Which foods to prefer during the effort?

Given that cycling is an endurance sport, the cyclist must adopt a diet that aligns with this practice, especially when aiming for long distances in training or during a race. After discussing when and what to eat for a long bike race, today, we suggest discovering which foods to prefer during the effort.

How to eat during the effort?

During the effort, one should eat on the bike and hydrate regularly to stave off fatigue, avoid dehydration, and prevent the depletion of muscle and liver glycogen stores. To achieve this, it's essential to alternate between solid and liquid nutrition, not forgetting the energy drink. Below, we explain how to fuel yourself and which foods to prioritise during the effort.

Which solid foods should be consumed during the effort?

During a training session or a race, it’s necessary to consume solid foods. This category provides a prolonged energy supply due to their composition (maltodextrin, glucose syrup), making them ideal for long rides. Some solid foods are also enriched with sodium, which can be useful during endurance rides to combat salt loss due to sweating.
They generally come in the form of cereal bars or sweet or savory energy bars, fruit pastes, etc. Gingerbread can also be your ally during the effort, as well as before or after a ride. Remember to drink water right after consuming them to aid digestion. It is advised to consume one per hour, alternating with a liquid food.
For endurance rides or long-distance races, you can also resort to savoury snacks, such as pieces of savoury cakes or tarts, which are easy to wrap in aluminum foil. This allows for variety and prevents your brain from getting overwhelmed by only eating sweet products.

Which liquid foods should be consumed during the effort?

During a training session or a race where the effort is intensive, it is also important to alternate solid food with liquid or semi-liquid food.
These foods mainly come in the form of energy gels. But you can also consume one or more pouches of fruit compotes during your ride.
Unlike solid foods, energy gels are easily assimilated by the body and have the advantage of having a near-immediate effect, within ten minutes of consumption, thanks to their dextrose-rich (quick sugar) composition. They are particularly recommended for short events (time trials, cyclo-cross, etc.), but can also be consumed during long events before an intense effort (such as climbing a pass or before the finish in case of a sprint, for example). Remember to hydrate well after consuming an energy gel to facilitate its assimilation. It is advised to consume one per hour, alternating with a solid food.
To cater to everyone, energy gels come in different flavors, textures (more or less liquid), and with various types of packaging (more or less practical to open during the effort, resealable or not).
Finally, there are different varieties of energy gels: classic energy gels, antioxidant gels (which delay the onset of cramps thanks to their vitamin- and mineral-enriched composition), boosters (for an immediate effect before a strenuous effort), caffeine gels (same effect as boosters), and sodium-enriched gels (ideal in hot weather to combat dehydration).

Which energy drink should be consumed during the effort?

During a cycling training session or race, it is recommended to drink at least 500ml, or one bottle, per hour to avoid dehydration. This measure should be adjusted based on the effort exerted by the cyclist and the weather conditions. The body is composed of 60% water, and if this proportion drops, performance levels gradually decrease until total exhaustion.
However, on the bike, one should not be content with just a water bottle, especially when the effort exceeds 1h30. It’s better to opt for an energy drink (not to be confused with an energy drink), which comes in the form of powder or tablets to dilute in water. Enriched with maltodextrin (slow sugar) or glucose syrup, isotonic drinks (which can be hypotonic or hypertonic) provide a steady energy supply, complementing solid and liquid nutrition. Remember to drink small amounts but often, i.e., two to three sips every 10 to 15 minutes for a regular supply.

Now that you’re well-versed in the foods to prefer during the effort, how about discovering what type of diet to adopt for cycling? Do you also know which foods to prefer before the effort?