A well balanced diet is important for all cyclists, regardless of your ride intensity or duration. Eating frequently in the saddle is the key for a steady stream of energy to the muscles. Smart snacking will prevent those up and downs and allow you to power through the course. As a cyclist, if you are hungry your energy levels have spiraled downward – eat up to fuel up!
Select whole foods! Whole foods provide cyclists with more nutrients and more money for their wallets than those popular engineered foods. Aim to consume 100-250 calories from carbohydrates during each hour in the saddle.
Seven Smart Saddle Snacks (say that five times fast!)
- Peanut butter + honey sandwich
- A mix of nuts + craisins + handful of dry cereal
- Banana + low-fat muffin
- Baked sweet potatoes + dash of salt
- Handful of pretzels + dried fruit
- Fig Newtons
- Rice cakes + 1 wedge of Laughing Cow
The bottom line is to stay fueled! Snacking is not a one size fits all policy and the foods that work best for you may not necessarily work best for your cycling partner! Experiment with a variety of foods and drinks now to learn what settles best and increases cycling performance for those special events, such as Bike Virginia!
Fuel On,
Christine Turpin, RD, LDN, CSCS
[email protected]