Carbs Vs Protein Vs Fat - What's The Best Fuel For Riding?

Thanks to Conor, we know that you can't get very far on a bike without eating anything, but what exactly is the best fuel for your body? To find out, we've teamed up with Applied Nutrition to test whether carbohydrates really are the ultimate ride fuel.
In association with Applied Nutrition: appliednutrition.uk/
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Leave us a comment below!

[@johnkinder9041]

Manon's face when she was looking at Ollie and Conor's food was an absolute picture😂

[@filippopogacar]

I love her (meme) amazing face

[@namikaze2744]

This? 2:40

[@Leamare]

Guys, there are plenty of electric motorbikes that would make your filming much quieter! Not to mentioned healthier for the riders and better for the environment. Just saying.

[@filippopogacar]

@@Leamare I think you could have a good tea to chill out

[@milindphadke12]

Manon 🙃😇😀

[@hackfabrication139]

The expression on Manon's face when Connor said lard... Priceless! Oh... And Ollie rejecting the egg whites almost made me hurl...

[@rickvolkman6548]

Tried to do my first Century ride last summer, made it 94 miles before being rescued. I wasn't so tired that I needed to sleep, my muscles weren't sore, neither was my backside. I just couldn't go on. Now I know that I had way too much protein and not enough carbs and that what I did consume was too much at one time. Summer shall come again, and so will a better prepared Century ride! Thank you GCN for this video!

[@brendonnoble5227]

Next time you will not only succeed, but enjoy it more. Take advantage of a group ride or Grand Fondo event for part of it if you can. The companionship really helps when you´re flagging.

[@lonegroover]

Good luck, it's very doable. I'm 61 and did a 200 mile ride last year.

[@williamwightman8409]

Try to ride long slow rides with reduced carb (eventually no carbs and start fasted) inputs. This will allow your body to adapt to burning fat. This will take about 10 weeks minimum. If you are fat-adapted you will still bonk if you ride too hard. The difference is that all you have to do is slow way down (say from 20 mph to 16 mph) and get fully aerobic and your fat will get you home.

[@jamesward8140]

How did it go?

[@nathanielranario7618]

'I'm not riding behind you, Connor!' Manon's face tells it all🤣

[@silverburn55]

...which is fine up until there's a 30mph headwind and Conners barn door dimensions are needed.

[@MichaelBuck]

I already knew the basic outcome having done several Triathlons, especially Olympic/International Distances. The TRAINING will tell you very quickly what works and what doesn't. What I learned is that PROTEIN is for before and after training runs and races and is used primarily for muscle building and recovery. The Fats are for long-term diet and training and the Carbs are for the day of riding. I incorporated slow long-distance training with interval training, and with triathlons, I rotated Swimming, BIking, and Running throughout the week. It really pays off to have a regimented BASE DIET in place that creates the reserves for when you need them. You cant just CREATE RESERVES or POWER or ENDURANCE on Race day through that day's diet regime. Usually, race day is a cumulation of a strict diet and training regimes. Then on race day, all you need is the proper carb inputs and the right times so you don't get gastric problems and so you can fully utilize the carbs you are getting. The whole aspect of Diet is often overlooked by people that are new to the training for these types of long distances. You have to TRAIN your body to accept the new diet as well as accept the carbs during your training runs. It's a long process but it pays off in the end when you find you can get through a race and at the end feel like you could keep going a bit longer if needed.

[@NYGiants4Life]

So let’s say someone like me who only cycles for weight loss. I usually have breakfast an hour before I go cycling in the morning. What would you recommend me to carry on a 1-2hr ride? Carbs, protein or fat?

[@renv6653]

Any tips/advice on what to consume before riding to work (14km) (early morning at 4am)

[@luddealgell2810]

@@NYGiants4Life no need to eat anything for such short tides. Skip the breakfast as well and reduce slightly the intensity. Up to 3 hours no need to refuel.

[@jayclark5034]

@@NYGiants4Life Generally agree with Ludde Algell. I'd be sure to mix some intervals in there to challenge your body and drink plenty of fluids, kinda hard to overdo that. Good balanced meals (at least on a whole day basis) and not too many calories. Diet is #1 with weight loss, excercise second. Gotta get a good idea of what is just below your actual needs. I also group my eating into one part of the day and zero calories in between, helps keep your liver cleaned out (assuming the quality of food you eat is good). It doesn't have you losing quickly, but slow and steady is easiest on your body long term anyway. My wife was able to lose 1 lb/wk, which came out to ~50 lbs in a year. I'm 10-15lbs over my ideal weight and I like beer, so until I drop that I'm probably not losing any more! 🤪

[@germantalash5189]

@@renv6653 just a half of a banana and maybe a jam sandwitch. You realy dont need much for that distance, you can go without eating anything. This will make it a bit easier thoguh and wake up your brain a little. You can then have a good breakfast at work.

