Cycling Nutrition Deep Dive - Can We Learn From The Pros?

Conor chats with Bora-Hansgrohe nutritionist Tim Podlogar about optimal fueling for cycling. How much do pro cyclists eat? What do they eat? And what can we learn from nutrition strategy in pro cycling? If you think you’re already eating a lot of carbohydrates, think again. You may be surprised just how many carbs the pros can consume!
00:00 Intro
00:31 How many carbs per hour?
01:38 Jai Hindley’s Giro carb count
02:12 How to build up carb intake
04:19 Research process
05:46 Different sources of carbs
06:53 Impact of a high carb intake on hydration
08:17 Are there any negative health effects?
09:17 Pre-ride nutrition & glycogen loading
12:08 Managing rider diet during grand tours
13:17 Fasted training
16:25 Difference between men & women
17:32 Summary
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[@gcn]

Do you have any questions about nutrition for Conor & Tim? 🍕

[@did4h2k]

my diabetic ass dies just thinking bout 120g of carbs per hour ;) especially since all those energy bars just shoot right into your blood... how could i keep my energy up? right now (i am lucky enough to have a bluetooth glucose sensor) i just ride and when i am about to bonk (closing in on 70 bloodsugar) i have a snack, like a snickers (if i eat more i go above 200 super fast). that happens every 1-2 hours, leaving me with roughly 15-30g/hour. i dont too ride fast, but i try to cover some distance.

[@ColO206]

What impact does this have on immediate blood sugar levels, and longer term HbA1C?

[@onmyway111]

Ye, what is best items/foods to eat for quick and cheap carbs on the bike 🤔

[@patrickhinterhofer4416]

Why not consuming EAA Protein during long rides? I do 5-10g of EAAs per hours of riding and feel I recover faster and loose less upper body muscle.

[@patrickhinterhofer4416]

​@@onmyway111 plain sugar. It has1:1 Glucose/Fructose ratio

[@darrenthomas9928]

I can get two SiS beta fuel sachet in one hr, roughly 160 grams, but that costs more than a gallon of fuel for my car .

[@TwowheelSherpa]

😂 so true

[@inz_uzi]

The most cost effective solution is table sugar. It contains glucose and fructose at 1:1 ratio which is optimal for maximising carbs intake. You can buy 1kg of sugar for less than you pay for one gel. You can have it as a drink. I prefer to prepare a concentrated syrup (you need to heat up the water to dissolve that much sugar) and store it in a soft flask. I sip it from time to time and drink pure water. It separates nutrition from hydration and it helps to get rid of the sweet taste from my mouth. I also add a pinch of salt with potassium (low sodium diet salt) and magnesium citrate to cover electrolyte demand. I also add a bit of citric acid to make it less sweet. If you'd prefer using maltodextrin or glucose or fructose you can also buy it cheap as dirt and prepare your own solution without any artificial flavours or preservatives for the fraction of the price. The sport nutrition products are a total rip off

[@chrisridesbicycles]

If you have another hour to wait for the stuff to dissolve. - You can get plain maltodextrin and fructose relatively cheap and mix it yourself. It might not taste as good but it works just as well.

[@antoniopedales1685]

always tring to push teir shitty ass bs

[@gangstreG123]

@@inz_uzi Sucrose is a disaccharide which means an extra step for your body, and it has a high glycemic index which causes a huge insulin spike. Let's also remember bacteria on your teeth love to eat it. While it may work and be cheap as dirt, it has some drawbacks. Adam Ragusea has a podcast episode about the science of sugars (not sport) for more info.

[@stevengibbs8117]

I did my first long ride from Canada to Florida, i'm 150lbs 5'6" I was eating 5000 calories a day and lost weight. Gummy bears, coke, mcdonalds, protein bars, peanuts, tacos, anything I could find. 100+ miles a day for 2 weeks. Went surprisingly ok.

[@gcn]

Wow that is some impressive milage! 🙌 What was the one bit of food you think fuelled you the best?

[@stevengibbs8117]

@@gcn I haven't watched this entire video yet so this is a completely unbiased answer. Doing Alaska to Argentina next! I'm addicted stay tuned! I would say i'm surprised how full the gummy bears made me feel, i never felt like I bonked which is crazy cause i've never done ANYTHING like this before. But I knew i would be at a calorie deficit the next day and forced myself to eat disgustingly big burgers and chicken sandwhich 1000 calories+ but surprisingly never felt heavy and I never eat fast food.

[@terrycorkum3472]

You're an Inspiration. Mad Respect.

[@Cqualey1]

What route did you take?

[@stevengibbs8117]

@@terrycorkum3472 thanks !!

[@mamoolaki]

This is one of the most educational videos about cycling nutrition!! I really liked how it explains the differences of nutrition between amateur, pro, female and male riders. Huge shoutout to Conor!!! Huge shoutout to Conor!

[@fe_ciclista]

I'm an amateur cyclist who race local crits monthly and granfondos here and there. I have lost roughly 13kgs so far, from 87kg in 2020 when I began cycling to 74,5/75kgs now. In the process I became kind of carbohydratefobic, because I lost weight eating more proteins and fats and everytime I tried to rise the ammount of carbs in my diet I've gained weight quickly. Restricting carbs is not a problem when you're doing off season miles, but then come the interval sessions and then the races and I was always hungry and feeling underfueled. Now it seems I've found the right way to go. I'm eating way more carbs, mostly whole grains, oath and muesli and a lot of fruits. Lots! Also rice and specially plain pasta. The day before races I'm doing just like Tim stated and eat lots of pasta. During the race I try to keep at least 80-100g/carbs/h between gels, sugary snacks and sport drinks and it works really well for me. I'm a decent passista and to ride at zones 3-4 the whole race takes its toll

[@speedsociety9177]

Interesting, what did you change so that you are not gaining weight anymore on high carbs? I am kind of in the same boat, not really gaining weight, just restricting carbs for health reasons.

