specialist. Through her company, Peak Performance, she specializes in bridging the gap between the sciences of nutrition and exercise and the practices of healthy eating and active living.