[@eclecticcyclist]

The time to avoid carbs and fuel on fat is during the off days, not the days when you're pushing yourself to the max. The body will take around six weeks to adapt to a ketogenic (ultra low carb) diet, then it will run on ketones more efficiently and keep the glycogen in the stores until needed which is what Geraint Thomas did before he won the Tour de France. Overloading with carbs is a bad move as once the stores are full the body will turn them into triglycerides which are the building blocks of body fat. Carbs raise blood sugar which causes a release of dopamine (the feel good hormone) just like drugs, that's why she said she felt good although she was slowing down due to tiredness. Continually high blood sugar leads to chronic inflammation which constricts airways leading to what many riders recognise as exercise induced asthma, it also restricts blood vessels reducing power output, so keep your carb intake down until you need them.

[@Seppster58]

Great video guys. I feel for Conor. Doing that for science is very admirable. And I believe Manon always seems to get the best out of all these experiments. 😃

[@danboe4751]

I've done mulitple imperial centruy rides with no carbs. Lots of climbing. I was 100% fat adapted, and had been in ketosis for a year prior. High quality fats were the source of energy. I did great and never bonked once on the ride as my fellow carb riders would cycle through. I wouldn't be as fast up the hills but after the hills I found the other riders were tired and I still had consistant energy. One major difference when I was on fats is that AFTER club rides on a fat diet my energy level was great and I would be real productive the rest of the day, but now that I'm on carbs all I want to do is sleep and eat after cycling.

[@mykhhh4994]

I've been super low carb for 7 months now and really feel unwell now if I eat much carbs at all

[@SteveH51]

Healthy keto is the way forward! my energy levels are insane, when i’m even doing a prolonged fast 24/48 hours my energy is incredible…

[@LouieBaLLz]

Being fat adapted is the key. You can't have someone just go out and ride on fats because its not going to end well, right Connor? He would've been better off filling his bottle with MCT oil instead of that over the top nonsense he was eating. Then again, he would've ended up in the toilet anyway because his body isnt used to him taking it. Lose lose either way.

[@Gussy1980]

Agree. This was a terrible video by GCN as Conor wasn't fat adapted. I do most of my rides fasted / in ketosis and I never have issues, and I've often done 100km rides with no issues / no bonking. Episodes like this just do harm to the health benefits of fasting / keto.

[@Gustavo_Rodrigues19]

@Click Bait yeah lol, making your body work in a “survival mode” is definitely a great strategy…

[@silverburn55]

Crossaints in the morning pre-ride are the best food ever.

[@dronespace]

Yum!

[@tlgx884]

Do you mean croissants ? xD

[@chrisvisvis]

More of a donuts man myself but couldn’t agree more 😜

[@johndebes1060]

Yep, high in fat.

[@ianlaker9161]

During my 40 years of cycling the mantra has predominantly been carbs. Slow burning carbs just make logical sense. Overnight oats or flapjacks see me through gym work and long rides combined with gels/gums.

[@philadams9254]

Most of the riding would be fuelled on yesterday's carbs though - stored as glycogen in your legs already. It would only be a fair test if you pre-loaded each fuel the days before.

[@stevenbell482]

my thoughts. greets

[@goku445]

Agreed. And only carbs taken during the effort would be useful, fat and proteins are too taxing to digest to be used efficiently as energy.

[@floridrummer88]

well..science is quite clear that this is only true for about the first 1,5h max...as they rode 3h, the right nutrition definetly comes into play..no matter how good your carb preload has been, because glycogen storage is also limited.. 🤷‍♂️

[@marcdaniels9079]

In humans, glycogen is made and stored primarily in the cells of the liver and skeletal muscle. In the liver, glycogen can make up 5-6% of the organ's fresh weight, and the liver of an adult, weighing 1.5 kg, can store roughly 100-120 grams of glycogen. By morning, 60-80% of the liver glycogen has been secreted and used by cells throughout the body. However, muscle glycogen levels remain high throughout the night and are high when you wake up for your morning run because it isn't secreted from, or consumed by, skeletal muscle cells while you sleep.

[@kstethespokes1051]

Would quite like to see episode 2 and how everyone felt the next day. Have exercised in ketosis before - was possible but like riding through treacle - OK for plodding along but nothing to draw on for sudden energy bursts. Would not recommend but at least my guts were safe, I’m guessing Conor’s weren’t!

[@TimpBizkit]

It feels like running in a dream, where each step feels heavy. You just kind of turn over first gear as soon as you come to any hill over 5%. Plus you feel a bit light headed and hungry and the legs feel like jelly. Worst is ketosis into a headwind.