[@matthewchristian1716]

I had a very similar experience, my weight would fluctuate a to due to an unhealthy cycle of keeping carbs incredibly low and relying on a high protein diet, which would leave me constantly craving and feeling under fuelled, especially as I wouldn't consume enough on the bike. Every time I started to increase carbs I would gain a lot of weight which resulted in me restricting them again. September last year I changed it completely and focussed meals on the carbohydrate with protein being the supplementary part (years of rugby & gym in my youth always had me focusing on protein first). I don't think I have had a low carb meal since although I do keep an eye on the amount of carbs proportionally to my life / training demands (so its not a free for all) & I have found that training & performances are better & my weight is lower and most importantly stable. I try and do any intense sessions in the afternoon (if week days) now so that I am fuelled & do some fasted rides at low Z1 & Z2 but even those aren't totally fasted as I usual take a carb drink mix but might make it half a serving. I also trail & fell run so I rarely find the need or desire for a low carb easy day, as usually an easy day is going to follow something painful! If I am having a total block of time off then I would just switch to a more balanced diet.

[@RicardoMNogueiraMendes]

Well done Conor&CGN and thank you Tim for sharing your research and findings. 👍

[@andrewcharlton4053]

Super interesting video, thanks for doing this and I'd like to hear more high quality discussions like this

[@sethgriffiths6539]

Conor's smile was growing exponentially during that interview as now has carte blanche to eat an entire army of food before, during and after every ride....

[@christophermarwick3619]

This is really really great. Good effort on this one guys

[@richardmanton]

Very interesting, definitely will be thinking about changing fuelling strategy based on the energy demands of the planned training session and next ride. Good to know that fasted training still has a place.

[@robbchastain3036]

Yup, I'm going to buy a front basket for bananas. And thanks, Conor, for your conversation with Tim, and the banana graphic was actually helpful in picturing carb needs for events/races. And I'm a big fan of fasted morning commutes, so it was nice to hear that those can be beneficial for those of us not exceeding 15 hours or so a week. Thanks again.

[@brannmacfinnchad9056]

Fascinating. Thanks for this!

[@kendalltrembearth9056]

I’m a T1 diabetic & ride Audax here in Oz. I was eating an LCHF diet & always felt low on energy. I’ve since gone onto a Mediteranian style diet and on long rides (200+ k’s) have taken to eating banana’s, dates & Aldi paleo bars. I’ve noticed an improvement in energy levels & average speed. I will continue to try eating more carbs while balancing my blood glucose.

[@DavidC-rt3or]

Not a t1 myself, but was wondering if you've had any issues with either spiking after your ride or the next day or two having a harder time keeping levels up?

[@kendalltrembearth9056]

@@DavidC-rt3or Usually after a long hardish ride my blood glucose levels will spike. When I notice this I’ll up my basal insulin dose by 30-50% and this usually does the trick.

[@DavidC-rt3or]

@@kendalltrembearth9056 frustrating exercising to lower bs, but if you go over a tipping point (which is a moving threshold) at least temporarily can have the opposite effect by spiking 🙄

[@simple4586]

​@@kendalltrembearth9056 Im a t1, I've researched and found intense exercise will cause glucose levels to spike up temporarily and it'll quickly go down in rest. I eat alot of carbs on riding days as well as before gym workout (Powerlifting-style). So far, no high glucose levels. Doc even required me to lower my insulin injections down to the minimum.

[@kendalltrembearth9056]

@@simple4586 I find that doing HIIT training session will spike my bloods as you’ve said & mostly they do come although today they didn’t. In saying that, I did do a 400k ride last Saturday. Midway through that ride, 1 unit of insulin was enough to cover approximately 600gms of carbs. Most times a ride like this wiil send my bloods high 2-3 days later & thats when I need the extra basal.

[@PriscillaMolesworth]

Thank you for taking the female perspective into account, more on that please! Learned a lot in this video. I have definitely not fuelled enough in the past.

[@ericleszkowicz898]

SO helpful. Answers the question as to why when I fuel aggressively on my 4-8 hour rides that I feel so much better than the 40-60 g I was trying. Gotta eat more !

[@hicky62]

Very interesting. I'm training for a sportive on June and a couple of times after rides, I am really hungry and binge on sweet things. I'll now try eating more on rides to build up my energy levels. Never realised Haribo gave so many carbs, I'll be taking a bag with me every long ride now.

[@ariesouris]

Brilliant video - thanks you

[@n22pdf]

Wow very interesting great info guys thanks for creating this vid.. :)

[@gcn]

Glad we could help! We hope this helps to push your cycling up a level 🙌

[@dylanhunt5368]

Having a bag of fruit on the bike when riding all day long always fueled me well. Fruit have a mix of fructose, glucose and sucrose, as well as vitamins, liquids and electrolytes.

[@kobelarry]

I am a older rider and used to ride 4 hours with out eating or drinking even one bottle of water. I have now changed to a bottle about every hour and eating a jell and bar on a three or 4 hour ride. I try to stay in zone two or three for most of the rides

[@fbdtravel2594]

excellent interview

[@bschauz]

Great vid!

