How to Fuel for Cycling Stage Races by Joan Kent, PhD

Stage races can be long (Tour de France) or short. Shorter stage races over a weekend might feature a time trial and road race on day 1, for example, and a criterium on day 2.

 

The points below on fueling for stage races were culled from cycling books and magazines, cycling websites, and my coach.

 

Ideal fueling starts with conditioning your body and getting ready to train, called recalibration.

 

Recalibration should begin at least 6 weeks before race season. (Even better is to eat well year-round, but we need to start somewhere.)

 

Step 1. Start eliminating junk:  alcohol, sugar, energy drinks, high-fat chips, and such. If you tend to eat sugar before and while training, it’s good to eliminate it as part of this process.

 

My coach always said endurance athletes never object to expending energy, but they don’t want to waste it. Wasted energy refers to anything without a performance payoff.

 

Having to detox from chemicals and junk food wastes energy. Get rid of them.

 

Step 2: Add good stuff.

Eat natural foods whenever possible, rather than processed. Emphasize vegetables (3-6 cups a day), rather than fruit. Fructose is linked with many health issues and isn’t good fuel for training.

 

If it’s possible to eat organic foods, do. It’s less important with a food that has a thick skin that isn’t eaten. So organic nuts or bananas matter less; organic apples matter more.

 

Stay away from the Dirty Dozen – foods with the highest pesticide levels. Always choose organic versions of these:  strawberries, spinach, kale, peaches, pears, nectarines, apples, grapes, bell & hot peppers, cherries, blueberries, green beans. (Follow annual updates.)

 

Step 3:  Eat the same types of foods as when training.

Race day is not the time for nutrition surprises. If you’ve been junking out all the way up to race day, you might as well eat junk for the race. There won’t be much benefit in changing your food on performance day.

 

In fact, if you’re addicted to sugar and haven’t prepared, you could find yourself in distress without it.

 

Step 4. Don’t deplete carbs or skip meals, especially your race-day breakfast. Eat some extra starches 1-2 days before the event to optimize glycogen stores.

 

Step 5. Eat 3 hours or more before the race.

If you’re not adapted to that, consider it part of recalibration and get used to it. Avoid eating 30-60 minutes before the start; it might be too close to the effort.

 

Step 6. Refuel within 30 minutes after your stage. Be fanatical about it.

Glycogen replacement is maximized during the 30 minutes post-workout because the enzyme glycogen synthetase is in its active form and facilitates peak storage. Eating then will also counteract cortisol’s breakdown of muscle protein for energy and reduce soreness – very important for the upcoming stage.

 

If you miss the 30-minute window, your muscles may become temporarily insulin resistant for several hours. That inhibits glycogen replacement and may interfere with your performance in the next stage.

 

Eat again 2 hours later and 4 hours later – OR 3 hours prior to the next stage. If you race twice that day, stay aware of how many calories you’re expending and consuming. Many convenient devices worn on the wrist provide this information.

 

Refuel within 30 minutes after the last race of the day, especially if you race again the next day.

 

The goal during racing is to postpone fatigue, not replace all the calories you’ve burned. Full calorie replacement occurs during post-race recovery.

 

Racing at over 20 mph while drafting (riding closely behind another rider) burns roughly 12 kcal/kg/hr.  If you’re not drafting, that could increase to 15 kcal/kg/hr.  Gender, size, and muscle mass affect those values. Cycling efficiency (good technique) can lower them, so the less you may burn per hour.

 

Primary nutrition concerns in long workouts are:

• Replacing water. Dehydration reduces blood volume; impairs thermoregulation, mental performance, and endurance; increases heart rate and perceived exertion.
• Replacing sodium. Low sodium can result in disorientation, nausea, fatigue, seizures, or collapse. Salt your food instead of using supplements.
• Saving glycogen during the race so it’s there at the end when you need it. Eat carbs (e.g., Dr. Joan’s Potato Goo) during the race.
• Replacing glycogen after the race so you perform well in the next stage. High-glycemic starch plus protein in a 3:1 or 4:1 ratio will replace glycogen better than sugar, including fruit. Don’t eat fats immediately after the race. They slow carb absorption.

 

Find food combinations that work for you but avoid all-carb (especially all-sugar) meals. They can lead to reactive hypoglycemia in susceptible athletes and cause bonking.  Include protein and fat in the meal.

Fitness instructors, the above points may help on days that you teach several classes.

Need more tips on cycling nutrition? Just visit LastResortNutrition and grab your free Boost My Cycling Power consult. Discover how easy it is to put more into your rides and get more out of them.

Brought to you by Dr. Joan Kent, best-selling author of Stronger Than Sugar.