[@MrIsaac-dh3uh]

What we all expected, but thanks for putting it to the test! On group rides with big breaks (30-45 min,) a little protein can make sense mid ride because you have time to digest it. During our breaks, I do a little sushi with soy for the salt, and I usually feel stronger on the way back than if I only eat carbs. But that's me, and only after a big break. The real point is carbs carbs carbs.

[@robertwalkerdine1178]

Great video, after reading the comments I've now realised that low carb/fat adapted/ keto people are mental and extremely passionate about a particular way of eating 🤣

[@C.Medina]

We are 😉. What is not to like. From 250 pounds to 166 in 3 months. No more high blood pressure medication 💊, sleep apnea machine and pre diabetes. Mental? Well yes, for good health. ❤

[@robertwalkerdine1178]

@@C.Medina no, by all means if it works for you great. I do believe everyone is different, but I don't see why people have to start having arguments online about a particular way of eating 🤣. Can't everyone just let everyone do their own thing and be happy for them? I dunno, I just don't get the aggressive ones

[@C.Medina]

@@robertwalkerdine1178 oh well, you know. Some people might had a bad day at work and take it out with GCN. 😄

[@pplanetEarth]

This is a great video guys, thank you so much. I have bonked a few times the last one actually was just on Boxing day, I did a couple of MTB trails joined with an uphill road section (to make a loop as I often do), I realise now the food I had taken with me probably wasn't carb rich (I had fruits boiled eggs and cream cheese), I'm only a recreational rider though

[@Lillee1969]

I haven’t had such a good chuckle in awhile! Thanks guys

[@neilvincent382]

I've watched this more than once now ,so so funny, love watching you lot doing your experiments, keep it up please ,I've learnt a lot and in a good way

[@stujm8376]

Extremely interesting and has answered a question for me. As a mountain biker I watch a lot of GMBN, but have subscribed here too because I do a lot of uphill road riding to get to my local trails and think the info is relevant. Another great video, thanks guys.

[@federicoiannizzotto1380]

I love your videos, they´re veru usefull, please go on with more content!

[@chrisfamisaran]

Manin’s reaction to Ollie and Conor’s food choices=priceless😂

[@joetaylor486]

Bless him, poor Connor! I had a similar experience when on a strict paleo diet a few years ago. I went on a long mtb ride in the North York Moors with only fluids and a couple of protein rich fatty snacks. I found my legs would just stop working on the climbs. I'd get off, walk a couple of mins, feel fine, get back on the bike and 2 minutes later the same would happen again. Felt fine in myself but just had a hard limit on my power output. Weird.

[@marcdaniels9079]

Not really weird if you know some basic physiology.

[@princeedmunddukeofedinburg]

Bless him, poop Connor!

[@zerocooljpn]

loved the info slides

[@Cesarz28]

Awesome channel. Keep up the good work 👍

[@ricktoth7418]

Very informative video, thanks!

[@parisneto]

Thanks for the science and comedy that is informative, useful and really really fun.

[@neildaniel8232]

Conor at the end reminds me of when I decided it would be a good idea to have a full sirloin steak pub lunch at what I thought was near the end of a day's riding in the Peak District. My mates had told me the pub stop was after the last big climb of the day! What I thought was a gentle spin back to the cars turned out to be a series of climbs in quick succession and I was in agony by the end. Turned out they had all agreed on the extra mileage earlier on in the ride while I was in a world of my own and it hadn't registered in my head.

[@jirihutecka9020]

The biggest mistake I was doing when I started riding was eating a lot of fats and fiber during rides like all kinds of nut bars etc.. Now I know it's useless. It just slows down digestion. All you need are carbs ideally mix of slower and faster carbs like maltodextrin, glucose and fructose.. Only if it's long ride like 6 or more hours it's good idea to eat some "normal food" where is also some protein, fats and fiber.. But most rides under 4 hours you are good just with carbs..

[@panzerveps]

I went for "slow carbs", fat and salt as well. Bonked so hard during my first sportive. Was saved by a random Snickers bar.

[@markusseppala6547]

Same for me, when riding 5 or more hours I like to have something solid too like bananas and chocolate bars (ones with most sugar).

[@jirihutecka9020]

@@markusseppala6547 yeah banana, dates, raisins are great. But don't forget they are very high in potassium and it needs to be balanced with sodium. Especially if you sweat a lot you can lose a lot of sodium and that will make you dehydrated.. Water, sugar and sodium are key things during cycling.. I always carry bag of sea salt. So I don't have to buy chips, salty peanuts etc.. I just add salt to my drink or food or I already mix some salt into bag of raisins for example. So I have sugar, salt together. With that sip some drink and you are good..