[@starlitshadows]

I like that he mentioned if you are putting out lower watts you need less. I'd be real curious to see what those numbers would look like on the lower end.

[@dogukantosun5547]

Recently I joined a cycling group, where all dropped me, as I didn't eat enough. Then I learned from my mistakes. Yesterday we planned a 60K ride, no one had extra nutrition with them, but I had 900 kcal extra. The ride took 90k and our average speed dropped to 15 km/h at the end, I had energy and dropped everyone. Ride more, eat more.

[@ltu42]

I always have a spare Decathlon jelly bar with me. These 20 grams of sugar can save me from a bad situation, like a spare tube and a mini pump.

[@dogukantosun5547]

@@ltu42 the most affordable fruit wafers work for me. 25 cents a piece, 120 calories each.

[@ffskierdune6226]

Bad etiquette on your part. I suspect you will no longer be on the list and will have to find another group. Hopefully, you will learn.

[@dogukantosun5547]

@@ffskierdune6226 You only read half of the comment. Thank you for your kind reaction...

[@ffskierdune6226]

@@dogukantosun5547 Please do not think I am being rude. We all have been dropped on group rides. However, when finishing a group ride where the speed of the group has dropped significantly from its higher intensity it generally signals that the spirited part of the ride is over. Just spinning the legs. I do a 4-hour group ride on Saturday where the first 3 hours are very hard. 35km average. After the cafe stop we noddle back to where we started. 18-20km. Just my experience of riding and racing for over 35 years.

[@kaltonian]

one thing i learned about weight training was regardless of what people advise you to eat you have to find out what your body requires in order to make gains, for me it worked out to 6 meals per day with little snacks in between, as other might need 8 meals or just 4 meals per day with snacks, other thing is your body can only process a certain amount of proteins within 3 hours otherwise your body just gets rid of it, carbs depend on other foods & your activity to be be digested & turned into fuel, there are 3 body types & you have to find out which type you are, good thing about carbs is you can just keep consuming them as long as you keep up your exercise & fluid intake, rest is so important as well as massaging & ice cold baths, good clean oxygen is another one, trouble is nutrition such a vast topic & there will always be new revolutionary methods of refueling the body, do what works for you by experimenting all the different methods.

[@dutypaidrock]

Great timing! Doing Liege-Bastogne-Liege (255km, 4,500m climbing) on Saturday. Seems like I've got a lot of it right by accident. Gonna make sure I'm getting at least 80 - 100g an hour.

[@user-dh9ru9jd2l]

see you tomorrow

[@donaldyoung8866]

Interesting stuff!

[@khaledzaidan]

"I do all my studies on myself first" that mad scientist vibe!

[@we1rd92]

As a hobby cyclist i prefer to eat tasty food and not get all the calories from bars and gels while riding. I'll stick to my 50g/hr while riding and have a tasty meal and desert after.

[@ethangodridge6833]

On a race or hard session I can get in 100g per hour. Incrementally increased and no gut issues. After reading Aitor Viribay’s work, I’m aiming for 120g per hour. Increasing carbohydrates on the bike was a game changer for me.

[@donwinston]

That's a lot. Pros have a hard time eating that much.

[@ethangodridge6833]

@@donwinston Just practice over time.

[@teef7526]

Hello Conor & Tim Watched all 3 videos about nutrition and they are very educational.I tought that Im eating well maybe too much and find out that I have to triple my usual income 😮 Metioned income of carbs ok,but what about proteins?,I suppose u need to eat some as they repair your muscles,but with my weight 83kg x 12g=996g carbs for fill up theres not much room for proteins,I think the most I ate was 700g of carbs per day. My everage power output for 120km/4hrs is about 230-250watts=Z2 zone Love this nutritions videos,lot of new informations that I have to tryout Thank you 👍

[@hugobrown2516]

thank you. great!

[@RenegadeGeniuses]

I just did an all out solo effort (Road bike 160 miles avs 20.6, the first 120 miles avs was 24.0 wind is strong in south Florida), I don't eat anything during the ride (Only had four bananas which is really nothing considering the sort of distance and effort), I'm going to experiment with eating a higher quantity of carbs on my next all-out campaign.

[@michaelratcliff8634]

This is interesting. Back in the 80's there was a book published called "Eat to Win". It extolled eating just about as many carbs as you could. What goes around comes around.

[@ffskierdune6226]

Written by Dr. Robert Haas. It was the first diet book I read. He coached Martina Navratilova and Ivan Lendl to name a few. His protocol now is basically a balanced Mediterranean diet with 25% Protein, 25% Fat and 50% Carbohydrates.

[@janemf]

Already eating this amount of carbs based upon my own anecdotal experience as well as cgm.

[@AutiSam1974]

I'm skeptical of the claim that there are no negative health impacts "whatsoever" (as long as the energy balance is maintained) because the energy is just being used , I'd like to see some peer reviewed studies to back this up. The carbs have to be processed by the body first, what about impacts of massively increased carb processing on kidney, liver, brain, pancreas, digestive tract, gut biome, oral health? Professional cycling is not a sport noted for its duty of care to athletes, what about long term impacts of doing this? A deeper dive and some health warnings would be helpful on this subject. Interested to know what others think.

[@derekhartloper11]

Totally agree it's gotta be unhealthy to slam back as many carbs as possible! Humans evolved as endurance athletes but our glycogen stores are only about 2000 cals, so intense activities should not last more than about 3 hr, at which point we hit the proverbial "wall" (ie: bonk), and have to drop the intensity or stop and recover/ refuel.

