Ultracycling: Eating on Self-Supported All-Day Rides

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Eating on Self-Supported All-Day Rides

"Whether you bring along all your fuel/fluid or buy some or all of it along the way, here's what you need to consider in your nutrition plan."

By Jenny Hegmann

Jenny Hegmann, MS, RD, is co-author of The Cyclist's Food Guide: Fueling for Distance ((c) 2005 Sports Nutrition Publishers) with Nancy Clark, MS, RD. Hegmann is a sports nutritionist and long-distance cyclist. She lives and works in the greater Boston area.

If you're riding a century or brevet and there are no organized rest stops, what should you eat/drink? What, if anything, do you carry with you? What do you buy at mini-marts?

Know the Basics
Whether you bring along all your fuel/fluid or buy some or all of it along the way, here's what you need to consider in your nutrition plan:

Calories: Consume enough calories to fuel you without causing stomach upset. Personal tolerance varies. For all-day rides or longer, you should try to match your calorie output with intake; this can range from 300-600 or more calories per hour while cycling.
Carbohydrates: Most of your calories should come from carbohydrate. Target a minimum of 30-60 grams of (120 - 240 calories) carbohydrate per hour while riding (ideally, up to 75 grams of carbohydrate (300 calories) per hour if tolerated).
Complex sugars, called "starches," (e.g. bread, rice, potato) are not superior to simple sugars (e.g. refined sugar, honey, milk, fruit) when it comes to fueling during exercise. All carbohydrates end up as glucose in your body. The glycemic index (GI) ranks foods according to their ability to elevate blood sugar. It can be a useful guide to help you choose appropriate carbohydrate foods before, during, and after your rides. Consuming foods that have both a high GI and a low GI will provide quick energy that is then sustained for several hours. Bottom line is to try lots of different foods in training to find what works best for you.
Protein and fat: Consume a little protein to help offset some of the protein loss that occurs with endurance exercise and some fat as tolerated for taste appeal and to help you meet your calorie needs. Remember that carbohydrate is the priority; so if you have a sensitive stomach or can't eat much, avoid foods with much fat and/or protein.
Sodium and potassium: Consume foods and drinks containing salt (sodium chloride) and potassium to help replace what is lost in sweat. This becomes increasingly important the more you sweat and the longer you ride. You can easily get enough by consuming standard food. If you're consuming just Gatorade, gels, and sports bars, you need to add some salt and potassium via real food or specialized sports drink/food.
Fluid: Your goal is to replace your fluid losses, but not overly exceed them, which can contribute to hyponatremia (low serum sodium).
Training: Experiment with an eating/drinking schedule during long training rides to find what works best for you.
Timing: Begin consuming energy and fluid on a pre-planned schedule as soon as you start riding. Your performance and mood will deteriorate if you become depleted.

Know the Route: Determine sources of fuel and fluid.
Are there mini-marts, grocery stores, restaurants? Will they be open when you get there? Do you want to spend time going into these places? Is there water available? Where exactly? Campgrounds, rest stops, water fountains frequented in summer may not be open year around.

The degree to which you plan to buy your fuel and water en route will determine if you need to:

Bring only a small amount of emergency carbohydrate and fluid, keeping your load light and easy
Bring some tried-and-true favorites that pack well, such as energy bars, bagels, dried fruit and nuts, and a couple of bottles of water/sports drink
Bring powdered sports drinks and meal replacements that can be reconstituted at water stops.
Bring a full-day's load of food and fluid - a couple of thousand calories' worth of food and several liters of fluid, depending on your individual needs.

To bring:
To travel light, bring dehydrated or dry foods, and plan to drink plenty of fluid along the way. Avoid perishable foods that will spoil in the heat (meat sandwiches, yogurt). Avoid food that will crumble (muffins, soft cookies, chips), bruise (banana, fresh fruit), or get crushed (sandwich bread). Some good choices:

Dried fruit: Dates, raisins, pineapple, and apricots are nearly 100% carbohydrate.
Energy bars: High-carbohydrate sports bars and granola bars pack well.
Nuts: Salted or smoked nuts offer sodium, protein, and fat with very little carbohydrate, which is why I recommend mixing them with dried fruit. For unsalted nuts, add a few dashes of salt.
Reduced-fat crackers: Hearty favorites like Triscuits, Wheat Thins, and pretzels offer a durable source of carbohydrate and sodium.
Cheese (preferably reduced-fat) and beef jerky hold well without refrigeration and provide salt and protein (but no carbohydrate) without too much fat.
High-carbohydrate, crush-proof sandwiches: Sub/dinner roll and cheese; bagel and light smear of peanut butter; bagel and light cream cheese with cinnamon and sugar.
"Junk foods" provide plenty of calories with few nutrients. Many are high in fat (see note on protein and fat above). Cyclists can thrive on a moderate amount of these foods to help them enjoy the task of meeting their calorie needs on very long rides. Popular packable choices: gummy candy, gum drops, durable cookies (hard gingersnaps, sandwich cookies, oatmeal cookies), chocolate candy bar (if it's not too hot outside).
Powdered sports drinks: Reconstituted Gatorade and other fluid replacers contain fluid with a little carbohydrate and electrolytes to aid in absorption of the fluid. Portion powder into individual plastic bags and secure tightly.
Powdered meal replacements: Ensure Plus (or similar) provides carbohydrate, protein, and fat and is easily reconstituted with water. My homemade favorite is:
Combine these in an individual plastic bag. At a water stop, decant into empty large water bottle, fill halfway with water (8-12 oz), and shake vigorously.

To buy at mini-marts:
Focus on high-carbohydrate choices that are limited in fat. You should try mini-mart foods in training to know what you tolerate.