[@mykhhh4994]

I don't eat carbs nor sugar. Body adapts after a dozen days but you need to be consistent

[@SirPhillyLeong]

A lot of marathon runners are on fat-based diets these days. Takes up less space than carbs for the same level of calories. Meats tend to clog up your guts and give you a stitch, same with nut bars but your body does need time to adjust to the fatty diet change. I find the best thing is an extra cheesy melt sandwich with plenty of butter and a sugary drink if you need a quick lift.

[@SlyGuy2000]

Mannon's face in the beginning was epic!!

[@miguelg7166]

Thank you for this great video!

[@jamesvonvacheresse7888]

Academy awards!!!!! lol, between Manon's faces at the boys foods and how they were feeling. To Connor and Olie, giving there updates had me in stitches . 😎🇨🇦😂

[@AnvilAirsoftTV]

I had this down as a massive ad. Was quite pleased at the amount of decent and relevant information presented.

[@zevrobins905]

I

[@telmemorem8992]

Well... I was cleaning huge furniture shop for 4 hours and then cleaned my rented flat for 4 hours to be spotless from my cats hair to to be leased again. I`m spent. Feeling like Conor right now. drinking beer right now to relax and watching GCN. Great end for stressful day. good luck, all.

[@derekhartloper11]

Fantastic video as usual GCN crew, great info and humour! Eat whatever you can stomach on a ride, probably complex carbs at best, and drink alot of electrolytes. But, your diet preceding exercise is more important, since a high protein and fat diet can be used along with proper training, to get your body to metabolize more fats at higher intensities. This will preserve the 2000 cal glycogen stores in the average body and delay the onset of bonking. Remember that no amount of fuelling during high intensity aerobic exercise can keep up with your glycogen burn rate, so you have to prepare in advance. If you try fueling like mad during your big event, you will be sick, no matter what you consume. Just ask any ultra runner or iron man triathlete. Way to take one for the team Connor, oh yes and egg white Ollie lol..😁...

[@andyclark8991]

Manon your awesome, Manon the boss. Massive thumbs up for cool video.

[@ScrapKing73]

Fibre is the most satiating nutrient. Fibre takes about twice as long as protein to be fully absorbed. I make sure all of my meals are high fibre as it helps me with my weight management, and it certainly keeps me regular.

[@chrisdunn8215]

Conner always gets the s*** end of the deal!

[@makovski777]

A nice test of which type of food is most desirable during a long bike ride🙂Best Regards

[@jishnu13]

Conor is just like my brother who pronounces "aa· muhnd" as ALMOND. Just teasing, love you Conor!

[@zonda1968]

I’ve changed my eating habits to low carbs and intermittent fasting. So I’m now fat adapted. I can do a 4 to 6 hour ride on an empty stomach because I can use ketones as fuel. I do all my sports like badminton and tennis on an empty stomach. It takes a few weeks to get fat adapted.

[@mykhhh4994]

Agreed, took about ten days for me to adapt. Definitely works for me

[@SteveH51]

100% spot on! this video would have been credible if the rider eating fat, was fat adapted. Carbs are not only unhealthy, they literally have zero nutritional value but they cause inflammation and all manner of health issues. Healthy Keto is the way forward for athletes

[@official_polle239]

Yeah but if you want to compete in cycling races you shouldnt be low carb

[@LouieBaLLz]

Right! Fat adaptation doesnt being until 4-12 weeks of no/low carb dieting. This video is pretty misleading.

[@SteveH51]

@@official_polle239 This is outdated thinking i’m afraid, many endurance athletes are moving over to healthy keto diets, Athletes feel better, have more energy, sleep better etc all manner of better lifestyle outcomes will dictate the change also.

[@arcadialive4265]

I’ve been dreaming about an energy gel without any added sugars for years. Thank you for this video! We need sustained energy. Perfect

[@thomasoei7089]

Brilliant video! I watched it a couple times and took notes. Great timing on the release of this video when we are looking to plan our 2022 training sessions.

[@g.fortin3228]

my cycling fuel is a good breakfast.. eggs, and cheese on toast and a big bowl of oatmeal with cinamon or blueberries on it. And during the ride some raisins and peanuts , maybe a few fig newtons, and i bring honey packets instead of gels they are much less money. Instead of 1.29/ea they are about .09/ea (i eat two so 18 cents ) and work great ! So a MIX of protein, fat and carbs.. but more carb than anything for a ride. I'm trying to cut my carbs, but for a ride i load up via oatmeal. Nice video !! Nice subject/test, and happy for Manon getting the lucky straw... better luck next time guys :- )

[@manitoublack]

On the Bike: Fruit (Banana's are my go-to,) Lollies and muesli bars. They're cheap. Available everywhere and have been fuelling me for years. Off the bike. Whatever is closest in sufficient quantities. + Beer Jordan

[@goku445]

Careful with alcohol, it kills your gains as studies show.