[@mehrdadpaknejad1251]

I think that it is better to discuss more explicitly than just mentioning the groups of macro and micro nutrients. numbers, exact nutrition, details

[@JonLeonardF10]

It’s like watching the movie ELF , his accent definitely from the North Pole. Overall great information on nutrition on the bike .

[@SimoWill75]

Perfect timing thanks! I'm riding 500km this weekend, hoping to do it in less than 24hrs elapsed. (Did 31hr elapsed 21hr moving last year)

[@gcn]

Amazing! Good luck 🙌 Riding these sorts of distances isn't just down to the fuel, make sure you are mentally ready! we've got this great video with Mark Beaumont about this very subject 👉kzbin.info/www/bejne/o5LVqoN7mLunaJY

[@ffskierdune6226]

Figure out what speed you need to average to get under your time. Remember to schedule pee breaks.

[@SimoWill75]

@@ffskierdune6226 Cheers, actually my average is fine, I just need to reduce my stopped time taking breaks etc

[@arifrizki4782]

Last year i do it twice in a week, you can do it it the course mostly flat 😁😁😁

[@mstrasser]

Hard group rides, hard workouts, or races, I'll do 100+ an hour. (Especially for races and training, last race I did a Maurten 320 and a 160 in each bottle for 120g an hour, then an extra gel for the last 15min) but easier rides I'm much MUCH less. Truthfully it's more the mental "i need to eat" that I have to get more used to. I know the benefits of eating, but it's always something I don't do on chiller, easier group rides

[@Saturday_ProFuel]

'bout time!!

[@darrylhuculak4996]

I've always looked at calories more than grams when on the bike. After my pre-ride snack of 1 cup oatmeal w/raisins (about 200 cal/30g), I eat one bar (260 cal/40g) and one gel (100 cal/23g) every 90 minutes, then gels every 45 mins after that. Works out to about 1000 cal/200g of carbs for a three-ish hour ride averaging around 200W. Based on what Tim said about amateur athletes, I guess I'm still in the ball park at 67g/hr. However I do find I need to make sure I eat enough the day before and after the ride to replenish my energy stores, otherwise I'm resigned to the couch watching GCN+ for a couple of days afterwards. Not the worst outcome...

[@paulgal]

I tried 70 miles last week I fasted until I done the first 30 miles. I only managed 67 miles but the last 20 was horrendous I had no energy at all. I’m doing a charity even this weekend which involves climbing a mountain, kayaking 14 miles and then cycling 34 miles so this video has been a huge help. I’m carb load the night before instead of 2 or 3 days before.

[@themindgarage8938]

Eating before you're hungry is the key. If there's a time to not take carbs it's the last half an hour not the first!

[@dakalla]

If you are doing a long event you need to start fueling right at the beginning. I always take a banana with me for after the warmup ride and then eat every 45min something. A cereal bar, gel, cliffbar, cake, something from the bakery.. whatever. The key i found in the last years is to eat regularly on every ride thats beyond 1,5h. This also convinced my GF who runs halfmarathons from time to time. Last time she was nearly 10min faster and said it felt waay easier.

[@jaredh2341]

This is why even though I ride my bike sometimes upwards of 20 miles per day (especially during the summer) but struggle to have a large appetite and stay ridiculously skinny. Man it's tough out here.

[@auswi]

After watching this, I have discovered that I need to quadruple my Clif bar intake during longer rides. I might start with double and see how I go. For rides less than 50k's, I don't fuel and this helps me reduce a bit of body fat which solves the problem of deciding between a super light new bike or save $4k and drop 400grams of body fat instead. 😉

[@nickstratford]

It's interesting that endurance diet is so vastly different than everyday nutrition where the general consensus is to avoid sugar at all costs since this causes blood sugar spikes and type-2 diabetes.

[@TheReal60sKid]

Good video!

[@gcn]

We hope you found this one useful for future rides 🙌

[@BreakawayB]

Glad to see the masses are getting smarter about nutrition. 🧂Sugar is life.

[@derekhartloper11]

What a dumb slogan.

[@ketle369]

Guess Durianrider has been right all along. He always claim that if you smash down sugar (carbs) like crazy you can almost go on forever.

[@archieman123]

Yep, crazy guy but correct and ahead of the curve on stuff

[@donwinston]

Yes, but he is a bit pig headed and often goes too far by claiming it is impossible to get fat even if you eat unlimited carbohydrates. I think he knows that is not true but enjoys sticking it to low carb high fat diet idiots.

[@matthiaswuest7271]

One of my biggest barriers to getting enough carbs on board is cost tbh. If I do two longer sessions per week targeting 100 g carbs/hour, I'm still burning through 6-10 very pricey gels or chews per week on top of natural food, bars and homemade carb drink. Must be nice to have a nutrition sponsor! 😂

[@inz_uzi]

The most cost effective solution is table sugar. It contains glucose and fructose at 1:1 ratio which is optimal for maximising carbs intake. You can buy 1kg of sugar for less than you pay for one gel. You can have it as a drink. I prefer to prepare a concentrated syrup (you need to heat up the water to dissolve that much sugar) and store it in a soft flask. I sip it from time to time and drink pure water. It separates nutrition from hydration and it helps to get rid of the sweet taste from my mouth. I also add a pinch of salt with potassium (low sodium diet salt) and magnesium citrate to cover electrolyte demand. I also add a bit of citric acid to make it less sweet. If you'd prefer using maltodextrin or glucose or fructose you can also buy it cheap as dirt and prepare your own solution without any artificial flavours or preservatives for the fraction of the price. The sport nutrition products are a total rip off