Fruit juice, fresh apple, banana or orange, little box of raisins, fruit leather, individual serving of canned fruit are nearly 100% carbohydrate.
Milk and yogurt (preferably lowfat or fat-free) offer carbohydrate and protein: Chocolate or plain milk, yogurt, yogurt smoothie, frozen yogurt, hot chocolate.
Individually wrapped cheese sticks and beef jerky are good sources of sodium but not carbohydrate, so eat with juice or a granola bar.
Grains provide carbohydrate with a little protein and scant fat: Bagel, pretzels, individual-size cereal (eat it dry, with milk, or in yogurt), cereal/granola bar, baked chips, hot pretzel, crackers, packets of Saltines, instant oatmeal packet (put in coffee cup, add hot water).
Junk food (see previous note on junk food and fat): Soft drinks, individual packet of PopTarts, Snackwell (fat free) cookies, Fig Newtons, Popsicles, slushy, gummy candies, peppermint patties. The following are moderately high in fat: fruit pie, Twinkies, chocolate candy bars, potato chips, ice cream, cookies.
Beverages: Sports drinks, soft drinks, and lemonade supply fluid with carbohydrate. Plain water is fine if you are eating carbohydrate via food. V8 juice provides an excellent source of sodium and potassium.
Beans: Pop-top individual-size baked beans are loaded with sodium, potassium, and carbohydrate.
Combo foods: Slice of veggie pizza (thick-crust = more carbohydrate)-blot with a napkin to remove excess grease and discard excess cheese; turkey sub sandwich (discard some of the meat, scrape off the mayonnaise or butter); frozen bean burrito reheated in microwave

To buy at grocery stores:
One negative here is that some items you may want, for example peanut butter or V8 juice or cookies, are not available in individual servings (as in a mini-mart) and you will be stuck with what to do with the unused portion. Here are some good meals that won't leave you with leftovers:

Soup/Salad bar: Top salad greens with kidney beans, beets, peas, carrots, and fruit. Go light on oily pasta, potato salad, and croutons. Add a little cottage cheese, egg, or tuna for protein. Use reduced-fat or fat-free dressing. For soups, choose bean, pea, lentil, noodle, or bean chili. Grab a bagel or rolls from the bakery. Take a plastic fork and spoon.
Deli counter: Choose sub or bagel sandwiches that have more bread than filling (discard some of the meat if necessary). Go for low-fat options like turkey, ham, and roast beef with lettuce and tomato. Avoid cheese and mayo. Add a pickle for extra sodium, if you like. Avoid macaroni and potato salads which tend to be mayonnaise-y and high-fat. Three-bean salad is fine; it tends to be rich in carbohydrate with a light, sugary dressing. Take a banana, an orange or half a cantaloupe from the produce aisle or fruit salad from the salad bar. If you buy fruit that needs rinsing (e.g. grapes), buy an extra bottle of water for that purpose.
Hot ready-to-eat meals: Forgo the fried foods, macaroni-and-cheese and cheesy lasagna for healthful fare like pasta with tomato sauce, slice of pizza, rotisserie chicken and baked potato, steamed veggie and steamed rice.
Bakery: Pick up individual bagel, reduced fat muffin, or a single cookie. Pick out a carton of juice and yogurt (get a spoon at the deli or salad bar).
Bulk food bins: Go for dried fruit, low fat granola, fig bars, nuts, fruit-based trail mix, jellybeans, or crackers.

Restaurants: If you have the time and can tolerate it, enjoy a restaurant meal. It will satisfy and help fuel you throughout the day. While the hotdog or fries may be tempting, remember your tolerance level (how will this sit one hour from now as you heft up that hill?) and health (do you really need all that saturated fat?) Healthful options can provide you with the carbohydrate and nutrients you need without excessive fat. Suggestions for high-carbohydrate, low-fat items:

Beverages: Order soda, juice, hot chocolate, low fat milk, or chocolate milk. These give you both carbohydrate and fluid; tomato juice has added sodium. At sit-down restaurants, ask for a pitcher of water.

Coffee/Donut shop: Reduced fat muffin, bagel or English muffin and jelly; bagel-and-egg (no cheese) sandwich

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Wendy's, McDonald's, Burger King: Baked potato and ketchup or chili (no cheese), small hamburger, grilled chicken sandwich, BK Veggie Burger. For extra carbohydrate enjoy a Wendy's Frosty or McDonald's Fruit'n Yogurt Parfait

Mexican: Plain bean burrito or soft chicken taco (no cheese) plus a side order of soft tortillas (not chips), rice, or beans
Pasta/Pizza: Cheese or veggie slice (blot with napkin, remove some of the excess cheese), pasta with tomato sauce (plain or with meat). Order extra rolls/bread.
Bagel or sandwich shop: Hummus, turkey, ham, or roast beef on a roll, bun, or bagel (no mayo or cheese, discard some of the excess meat); bean, vegetable, or noodle soup and roll or bagel.
Standard restaurant: Any of the above items, hot entrée such as turkey or chicken breast (no gravy), baked potato, vegetable and salad, salad bar (see grocery stores above), extra dinner rolls with jelly/honey, baked potato instead of fries or potato salad, fruit instead of coleslaw, vegetarian burger, baked beans, pancakes (no butter) with syrup, oatmeal with brown sugar/raisins, cinnamon bun (no butter), toast with jelly.

She may be contacted at jenny.Hegmann (at) gmail.com

To order The Cyclist's Food Guide

Send check for $18 to Jenny Hegmann, 12C Carnation Circle, Reading, MA 01867.
By credit card, go to www.nancyclarkrd.com.
For inquiries and bulk discounts, call 617-775-5404.