[@coreyreeder3549]

This is the sort of ridiculous test ride we are expecting from the good folks at GCN. Good info and good laughs 👍

[@EbrahimMakda1]

GCN - the Top Gear of the Cycling world

[@lachlanmcdermid8539]

Some good tips in this video! Had my first bonk about 20 hours into a 24 hour adventure race. Was on a bike leg at the time and lost all power, all alertness, and was desperately hungry and cold all of a sudden (it was about 4am). I have never eaten so fast in my life when i managed to did a bag of food out 😂 It was luckily a relatively quick recovery and I have since learnt my lesson and fuelled better in future races. I often find it very hard to eat when active as i loose all appetitie but sometime you just need to force it down to keep going!

[@gcn]

That sounds horrible! Kudos for not throwing in the towel there and then!

[@markmoreno7295]

I may eat an hour or two before a ride, but very little during one. If you are fat-adapted and are able to burn fat, you should not bonk, although I agree that fat adapted riders need to hold back in intensity if they wish to avoid that depleted feeling. At certain times, like when riding up a long ascent, I will nibble on a power bar. After a long ride I am not immediately hungry, just thirsty, but after an hour or so- watch out! Replenishment feels good. I really like a coffee shop after a ride with some nice pastry or a Boba tea.

[@desroin]

Same here, just nice to get something in afterwards. Been on my bike for 3 hours once and only stopped for some ice cream because the restaurants in the town I was riding towards were all overrun 😅 That being said I'm quite a fat man already and I didn't go uphill all the time either

[@pinoycommuter8635]

I found that during my 48-60hrs fasting, I have enough energy to even do HIIT. It’s more sustainable than energy i get from carbs.

[@kieransharkey2829]

You have to get fat adapted takes couple months if not longer. I can do 100 mile cycle from eating fats and proteins prior to cycle water and electrolytes none flavoured on cycle itself and extra salt. This test is not a true reflection on how it's done properly. Long term not relying on carbs sugar will give you longer life longevity. The sugar and oils industry are making a packet on your addiction to sugar and it's the canola, seed oils, transfats found in everyday food breads, pancakes, buns, protein carb bars' thats what clogs your arteries nor pure animal fats. More and more athletes are pushing more on low carb diets check out Petes Jacobs world champion Iron man. Carnivore

[@pettson2774]

Great video! Realy learned a lot👍 Feel sorry for Connor and Ollie thou...😣

[@andygraham8986]

About 13 yrs ago I joined a ride with the local club after buying my new Cannondale! Got to the 25 miles split where you can finish or push on for the 50! Felling good I decided to go for it and after around 10 miles we hit this hill and ran out of gear's got off and walked 😕 finally got home started shivering, and shaking went to bed and woke up about 4 hrs later, feeling better. Good lesson learnt that day about under fueling. I love the channel!

[@theordinaryathlete]

Watching half asleep, thought i had a crack in my mobile screen @1:59. Great vid , a longer term test would be interesting.

[@williambrownlie6929]

@GCN Could you possibly fix the exhaust silencers on the camera bike? The sound is distracting and I can't imagine the fumes do much for the riders. Otherwise, solid entertainment.

[@SimonBauer7]

electric motorbike would be an option aswell

[@silverburn55]

Just need to use a directional mike and a dead cat mic cover.

[@sherlockdowney1768]

@@SimonBauer7 I agree, better in every way

[@jamesmckenzie3532]

@@SimonBauer7 This has been discussed several times. It's a matter of being able to finish the job. Several videos have been done with a new electric bike.

[@WadoNeil]

Enjoyed Manon's "eat at the top of a descent" 🙂

[@julienholmgren1543]

Great video! I hope it will help me on June 25th when I participate in L'ariégeoise, a 110 k bike race in the Pyrenees in southern France with three big climbs (well, big for me at least) that were part of the Tour in 2021.

[@gcn]

Sounds Awesome! How do you think you'll get on?

[@julienholmgren1543]

@@gcn Well, as beginner with a few extra kilos (for a cyclist) I'll probably die of a heart attack or something, as 9% climbs are hard for me. Next weekend I'm going to check out the whole ride two weeks before the real thing so I can experience it beforehand. To top it all I'm vegan so I'll have to bring my own food because I may not be able to eat the food they'll be handing out there for all the cyclists. Fortunately, my "plant-based cyclist" book by GCN will help me and my Trek Emonda SL5 will do the rest.

[@garyhanks3622]

I bonked badly some years ago. I couldn't ride more that a couple hundred yards or so without severe cramps. Luckily my girlfriend was with me, and having had a similar experience herself, she helped rather that giving me grief. I finally had to just stop, and send her ahead to a gas station where she purchased a candy bar and a soda, so I was able to make it home. Slowly.

