Energy food

right, watches ALL slr's, in my ebay......

Good luck! :P

I asked for a packet apple. This was refused so I asked for a non-packet apple that was cut. My slaves do as they're told..
Technically there's three apples but the other two have been on the desk for 2 weeks. Also a can of Relentless.. but I got that earlier.

the-smiling-buddha So having avidly read all of the above I am about to embark on a two hour ride and I am presently eating a peanut butter and dried banana sandwich I have a few boiled sweets in my bag just in case I bonk & I have chicken breast and salad for when I get home although I probably spin by the 'japanese' on the way home for take-away noodles - you know just in case ...;)

Wheeey! :) I had my dose of peanut butter before riding into town this morning and it definitely makes a difference :)

sounds pretty healthy though (apart from the sweets... more bananas!)

hippy On my desk now is: The requested sandwich, a family size block of Fruit&Nut Cadburys chocolate, 10pk orange KitKat, 2x Soreen Malt Loaves, 5pk of Cadbury Flake an apple and... a 6-pack of Heineken!!!!

I'm amazed you can even move hippy let alone ride a bike eating all that ;)

I didn't eat it all.. it's just 'here'. I do plan on finishing the cans though..

I recomed dried fruit. Banana chips and whole dried bananas are good. Otherwise peanut butter snadwhichs and cookies.

Just remembered another eat.

It was a snack bar I made a few time, bit like a flapjack, I will try and find the recipe tonight if anyone is interested. Went something like this

rolled oats
choped up dried apricots
shreaded dried coconut
some nuts if you facny
condencende milk
butter / marg or something to help make it set.

Heat all up mix poor into container cool for a bit cut into pieces leave to cool fully in fridge.

Makes a change from flapjacks.

time to resurrect this old thread

at the moment I keep suffering an energy crash on my way home from fencing training

before i left work I had a big bowl of pasta at around 6pm

cycled to fencing to arrive at 7.15 (fencing is up at chalk farm)

did an hour of core body training (medicine ball exercises, plyometrics etc) and then fenced until 9.30 - had 2 lucozade sports drinks during the training session and then 2 pieces of fruit

by the time i got to shepherds bush i could feel the bonk coming on, starting to feel lightheaded and noticing my spatial awareness was not as good

at this point should i just slow down a bit and ride through the energy crash?

i tend to find myself stopping at a corner shop and grabbing a can of nourishment (excuseable as its not that different from a protein shake) and a chocolate bar (not so good)

would i be better off having a stash of dried fruit and nuts (trail mix or similar) to snack on before leaving fencing?

should i have eaten more fruit at the end of training?

when i got home i proceeded to eat everything in my fridge - pork pie, cold roast beef, and tomato salad

the bit that is most important to me is what should i snack on after training before my ride home to avoid the bonk or should i just htfu and ride through it?

Carry more food with you for starters. Whatever works for you.
Recovery food 4:1 carb:protein or you could go the cheap option which is flavoured milk.
Those sporty milkshake things are ok if you can find them/like them. They have sugars, protein, minerals and fill you up a bit. Are you dehydrated at all?

Another possibility is that the 2 lucozade sport drinks are actually TOO MUCH for your session and what is happening is your body sends out a load of insulin to deal with the sugar. Once the sugar is all processed you are suddenly into sugar crash phase..

I don't know how hard your fencing training is but in my case I'd not bother with any sports drinks for 1-2hr sessions UNLESS I had to back it up later or the next day. E.g. if I had a turbo session I'd probably just use water during and when I got home I'd have a recovery drink and then proper meal.

HTH

interesting, will avoid the lucozade in future, had already ordered a few kg of protein powder today - i tend to mix it up with a couple of bananas when i get home from training

i struggle to remain hydrated - generally get through a few litres of water in a training session - after the first hour i had to wring my t-shirt out - come summer i can get through 3 or 4 litres of water in an evenings training

cheers for the advice, i think i may have to stock up on fruit and nuts - though part of my problem is fuck all impulse control, if i have food around i eat it

I'm not just a pretty face mofo!

