Best Foods for Training

[2bearbill]

I'm new to Adventure Cycling, and pretty new to cycling period.  But I'm hooked, and I've set both short term and long term goals for myself.  For now, what I'm concentrating on is increasing my average daily mileage.

Can anybody point me to some resources for good foods/bad foods for cycle training?  I'm sure some of it is just general good nutrition, but I need to start somewhere.

Thanks in advance.

[Pat Lamb]

Most of it can be summed up in a few sentences.  Eat a balanced diet.  Cut out the junk food, except for some low-fat junk food while riding.  (These are called "power bars" and "energy drinks.")  After long rides, try to get in some quality carbs in the 30 minutes after you stop riding. 

Selene Yeager's "Pedal Off the Pounds" has some solid nutritional advice.  It might be worth scanning for what and how to eat, regardless of whether you're going to try to lose weight or not

[2bearbill]

Thanks for the help. I found several books by her, but not one by that title - is it a book, or some other publication?

[Pat Lamb]

Hmm.  Either my memory isn't as good as I thought it was, or Rodale changed the title of the book.  Ride Your Way Lean is what's showing on Amazon -- same cover picture I remember: http://www.amazon.com/Ride-Your-Way-Lean-Ultimate/dp/1605294063/ref=sr_1_3_bnp_1_pap?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389193374&sr=1-3&keywords=selene+yeager

[becky4545]

When I travel by train I ate "kociolki Rosyjskie". It's some kind of dinner in a jar in Poland D

[cyclone]

PROTEIN !!! and also things like a good organic (no crap in) peanut butter and a natural healthier sugar such as molasses/palm sugar is great with peanut butter... also ....honey + butter regulates your metabolism so great whilst training
It's important to have lighter foods/snacks whilst training.... makes sense really... rather than heavy stodgy food.

Again molasses drinks can be good... just add some to hot water and can take it hot or let it go cold..

light salads with seeds are great for out and about too...

[drakedean]

I suggest you go more on Protein and Less Carbs food.

[RussSeaton]

I suggest you go more on Protein and Less Carbs food.

That might possibly, maybe work if you were walking.  Walking is a low calorie exercise.  No need for quick acting carbohydrates, unlike cycling.  When cycling you are burning calories quickly.  You need carbohydrates in your blood immediately to make it to the end of the day.  You cannot wait hours for your body to convert stored fat or protein back into sugar to feed your muscles.  Fat and protein work well when you are sleeping.  Your body will convert fat and protein back to sugar while sleeping to recharge your body for the next day.  But when you need energy to get to the top of the mountain in the next hour, you need carbohydrates right now.

[johnsondasw]

  I'm sure some of it is just general good nutrition, but I need to start somewhere.

That's it.  You don't need anything else, IMO.  I've been mountaineering and cycling for 50 years have tried a few things.  A lot of it is just a market looking for customers.  You really don't need all that fancy expensive stuff.  If you're a professional athlete, well, maybe, but for most of us out climbing or biking all day, not so much.  I eat energy bars when I'm looking for convenience.  Eat a well balanced diet, stay hydrated, and, for me, get sufficient salt.  That's my only supplement.  If I don't do that, I seriously hit the wall in the heat of summer.

[sanusense]

Not just cycling but for any sport activities diet is a most important aspect. I usually prefer going to low carb diet, never cut down all the carbs from your diet. Because the energy you burn during cycling carbs gonna fill that void. Take high protein foods and low on carbs and unsaturated fats.

[cyclistdave]

A midday shake of protein, milk, frozen fruit and this stuff I bought on Amazon called "brain octane oil" does wonders for me in stopping carb cravings while keeping energy up on a low carb lifestyle (trying to lose weight, here).

[hospengr]

On my rides, I take a banana, sliced apple in a sandwich bag (more recently), cheese, and fig newtons.  Seems to work well.   Need to figure out how to take salted hard boiled eggs! 

That being said, I plan to ride my first tour, Southern  Tier, starting this September.  Chances are that the same snacks will work while touring, supplemented by a good lunch!

Good luck!

[Susanne]

I have recently heard a lot of positive things about the Renegade diet, maybe this is a sensible diet for you. It is aimed at people who do intensive sport, but also for those who want to increase their general well-being through a balanced diet. This diet is also suitable for a long-term change.

[canalligators]

I just looked up the Renegade Diet.  Looks like another fad diet with no scientific basis.  Even if it works, its focus seems to be on building bulky muscle.  OP just needs a balanced diet and muscle training, meaning some strength training and a lot of endurance training.

Any info source with something to sell, in this case a book, is not an unbiased source.

[ray b]

In that vein, pleased to see only a few replies to this thread started in 2014.

As most know (and as I'll reiterate as a physiologist), when training hard, the body will take just about whatever food you give it and turn it into what the body needs - both to respond to and recover from the stress of training.