Nutrition on the road - What, How and Why?

Or (chemical) warfare?

Will they get me drunk?

Now sold. Thanks.

I've always been shit at nutrition on longer rides but as I usually don't ride over 50 miles it's mot a problem as 1 bar/gel is usually enough. However, I'm turning to longer rides (4hrs+) for the winter and I'm having the same problems that I used to have.

Crashed a bit on my last ride so made a conscious effort to eat more this ride, and felt like I ate enough, but I struggled a bit for the last 10 miles with headaches and feeling generally uncomfortable, and for several hours after finishing I've had really bad hiccoughs/mild dizzyness. What am I doing wrong? Had about 2.5 litres of water, 2 gels, 1 energy bar, cake and a coffee, with a recovery drink when I got home. HR in the middle of Z3.

Were you hydrated before the ride? If you get up and ride almost straight away it's possible you were dehydrated when you started.

I don't know about the science but it's possible that what you ate took water to digest too, so if you were dehydrated at the start it might not have helped.

Personally when I have had headaches after a ride it has been water related - not drinking enough during the ride. Everyone's different though. I'm a bit of a lightweight so when it gets colder I find I need to eat more as the cold gets to me quite easily, especially on lower tempo rides. Eating more probably means drinking more too.

It will pass. It sounds like mild hypoglycemia and it happens when pushing out the distance. Welcome to winter riding ;-)

After a few of these rides you'll be better conditioned for that type of time in the saddle.

I've heard a lot that this is the body adapting to burn fat – I'm not in a position to argue or confirm that's what's going on but it sounds about right to me.

You can make life easy/more-comfortable by doing these in mid/high zone 2 for the same benefit but less feeling shitty. Throw in a handful of sprints if you get bored.

Take on the regular sugar/water/salt garb as standard. I find you need to drink more than feels right on these and that isotonic help. You don't really feel like you're working – but you still lose plenty of moisture.

Try eating more real food and less sugary processed stuff? Less crashy-crashy.
Fuck gels, Dates are nature's gels.
Banana & espresso before ride, mostly savoury food & nuun+water during, salty+sweet food & water/beer to recover.

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@Corlis_Benefideo I think I was. I had a couple of pints of water when I woke up, then rode about 90 minutes later. Probably could have drank a bit more on the ride though.

@miro_o Considered going slower, but I get bored at anything less than z3

@Mr_B I've tried regular food and found it easier to use gels. Might give dates a try though. Generally try and avoid caffeine. Using recovery drinks has to be one of the best things i've done this year though.

Zone 3 Syndrome?

Myself I forgot to ask for the white bread for the BLT to be toasted after 40 miles on the rivet on Saturday.

White bread? Get out!

White bread can be wholemeal as well.

IMHO Miro_o nailed it.

This happens to me a lot. Basically because I love long endurance rides. But With 2 small kids I dont have any time to condition my body for them.

Your body will be used to burning glycogen. So even at Z3 you'll be burning more of this valuable, and limited, fuel then most. The real stinger is, even if you slow Down once the bonk sets in. Its fecking hard for your body to make use of fats and Food, without glycogen to help fuel the usuage of this less ideal fuel. Real LMAO stuff. Plus, if you're eating and riding Your body is juggling digestion and exerise. So will be even more ineffecient for a period. The Whole thing sucks, and like most things cycling, requires adaptive training.

I bonked on the biggest day of my alps trip recently. I'd eaten 2 large breakfasts, several cakes, pies, and flapjacks, and had a constant supply of water. Yet after 8 hours, and 5kms of ascent, went into such a bonk that my body went into shock, and all my muscles starting shaking intensely. I couldnt focus on the road Ahead, and needed the full Width of the road just to Balance on the bike. It was dark, I was 1.5km off the top of Col de Criox de Fer. When out of shear Luck my mate (who was a bit ill so was driving around the area taking pics, instead of riding), doubled back and found me. Struggling to put my windjacket on because I thought I was Cold. I refused to get into the car. But knowing he was parked at the top got through what was the most painful 1.5km of riding I've ever experianced.
/CSB.

Pretty sure that's bollocks. Regining BBAR has trained ONLY in Z3 for the past 12 months.

Stage 1: Denial.

Just remember that glycogen is the storage form and is converted into glucose before actually being used as fuel via the ATP pathway.

...I have to remember this whilst pedalling and remember to eat??? #ffs

If you don't remember then your body can convert glycogen straight into lactic acid.

A physiological lose-lose if ever there was one.

#science

In the build up to, and during, the Trondheim - Oslo sportive. I took a 'make hay while the sun shines' approach.

If I was feeling in good shap. I'd take the opertunity to take on Food and water. Even if I wasnt really thirsty or hungry. Seemed to work.

Probably. Who said?

I guess if you end up doing tons of z3 you've got ask yourself: why isn't this a ton of z2 with long ss/z4 intervals?

http://home.trainingpeaks.com/blog/article/a-healthy-gut-and-performance

If you don't remember then your body can convert glycogen straight into lactic acid.

Very true. The anaerobic ATP pathway. Z3 certainly will be utilizing this method too.

^^ Was the Sauerkraut that did it.