[@matthiaswuest7271]

@@inz_uzi yes I already buy maltodextrin and fructose in bulk for my drink. But I struggle to drink more than 600 mL per hour in the Scottish heat 😅 so I have to look elsewhere to top up the carbs

[@SamuelBlackMetalRider]

@@matthiaswuest7271 dried fruits amigo. Dried apricots, dattes or figs. Very high in carbs, and way cheaper than bars/gels. Also these babies have a lotta vitamin C & potassium. Not just carbs. Some minerals too. 66g of carbs for 100g of dates. Not easy to eat and sticky, sure, but wallet-friendly compared to fancy gels & bars (most of which have very little carbs)

[@matthiaswuest7271]

@@SamuelBlackMetalRider fiber is the main problem for me with dried fruits. Probably ok for steady intensity cycling, but doesn't make my stomach happy on the run leg of a triathlon. That sugar syrup looks interesting @Mariusz -- might have to give it a try

[@Flexy1234]

@@matthiaswuest7271 put maltodextrin and fructose in some fruit drink and heat it up so it will become more gelish like and put it in gel flask and you have home made gel. For recipe just read what it says on some branded gel and multiply all the ingredients.

[@filippopogacar]

Nutrition is the key

[@sierrapolo]

@globalcyclingnetwork Very informative video, I love this content. I would be interested in if adding MCT powder into the maltodextrin/fructose mix would work. You did a video about it where you made a bottle that had 2400 calories in it

[@ffskierdune6226]

Yes, this would work. I would also add some protein powder to balance it out. When doing long events 250+km I have used both the powder. and the liquid versions. Keep in mind that you need to mix it very well. Also, the benefit of powder vs the oil is you can increase the fat content without getting the disaster pants. Test you level of tolerances first.

[@adamwallace9790]

I got nutrition badly wrong when I did the Uber Pretzel on Zwift. The gels I tried eating upset my stomach which made me skip eating a bit. By the time I hit the Alpe I had that ammonia sweat smell that meant I was burning the wrong stuff. Since then GCN flapjacks have helped. "Real" food seems to key for me.

[@gangstreG123]

Could be the brand or formulation of the gels. Better to find out in training (and while at home!) than on the road.

[@troycollett8540]

Also try sports drinks. I put 1 scoop plus I add a little extra sugar

[@seanoleary771]

Of course if you're like me and ride to keep the weight off as much as for fun. I always underfuel (or eat nothing at all under 30 miles) as that's kinda the point. TBF most of the time I'm more a '20 miles when I can squeeze it in' 3 times a week guy than epic 100 mile rides. Although I do more when i can.

[@sarias11]

This is very good information, thank you. However, it would super useful to have a similar discussion but for cyclists with diabetes and/or those that cannot consume as much carbs. I knows its a complicated topic, but I wonder if there are any recommendations that keep in mind those that have this issue. Perhaps a mix of lower carbs plus fats, ketones, or protein? On that note, let me just rant a bit and say that I am so dissapointed about the UCI banning glucose meters during a race. I think that is ridiculous and goes against those who have metabolic issues and are doing there best to do sports. For consistency then should just get rid of power meters and HR monitors.... ridiculous. Thanks again and sorry for the loaded comment.

[@donwinston]

Eating carbohydrates, including sugar, does NOT CAUSE DIABETES. The only way to get diabetes (type 2) is to get fat. It's the fat that causes insulin resistance and/or suppresses insulin secretion. Not everyone gets diabetes at the same level of "fatness" but it is in fact "getting fat" that causes diabetes.

[@julianpritzwald-stegmann9766]

To summerise: eat two slices of cake at the café rather than one. Thanks Tim! Don't mind if I do!

[@archieman123]

So essentially follow what durianrider has been preaching?

[@donwinston]

Yes, but ride your frigging bike, otherwise you will get fat unlike what he likes to tell people.

[@manoluisi4281]

Question about breakfast for a morning race: how long before the race should you stop eating ? One hour, more, less ??

[@matthewyoung849]

So I am 6’4” and 95kg - not light but not heavy - I don’t ride hard for my size: about 200-230 watts Does my size an weight make a huge difference - given to be around 3w per kg would see an enormous additional energy output ? Oh yeah - and am prone to cramping and am thinking lack of fuel plays a part there. Because of the cramps I tend to concentrate on electrolytes more than carbs and wondering if that is not the full picture (PS ride in 30C heat and say 75-85% humidity almost permanently)

[@stvaldr]

I am really glad that you had this show, I have type 2 diabetes and high carbohydrate consumption could be dangerous to me, is there something else that could be eaten? Or is it because of the high energy burning balance this out?

[@markthomas741]

The ketogenic or carnivore diet is ideal for type 2 diabetics

[@buckcitycrunk]

I have done trial and error. I respond best to glucose with fructose. I carb load the day before bigger rides. I eat a medium breakfast, a small amount of glucose as i start my ride, and every 30 minutes. At the end of the first hour i make sure to take on some Fructose with Glucose. I drink .75L of a 600mg-1000mg sodium solution every 1-1.5 hours. I drink a considerable amount of water. Like yesterday, for a 3.25 hour ride, I drank 3.5L total of water. I sweated at a rate of 1.5 kilos of water weight per hour AND IT WAS A FAIRLY relaxed AND EASY RIDE. It took another several hours to completely rehydrate to my original state. I'm currently experimenting with making an electrolyte recipe for just me. On a hot summer day its nothing for me to consume 6k sodium and 4-5k potassium. So far so good. Vitals are good and my body recovers exceptional. I currently ride 12-17 hours a week and am looking to increase incrementally up to 30-35 hours a week.