[@timmclaughlin1787]

Entertaining video, that was great information.

[@gcn]

Thanks Tim!

[@paul2841889]

2:31 Manon's face XDD oh my days, that's very interesting !

[@jasonfenech5347]

Great video as always. It would be really interesting if you do another video riding a specific hill and compare times, but this time usage of ketones, BCAA's and just glucose in its purest and safest form.

[@marcdaniels9079]

BCAAs have been debunked so many times it’s not true. Nobody should be eating their money on them.

[@jasonfenech5347]

@@marcdaniels9079 That is a fair point and it would be interesting to be tested in the first place. There are also mixed feelings about the usage of Ketones as a fuel source.

[@arhu74]

with pure glucose the osmolarity gets too high, so you dehydrate, better to use complex carbs to keep the osmolarity low

[@tomrodgers6629]

My formula has been carbs in the morning and protein at night or right after a long hard effort before my metabolism slows down. It has worked great for me. and I ride every day with any where from 40 to 60 lbs. on my back. Ridings my happy place.

[@jonathonjubb6626]

Brilliant, thanks...

[@stgangwar]

I really like these types of experimental videos related to nutrition and fueling that you guys put together! My only suggestion would be if you also applied the selective nutrition atleast the night before also so for eg in this video Olie should have only eaten proteins for dinner the night before alongside eating proteins during the ride itself. Would be an interesting twist to the current video setups!

[@stoatystoat174]

Sir Chris Hoy in the GCN interview with him (worth a watch) was suggesting that you should have protein straight after exercise to help recovery

[@neilmdon]

Once pushing DOWNHILL from the Avoriaz to Thonon les-Bains via la Joux Verte to catch the last ferry to Lausanne I bonked so bad my friends practically had to push me. I still cannot understand why I could not just roll downhill… We did make it.

[@drmitofit2673]

I thought I was doing okay with the usual carbs, but then one morning I ate two cheese sticks and had the best ride ever. Dropped everyone and didn't come close to bonking. The combined protein and fat encouraged ketosis and fat burning I suppose. Carbs might be better in a recovery smoothie to trigger insulin release to get sugar and amino acids into the cells and rebuild muscle and depleted glycogen stores. I think the key is insulin level: low/moderate when exercising and high when recovering. An insulin roller coaster when exercising is probably not the best thing. Also, consuming so many calories while exercising is not good for the digestive tract. When blood flow is increased to muscles during exercise, blood will shunt away from the intestines, worsened with dehydration. A runner trying to run back to back marathons came to our hospital ER with severe abdominal pain and a CT scan diagnosed infarcted bowel.

[@ExpressingAnime]

Well I usually do fasted rides(trying to loose weight). I have been on 100KM or 62 Miles fasted and never eaten anything in between. And at the end I felt awesome and make me wanna do it again.

[@mikekelly6774]

The first century I rode was a supported ride. At the first stop they were frying up bacon! After six strips and a few more hours of riding I learned my lesson. Now it's bars, gels, and powders only.

[@artsteale3443]

If you haven't trained your body to burn fat either by intermittent fasting or going on a ketogenic diet you are not metabolically flexible and will hate life without your carbs. But if you train your body to burn ketone bodies you can go all day without eating and not bonk. Dr. Peter Attia did a five day fast then a one hundred and sixty Km. ride with no problems because he was able to burn fat storage in the body. The 24 hr. running record was set by a runner on a ketogenic diet.

[@kc0lif]

thank you manon

[@bikeskimawk670]

Well done crew. Ride to the level of your smile.

[@rbailey6949]

Protein - Tempeh cooked lightly in coconut oil and add curry paste - great hot or cold snack When you run out of carbs and stored glycogen does this mean you are riding in a state of ketosis?

[@63Speed63]

Back in 1984, I was in 3rd place in a 70.3 mile Ohio triathlon and bonked very hard with one mile to go. In fact, I started sort of hallucinating and ended up in the middle of an intersection staring up at the traffic light, apparently saying, “Wow, look, I’m under the traffic light.” Alas, I finished thirteenth. I remember I had rock candy taped to my Bianchi handlebars, and I hate rock candy so I didn’t eat any. There were no gels back then and only oranges and water were supplied on the course. Oranges produce acid and a thick mucous, so I never ate them. This was how triathlons began; you were basically on your own for food and fuel. As to this race, Lance Armstrong won it one year in the late 80s.

[@55Reever]

Thank you Connor for not biting into that lard. I would have lost it on my laptop.

[@CaptainRon956]

What works for me for long charity rides is pasta or potatoes (roasted or mashed) the night before and for breakfast, oatmeal. I make little peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and carry them with me in my camelback hydration pack.