Jeez.. you'd die if you moved to Oz!
There, I'd drink a litre an hour maybe and still be fairly dehydrated. Here I could ride for 4hrs and only finish half a bidon (albeit dehydrated).

I know all about the 'see food eat food' thing.
They say, to fix that, is not have shit food lying around but prepare your meals beforehand so that you come home to a healthy meal.
I say, fuck 'em, where's the ice cream?

at the moment I keep suffering an energy crash on my way home from fencing training

You don't say at all what type of riding you do after fencing. Do you really cane it?

I couldn't possibly imagine bonking from Chalk Farm to Shepherd's Bush, but then, I've never done any fencing in between rides!

I don't think I'd be all that comfortable eating a big bowl of pasta so shortly before going into what seems to be an anaerobic effort (fencing)? Correct me if I'm wrong, as I really have no clear idea how it works. If you're predominantly an anaerobic athlete, you probably do have to devise a better feeding strategy. Pasta might perhaps just slosh around in your stomach without doing much for your fencing (wrong kind of food) or your riding (not digested when starting to ride)?

Another thing that might be a good idea might be to build up the speed at which you ride to/from fencing more gradually--perhaps you're doing too much, using expectations of yourself that you know from fencing?

And: are you sure it's really bonking--it doesn't sound too determinate from your description, perhaps because you slow up once you can feel it hitting? I've only ever experienced the bonk as coming on suddenly (on really long rides, as I'm more aerobic), without a warning, although I don't know if that's how it generally happens. And then it's really all systems down, and a bit harsher than what you seem to describe. So perhaps it's more of a temporary swoon that will disappear with better aerobic fitness?

Hm, not sure any of this is helpful?

"starting to feel lightheaded and noticing my spatial awareness was not as good" sounds like the bonk. How many fence posts do you knock in per session? Do you need to wrestle the sheep back in too or is that someone else's job?
Oliver's probably right with the pasta thing too (although again, everyone is different). 1 hr before what I assume is a hard workout? is too soon to be eating a meal like that.
I'd ride home from work (1hr) ride to turbo, kill myself, ride home (2hrs) and then eat, probably not having had anything since lunch. That works for me but I really couldn't imagine barfing up a full plate of pasta in a turbo session.. no wait.. I COULD imagine it and I'd rather avoid it.
Can you eat something earlier or something smaller nearer the start? A mueslii bar or similar?

i tend to ride quite fast back from fencing

fencing is a strange sport as it involves a mix of aerobic and anaerobic exercise, sports nutritionists tend to hate working with fencers

i eat the pasta about an hour before i go training - hopefully giving it time to digest

the first time i bonked it was a complete surprise - literally just hit a wall where i could barely think or stay upright - it was a bit of a shock to me, staggered into a shop and then felt bemused by the sugary goodness on offer. described it to a few other people marathon runners, cyclists and triathletes who all said it was the bonk.

since then when i feel the onset of such a sugar crash i do slow down a bit - partly because i dont feel so in control or able to make quick judgement calls

what i am trying to work out is the kind of snack that i should keep in my bag to munch on that will give me enough fuel to get home before i sit down and eat protein and a something with some sugars

fencing tends to deplete glycogen, so we are always advised to eat sugary things after training so the glycogen can be replaced for the next day

http://www.naturalconfectionery.co.uk/ :)

Seriously though.. those milksakes GreatShakes?? would be perfect. If you like milk that is.
Otherwise, muesli bars, dried fruit and nut mix, little cakey things whatayacallem?
You want sugar, protein, minerals, if possible. Where's Team Terminator when you need him? He'd have some good suggestions.
Recovery drinks are good coz they are easier to take in.. since you're thirsty anyway. But if you go for shit like SIS Rego it can get costly.. hang on you own a fucking Serotta? Get SIS to make you a custom mix up of all the best illegal performance enhancers they've got and a little something for west drinks that you can share with us ;)

Suggestions from others..
post exercise recovery food - Google Search

fencing tends to deplete glycogen, so we are always advised to eat sugary things after training so the glycogen can be replaced for the next day

This will be a significant part of your explanation. Quite--it doesn't get replenished that quickly.