[@kieronlewis1101]

Big difference between carb intake for say an hour or two easy low intensity spin and a full gas hard race

[@durianriders]

Leanest and healthiest cultures on earth did a high carb low fat diet. Carbs are self limiting. You can't eat more than you need. Fat though.. you can smash thru boxes of donuts and gain 200g of body fat in a day just trying to get carbs but to get 200g of fat from potatoes you would need to eat 200kg of potatoes! Keep an eye on fat intake if you want to be able to burn more body fat and have better health. I try to keep my fat under 10g a day if Im wanting to drop body fat.

[@brammennen6734]

Tim Podlogar❤

[@durianriders]

@10:32 is why most cyclists are portly hehe. They think 'carb meal' is a fish and chip which is pretty low carb but WAY too much fat! Just that plate alone would have around 80g of fat in it. That is 80g of fat that will be stored in your body fat stores!

[@david131092]

Haven’t even watched the video but I know it will include rice a lot

[@david131092]

You disappoint me Tim rice was mentioned once and fibre as well sad times

[@godlikecat]

I'm prepared to see rice cakes

[@ffskierdune6226]

What's with the Fish n Chips? Pro-level cyclists are different than most people. The demands they ask their bodies to do are completely different from non-pros, and weekend worriers. Do not compare yourself to them. In Dr. Strobel's 2022 study, he divided the Giro into Flat, Hill, and Mountain. CHO demand was highest in the Mountain stage - 357 grams, Hilly - 338 and Flat - 266 grams. The riders consumed the most CHO at dinner and the least amount at breakfast. As an experiment (for not GCN presenters to try) try and eat 80 grams of carbs per hour for a 3-hour ride. Unless you have trained your stomach over time to be able to absorb this high amount of CHO you will enviably have a variety of gastric distress issues which will affect your performance 100%. Also, most pro cyclists have an Ectomorph body type, very lean, the same type as most of the GCN presenters except Hank and Manon. Fuel for the ride and effort.

[@norsangkelsang7939]

the protein component is very very important for muscle repair, recovery, and development. Cyclists need to think more about increasing leg strength. Essential amino acids and essential fatty acids are super important and I never hear these carb-heads speak of them. Super important for recovery and improvement.

[@chrisridesbicycles]

On my last long ride, I did some rather idiotic high power exploits in the early part of the ride and still felt good after that but payed the price later on. I can‘t feel how much of my glycogen stores I have used up until it is too late. My question is: Do the pros use the work done in kJ on the head unit to know when and how much to eat or are they just eating a fixed amount per time and hope for their stores to be big enough in the final?

[@prestachuck2867]

#askgcn

[@ffskierdune6226]

The top level pros have fueling stratiges based on a number of factors. Keep in mind that the very best, Pogi, has a blood lactate level still under 2 at 300 watts. This is still zone 2 for him. His need for carbs is much lower, once above this level the demands for carbs increases big time. Fueling strategies are primarily based on lenght of event, level of intensity play and what the goal of the event is. They discuss this with their coaches pre race and will adjust as the race progresses. They will being fueling and drinking right away when riding. They could have stickers/reminders on their bikes when to eat and drink. They may also have reminders on their computers. Its not a perfect system, some have tried, such as Ineos, with live feedback.

[@narmo7989]

You need to think of your glycogen stores as a fuel tank. I you are healthy and fit then you shouldn't need to fuel any ride of less than 2hrs (you fueled the night before) And then refuel when you get back with carbs and protein. Over 2 hours then probably start fueling after 1 hour. Depends on intensity also

[@dakalla]

I would consider myself healthy and fit, but 2 hours are too long for me without fuel. I cant do full power in the last half hour if you dont eat from the beginning. Maybe glycogen store capacity is different on each person?

[@narmo7989]

@@dakalla Like i say it depends on intensity. If you ride steady for the first hour then you should be able to do efforts in the 2nd hour. Maybe you would benefit from doing more zone 2 training to encourage fat burning

[@jamesdubben3687]

Oh so close! Almost got to watt-hour per gram sugar. Compare to watt-hour at the peddle. That's a ratio. Now what ratio are we talking about?

[@FrapsomaticalOption]

I just finished doing a 8-day/800km bikepacking trip from Germany to Italy. My plan was to compensate for most of the calories through isotonic powder, but sadly the combination of citric acid and sugar gave me a pretty bad tooth ache on the third day, so I had to stop and switch to eating more, which got way more expensive and I couldn't eat the 7000 calories each day, so I definitely had a deficit at the end, but never felt too much burnt out and didn't bonk once. Sadly there aren't many isotonic drinks without citric acid - which obviously is bad for your gums - and the ones available that I'm aware of are way more expensive than the stuff I use now. Any recommendations on that?

[@artozan]

Add maltodextrine powder

[@FBrodlie]

Great video! I KNOW I don’t eat enough on my rides, mostly because I struggle to eat and breathe at the same time as moving. I can be clumsy, have problems breaking open the wrapper, I drop stuff and I lose my breathing rhythm whilst chewing/swallowing!! I sound like a right idiot. I’m not, I’m pretty fit and I manage around 3-4k miles a year - I just have to stop to eat a bar etc. Any tips?

[@celiataylor160]

Open the wrapper before you go and try new potatoes!