[@mightymouse4143]

I've bonked pretty good on an 82 mile ride with about 7500 feet of climbing with mostly meat as my fuel in the form of jerky. Delicious I might add but at the end all I could think about was a massive pizza and a monster soda.

[@jennifercash1093]

There's a lot to be said for dietary adaption - so if Conor had spent a few weeks adapting to a higher fat/lower carb diet I bet he would fare differently to this one off test. That said, for the sort of cycling that the vast majority of us do then for sure carbs are the way forward. Literally.

[@brendonnoble5227]

Yes, Dan could buy an electric scooter and use it in a superbike vs... video.

[@guantou2520]

My bonking materialises as calf cramp, gets me every time no matter what I pack for a long ride

[@lgarcia67]

I think every body is different. Here is what works great for me. Here in the US we find carb/sugary gels (Gu and some others) and I have between 2 and 3 of those per hour. So that is between 200 and 300 calories per hour. Around the half point of my ride I eat a quarter cup of a mix of nuts (here in the US is called trail mix) and these are high in protein, iron, fat, sodium and potassium. I add some extra pistachio because they have a lot of potassium. My drink is normally gatorlyte or just coconut water. I find coconut water works the best for me and it also has carbs, sodium, potassium, and magnesium. By the evening I am normally fully recovered. Of course a good meal before and after the ride is always important.

[@marcdaniels9079]

Dylan Johnson has some great science based videos on this and many other cycling topics.

[@C.Medina]

Dylan Johnson is sponsored by flow a high process carb energy company, just like Tyler aka vegan cyclist. And he tent to cherry picks his "scientific finds". Yet never mention Tim Noakes or Dr. PHINNEY results. Don't take his stuff with a grain of salt, take it with a whole sack.

[@marcdaniels9079]

@@C.Medina He is one of the best science based KZbinrs out there along with Layne Norton. If you don’t like his conclusions that doesn’t mean he is cherry picking studies. I have watched a ton of his videos and he always tries to include studies which are not aligned with the received wisdom and is objective in his reviews eg the video on flat vs clip pedals. He also just updated his position on base training based on new research.

[@buster.keaton]

Very interesting video. As someone who eats a low carb, high fat diet off the bike, I've been trying to determine if that's a good idea on the bike. While I've seen some evidence that long distance endurance athletes can do well on high fat fuel, carbs seem to be "king" for pretty much everyone else.

[@filipviljamaasvensson]

I was just about to post a comment on how testing when keto is to do fat justice in this context, specially since being fat adapted is a bit of a requisite to turn it into useful fuel on the fly. I'm doing lowcarb as well and has just gotten back on the saddle after a long break over "the thing". What are you eating now when riding, if anything?

[@JeffCole60]

Great video. I learned some things. Conor's Irish, right? Well, if he is, where'd he get that accent from? It doesn't sound Irish.

[@Shedoesntlikeme]

interesting content, Like it

[@sasatrifunovski]

Sean Sako rooting for Conor like nobody ever before :D :D

[@jusuflazami9580]

Silly but Awesome efforts

[@seandurkin2016]

I love the look Olli is shading with. . . To Connor

[@peterknight9873]

Great insight … Does the impact of pre, during and post food also have an impact. Protein shakes, creatine, omelets, bananas, oily fish… etc… Some of the pro’s are famous for having an omelet and coffee just before going out for a training ride. Also different types of training rides like intervals, base and anaerobic training…. What food should you eat? Thanks again for the insight

[@peterknight9873]

Woops… Just also watched Conner’s interview Cycling Nutrition Deep Dive. Also a good insight. One question still stands creatine… Any good for training for different types of training rides?

[@AaronGoodTimes]

This was a great episode!

[@katdarlingmusic]

Got a lot of laughs in this video, kudos! Also wishing, you guys had switched diets a week ahead of time so the experiment could be more accurate 🌈 But keep em coming, can get enuf of gcn!

[@maxsievers8251]

I'm waiting for the response video on this from Durianrider.

[@oliverbergen6505]

Hart competiton....I love this test!

[@nifail2093]

Thanks for the imformation

[@C.Medina]

@GCN with all your resources is any way you guys can interview Dr. Tim Noakes?

[@simonlynch4204]

The toughest thing is for people with IBS. Fueling on the bike is a chalenge since some sugars are a no go (fructose most of the time). Really wished I found a better way than just eating maple syrup...

[@chrisgarwood2237]

I don't have ibs, but sugars / gels really upset my stomach, as a T1 diabetic, this is a bit of a problem on some rides, I've gone to Kendle Mint Cakes and they really do help me, apparently it's the mint that helps calm the stomach and is a anti inflamitory..... thinking about his now, this post is probably no help to you what so ever, but I'll still post just in case

[@theshadow8008]

Carb (glucose) is the default fuel for the brain while fat and carbs (glucose) for the muscles protein is kinda last resort if you run out of carbs (glucose) and fat.