Just take it easy after fencing--I'm sure you'll have done enough for the day by that time. It may be a straightforward case of overtraining.

Rest up and go on a satisfying ride a day or two later. Both sports together in sustainable doses will probably work out just fine.

Basically, one shouldn't get the bonk (although there's a first time for everything ...), as it signals that you've made a mistake:

On longer rides, eat and drink in small doses, don't feel too strong, mix energy foods with something savoury and you'll be all right.

Have a big glass of water first, and get re-hydrated.

After exercise your body is going to be depleted of fluids, and will often confuse being thirsty with the feeling of hunger.

No doubt you are hungry as well, having used up your energy stores, but you might find that extreme hunger is in part being very thirsty. This is a very common thing. People come back from the Gym, or a long cycle absolutely ravenous, and don't realise that part of this is your body being desperate for fluids.

I find pint milk, banana, handful oatmeal, big squirt honey into the blender works well as soon as you get home (ie. before delycraification)

i find that if i eat loads on getting back then i just head out and try to burn it off again.

If not then i watch tour de france dvds and let them burn it off

Cheers,
Nigel.

Just been told I have high cholesterol, so gotta cut out the crap, dried fruit and nuts for me!
Tuesdays are the worst, have Kung Fu training, then the ride home, killer after an hour in a crouch stance with all the aerobic they throw in throughout! Still, feel like I've had a work out for sure!

Wow I could wax lyrical about this subject, but at the risk of boring people shitless with my nutritional and dietary supplement knowledge, i'll keep it brief-ish unless you're interested in knowing more or have questions in which case ask away.

Pre-workout (for optimum performance not neccessarily optimum fat burning)

You want complex carbs 2-3 hours before you are due to train so your body has time to begin to digest and process the carbs ready for your workout, you want complex carbs as they are slower to metabolise and keep insulin levels more stable in comparison with simple carbs (sugar etc) which is more condusive to stable consistent energy levels.
15-20 minutes pre-workout I would recommend to begin sipping on a mixture of simple carbs and EAA (essential amino acids) or BCAA (branched chain amino acids), preferably mixed in a 2:1 ratio of carbs to AA as research has shown this ratio to be the most effective. The simple carbs provide you with a near instant supply of energy and help to prevent muscle catabolism by also improving the uptake of the AA into the bloodstream, by slightly boosting insulin levels which improves absorption of nutrients and subsesquently the AA. EAA consumption during training with Simple carbs promotes anabolism by preventing muscle catabolism; By providing the isolated effective building blocks of protein as the individual amino acids which are required to build or maintain muscle tissue, negating the need for your body to process complete proteins to extract the EAA required to form muscle tissue. It is also believed that EAA consumption during training helps increase the effect of certain anabolic process such as hypertrophy, by flooding the bloodstream with high and fast acting quantities of AA's such as leucine, iso-leucine, and valine which are often credited as key chemicals in initiating the hypertrophy process.
Other than the above mentioned mixture I would only recommend adequate hydration during a workout including maybe an electrolyte drink if you feel necessary.
Post Workout I would recommend a fast acting whey protein shake, preferably with a good amount of Hydrolyzed whey protein isolate (the fastest acting of all whey proteins) with a good amount of carbs, some electrolytes, and some BCAA if possible, my personal favourite, and probably one of the best Post workout shakes out there is this one:

http://www.cheapuksupplements.com/shop/product.php/284/relentless

The below shake is also very good, although arguably not as nice tasting, but just as effective

https://www.discount-supplements.co.uk/shopexd.asp?id=8922

I would then advise eating 1-2 hours after the shake has been consumed, nutritional content of the meal depends on time of day etc.

when i am at work i eat luna bars and hammer gel. it tastes like pie filling.

when i am riding i usually drink water.
when i race i drink coke and eat snickers.

the guy who won our 24hour mountain race followed similar in that he drank pepsi and ate snickers.

That's what he tells you he eats..

i've been told that eating cottage cheese and cornbeef is a great way of getting energy and protein, is this true?

That's what he tells you he eats..

no. my friend pete rides with him. everytime i saw him in the race thats what he had. minus the time he was eating potato chips with pete.