[@piran-rose6661]

I'm a bit confused by his comment about carb intake being basically the same for women as it is for men. My understanding is that during menstruation we tend to conserve glycogen stores but have an increased ability to burn fat. So, our bodies need more carbs during this phase of our menstrual cycle and not so much during the other phases?

[@keithfurrow5899]

120 g of carbs/hr. I went to my pantry. That seems to be a half loaf of nasty American bread, 1 cup of raisins, 2 cups of oatmeal , 3/4 cups of dry rice, five packages of sports beans or 5 scoops of scratch drink mix per hour. Am I missing something?

[@bobfoster687]

Back in the 80s, Bob Fletcher ran 50 Marathons in 50 weeks. He wrote a book about the experience: Spaghetti Every Friday. Ahead of his time???

[@wadelink97]

Is there a direct correlation from w/kg and hours of training to how many calories you should consume? I would expect so, but I am not that savvy at the maths

[@maximiliandeisz2961]

well there is a semidirect coralation. First you have the energy your body can get from body fat. Than there is energy your body already has available(doesn't really matter on longer rides). Then there is the energy you need to consume to be able to burn it(the carbs you are eating). The more energy (actually) put out(so not power to the pedal but the energy your body expends) is what is important. As you have a base level energy expendature(for just living) and the efficeny of your body depends on a whole lot of factors the corralations work as a rule of thumb but the best indicator is the calouries(so energy) you use to ride rather than power to the pedals

[@Paganiproductions84]

I don´t have ay problems eating of the bike and on the bike no problem.

[@nolimit7185]

I am curious, what would be the most cost-effective way to maintain this carb requirement on the bike since gels can get quite expensive.

[@inz_uzi]

I wonder if they delete my answer as they did under a GTN video on a similar topic. The most cost effective solution is table sugar. It contains glucose and fructose at 1:1 ratio which is optimal for maximising carbs intake. You can buy 1kg of sugar for less than you pay for one gel. You can have it as a drink. I prefer to prepare a concentrated syrup (you need to heat up the water to dissolve that much sugar) and store it in a soft flask. I sip it from time to time and drink pure water. It separates nutrition from hydration and it helps to get rid of the sweet taste from my mouth. I also add a pinch of salt with potassium (low sodium diet salt) and magnesium citrate to cover electrolyte demand. I also add a bit of citric acid to make it less sweet. If you'd prefer using maltodextrin or glucose or fructose you can also buy it cheap as dirt and prepare your own solution without any artificial flavours or preservatives for the fraction of the price. The sport nutrition products are a total rip off.

[@themindgarage8938]

Make your own drink mix from table sugar or maltodextrin. I bought 5kg of malto for under £15 which is like 200-250 gels worth.

[@inz_uzi]

As someone commented riding a bike on gels is much more expensive than driving a car. 😂

[@Richarddraper]

Unless you are a professional cyclist you really don't need to worry about this. Under two hours exercise and you'll have enough energy to do it without eating anything.

[@nolimit7185]

@@inz_uzi Thank you for the tips, I will give it a try. Recently, I did a z2 130km ride and survived on a couple of protein bars, a snicker bar, and some gummies. However, I am going to give your method a try on my next ride.

[@tobiasyollum9412]

Some people(Jesse coyle f.e.) suggest using just water + table sugar(which is glucose/fructose, each 50 percent). Based on this interview this sounds like a good idea, especially if you look at the price compared to beta fuel etc. Anybody tried this yet?

[@tobiasyollum9412]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rIWQgXWpiLGLabc This is the link if someone is interested.

[@ianfisher7423]

@@tobiasyollum9412 yes water sometimes mixed with cheap sachet orange flavoring and one or two grinds of sea salt mixed in and a pocket full of barley sugar sweets, for the type of recreational cycling that I do, a typical ride of about 60klm, purely for enjoyment, not actually training for anything, this works for myself but may not necessarily work for others.

[@leangrypoulet7523]

Remember many many moons ago (early 90s) reading a tri magazine that showed how to make your own isotonic drink. 50/50 water/sugar sounds a bit hardcore, but their version was 50/50 water and orange juice, then with some salt added. I now also add powdered electrolytes as well. As an after training drink I bung in a dose of protein.

[@pglick123]

You were showing "banana" equivalence for the calories and I was wondering, since bananas are starchy, is there both glucose and fructose in yellow bananas?

[@donwinston]

Yes. There are starches and sugars in a banana. All are GOOD.

[@stevemawer848]

@@donwinston Nature's energy bars .... 🙂

[@jameslee-pevenhull5087]

25 kCals per km. Energy per distance. Negates speed differences. Extra 20 kCals per 100m climbing. I had this discussion with Audax UK in the early nineties. As a result, they removed "8 kCals/min" from their handbook. 8 kCals/min at 16 kmh is far too much, while 8 kCals/min at 40 kmh is not enough. Energy per distance stands because riding 1 km requires the same amount of air to be moved whatever the velocity. Ignore anyone who quotes kCals per time.

[@steveballs901]

So a gram of carbs is 4 kcals. And 200W for an hour is about 700kcals/hour. So 120g carbs is still a calorie deficit.

[@alexisconway2463]

As a type 1 diabetic, thinking about eating all the carbs is terrifying

[@wanderingboy8271]

Great advert for your sponsors..

[@ChrisMc-lc5mv]

Any tips on how to keep teeth from falling out when eating and drinking that much sugar? Especially given that most energy mixes have added acidifiers?

[@belap7131]

Toothbrush, toothpaste.

[@themindgarage8938]

Maltodextrin is much less bad for tooth decay than sugar because the molecules are larger and I don't think bacteria can break them down as easily. You can make your own mix and add your own flavours that don't involve citric acid.