[@zubayrbhyat8077]

I did a 38kms the other day on two carb-rich bars in around 2 hours. I used to eat lots of fat before this but the energy levels were extremely inconsistent after adapting to eating fat.

[@bratt-38128]

12 mph for 2 hours. One should not need any food for that distance or time. I'm 60 years old and my solo longer hard rides average 18-20 mph for 50-70 miles. I may eat 2 or three snack bars and water.

[@nk-dw2hm]

@@bratt-38128 how many years have you been cycling? If the person you're responding to may be just starting, overweight, and/or doing high intensity (for them) so why would you expect their physiology to be the same as yours? You also say he shouldn't need any food on a 2 hour ride, then you specify you eat as much as he does on your 2.5-3 hour rides. Get off the high horse or stop being a hypocrite

[@bratt-38128]

@@nk-dw2hm First I want to express an apology to Zubayr Bhyat if I came across too strong. He may be in areas with bad roads, using challenging equipment and may be a new rider. Good luck and fair winds, Anyone riding earns my respect. A beginner cyclist shouldn't be worrying about sports nutrition. As they build up speed and distance, there are many other obstacles they must overcome like position, saddle endurance and safely riding in traffic or a group. Riding 2 hours at low speed, they won't be bonking. Remember an untrained cyclist has 2 hours plus gycogen stores in muscles and liver. At lower efforts some energy is provided from fat and protein. It is true with training and experience, your body learns to store more energy. I said I 'may' eat 2-3 snacks in 50-70 miles at 18-20 mph. Those rides at that pace are 2½ to 4 hours long at a much higher wind resistance. I usually eat one or none. Yes I have ridden a lot but stopped riding for 20 years until a few years back. Starting over I had a few advantages like decent equipment and experience riding and knowing my body. The first couple of years my ass hurt, endurance sucked, speed and power weren't there. BUT I never bonked.

[@zubayrbhyat8077]

@@bratt-38128 Good to know. I'll consider that in my next few big rides.

[@cilldaracyclist2822]

Connor really needed to be fat adapted to try what he did - I've done keto (long before I took up cycling) but never felt tired or hungry! Would be interesting to see how it works with someone in full ketosis vs someone on carbs 🤷‍♂️

[@deanwest6162]

Exactly. If your body isn’t in ketosis, then all that fat is nearly useless. I was really hoping when I found this video that who ever was going to eat the fat would have been fat adapted (in ketosis). 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️oh well

[@cilldaracyclist2822]

@@deanwest6162 yeah it really would have made more sense, instead I feel like it was just an ad for Applied Nutrition (which do actually make some good products) so it wasn't really an objective video 🤷‍♂️

[@brettwoodward]

This video could have been called "What happens when you change someone's diet for a bike ride." I think it is a worthwhile test, but you just can't change the diet for a single ride.

[@on2play736]

"I'm not riding behind you, Connor!" Haha!

[@redhouse9]

Great fun to watch as always guys but let's face it, a shameless advert for sports energy products. I really hope you enjoyed the dietary effects of a crudely prepared low carb high fat comparison as much as we enjoyed watching it! Fat adaptation is key to seeing a lchf improvement as explained by professor noakes in the you tube lecture titled "tim noakes - sports applications of ketosis and beyond" I really hope you watch it and perhaps do another video of a sensible longer term study.

[@johndebes1060]

Agree, a shameless advert dealing with an important topic.

[@Contempoist]

Love this channel that I've stumbled on recently, and watching every video I stare at the road bikes with envy. These guys should be paid by the bike manufacturers without a shadow of doubt. I can't afford one of these bikes but after every video I watch of them riding, I dream that one day I will own one. So even though I won't buy one today or tomorrow, I know in some years to come that I will be able to finally invest in modern tech bike with sram red etap, disc brakes and carbon everything! So the yh these bike manufacturers need to pay up!

[@Contempoist]

They're absolutely smashing it. Love the content!

[@yeahbuddy4712]

Anyone else waiting for Durianrider

[@lukegoss2119]

Need to be under aerobic threshold for fat to work. Do that for base miles. Then when training above that threshold use more carbs? Makes sense that if you are pushing it its going to be a struggle on fats/protein? I get a headache from carbs, feel better/more relaxed, on fat and protein, dont mind going slower. In a race I can put up with a headache. Everyone has different issues, food history, isn't it about finding what works individually depending on goals/preferences/lifestyle. Pluses and minuses with everything. Interesting subject.

[@chrisbaum998]

Ollie, you should have taken some beef jerky along for this challenge;)