[@Dan-wl1fk]

​@@belap7131 toothbrushing directly after eating sugars is actually worse, cause the teeth are sensitive from the sugars and brushing is too aggressive. Wash down the sugars with water during the ride and possibly gargle with water mixed with baking soda after ride

[@Dan-wl1fk]

Tooth decay is a big problem among endurance athletes. Breating w open mouth hinders saliva to work effectively s wel.. I try to wash down with pure water and sometimes chew some chewing gums on really long days in the saddle. At home, gargle water w baking soda

[@BobKimball]

So is it helpful to deprive yourself of carbohydrates (reasonably) during training blocks to teach your body to function with limited resources, then consume as much as possible the day before you want to perform in an event?

[@81caasi]

Not for the block, just on the day before a session with intervals. The next day ride zone 2 and fuel/eat generously to recover.

[@reggiefontillas7943]

❤❤❤

[@zavman109]

I am not a racer, and in my 50s, so I am at less than 50g carbs/DAY, lol. I do ride hard (for me) quite a bit for training. Everyone is different. Carbs in excess give me skin and inflammation issues.

[@duncr]

Pog, Rog and Pod

[@tomislavkrsic2153]

Is there anybody who can tell me what is best meal after commuting to work? It's somewhere around 30 min ride.

[@noeldunn126]

Presumably as long as the carb burn is matching intake, no issues with insulin resistance, and later diabetes. But Ii have wondered if carb loafing day a day before s big event will trigger insulin response, negating the effects of the card loafing - and if done often and long enough could lead to diabetic type issues in time. Thoughts will be appreciated

[@andreasolsson2336]

supersapiens + trial and error. these things are individual specific.

[@donwinston]

There are no "negative effects". Eating carbohydrates, including sugar, does NOT cause diabetes. Getting fat is what causes insulin resistance and/or insulin secretion deficiency. No elite cyclist in the entire world has ever gotten the 2 diabetes. Even after they stop cycling they will never get type 2 diabetes as long as they don't get fat.

[@swites]

Carbs aren't the issue in and of themselves. The issue is being unable to process carbs properly and get them out of the bloodstream and into the cells where they're able to be converted into energy. This is caused by insulin resistance. Which is caused by a buildup of fat within the cells( over time). Or myocellular lipids. This blocks the insulin receptor sites so insulin is unable to transport the sugar in the blood into the cells. So sugar builds up in the bloodstream and stays high for extended periods causing damage. Most people get insulin resistance by being sedentary and eating a standard western diet full of high fat/ high sugar junk food (~50:50 carb:fat ratio by calories- chips biscuits cakes cookies chocolate, pizza, burgers, kfc and soda all consumed together), and too much alcohol over time. So the important thing is don't eat high fat/high sugar processed foods unless occasionally. It's less satiating so we eat more volume than we need often without realising it, leading to weight gain ==>overtime leading to a buildup of fat within the cells===>insulin resistance==> unable to process carbs properly. In other words if one is metabolically healthy no issues with carb loading. All it will do is top up and saturate ones glycogen stores that will mostly be burned the next day. Further stimulating metabolic efficiency.

[@donwinston]

@@swites Yay!

[@noeldunn126]

Thanks for the clarification ☺️

[@durianriders]

Like Ive been saying for the last 15 years here on youtube... CARB THE F UP!! :)

[@SamuelBlackMetalRider]

1,000g of carbs 24 hours before a big event… whaaaaaaaaaaat?!?! 🤯 I usually take 500-600g of carbs before a big event… still have a lot of margin

[@pawekosiewicz5929]

Dried fruits are the best.

[@SuccessfulOzzie]

Hi... I'm in Africa.. I do 100km with average speed of 30kn/h.. I'd survive on 1 banana and 2, 750ml water bottles but bonk at around 80km...

[@gcn]

Very impressive! Although you want to avoid that bonk... thankfully Conor is here to help again 👉 kzbin.info/www/bejne/nH6Qd2ikrreJZ5o

[@helenclarkson]

There’s contradictory information from Dr Stacey Sims about female riders compared to this. The phrase ‘women aren’t small men’ is said for a reason! Great information to start with, nonetheless

[@bhatch]

Silly question: when he talks about eating "Haribo" - does he mean gummy bears? Like you should be eating a bunch of gummy bears the day before a race to carb load?

[@chrisridesbicycles]

They are also pretty good during a ride and a famous „bonk pick-me-up“ from the service station. Look for those where glucose-fructose syrup is first on the list of ingredients. Should be almost perfect based on what he said.

[@pacfan1165]

Great information. I actually make my own gels, GU makes a small gel container that holds equal to 5 gels (Amazon). My formula that works for my 3 hour group rides, combine 2oz honey, 1oz pure maple syrup, 1oz Agave, 2oz powered peanut butter, mix in a bowl, this formula is about 60 grams per 1oz shot, which I try and do a 1oz shot every 30 min, add in a Cliff bar or so, Skratch lab in one water bottle, rocket fuel for my rides, much more natural than gels you buy and cheaper to make your own, cheers!

[@gangstreG123]

Conor's a great host, but why hasn't Ollie been on the main channel been lately? I feel like this would be up his alley, unless he hams it up a bit much. If I recall, it was always "Ollie is slow" "We dropped Ollie", then he had his vengeance video showing off 5 watts/kg, then he kind of peaced out for the Tech channel.

[@chrisridesbicycles]

I guess Ollie was pretty busy filming for the Tech channel because Alex was in Italy.