I Had My Cycling Nutrition Wrong for a Decade

[@agtwil2863]

How's no one talking about the guy who finished 70km sans saddle?? 🤯 What a legend!!💪

[@Caffeinatedtechnerd]

Yep, I don’t even understand how that’s physically possible. Next level mental strength

[@hail_sagan2830]

No kidding, I want to hear about his nutrition plan

[@ricecrash5225]

I started cycling at 50 years of age at a solid 97kg girth, because of a video you did with your wife in the Noosa Tri. I entered the Noosa Tri but fell in love with cycling. One and a half years later, now 82kg. I still cycle and rode in this years Tour De Brisbane and qualified for the UCI worlds. I cramped badly probably due to poor nutrition but managed to crawl home in 3 hours 12 mins. Thinking I should get a coach and train but all I mainly do are solo unstructured rides not really knowing what I am doing. Videos like this are awesome, I definitely didn’t eat anywhere near enough.

[@CamNicholls]

Congrats on qualifying! Well done and glad to hear you got value from the vid.

[@ricecrash5225]

@@CamNicholls Your time was absolutely ripping. Are you going to Scotland?

[@ruiloureiro3167]

For cramps you should try a mix of ground cayenne pepper, ground ginger and ground cinnamon, equals parts. As soon as you get the first symptoms, put a little bit on your mouth and swallow, jut enough to get that sharp hot flavor. It sounds like a home remedy but in fact is based in the most recent research about some (TRP) receptors we have in the mouth and along the gut lining. Based in the same mechanism as pickle water (initially thought to be due to the electrolytes, now considered to be due to TRP receptors activation). Hope it helped!

[@ricecrash5225]

@@ruiloureiro3167 Thanks, will definitely try that !

[@sampreece]

That's fkn amazing wow.

[@KetzalSterling]

Good stuff Cam. 90g/h is kids stuff ;) Build it up over time. I tolerate about 120g/hr now and I'm 15kgs lighter than you. Dramatic improvements in longer rides. The trick is to custom mix your bottles to both have approx 120g of carbs in them. Preferably, at a 1:1 ration. Sucrose, or table sugar is the cheapest option and just as effective as Maurten etc. Jesse Coyle does a great job of explaining it on his KZbin channel. High Fueling your long ride once a week for around 6 weeks is usually enough to build gut tolerance. Best of luck.

[@CamNicholls]

Thanks for sharing mate. 120 is bonkers, but I now appreciate the science. I'll have to look for that Jesse video for sure. Cheers

[@JoshuaTHawkins]

I saw the same video of Jesse's about a month ago. Tried it on a 180k ride, complete game changer.

[@grobbosixtyone]

@@CamNicholls This video is interesting too kzbin.info/www/bejne/f5-3hqloab5ni6M

[@mrwezbo]

@@JoshuaTHawkins Yeah and in (I assume the same) vid where he makes his own and puts it into one of those floppy flasks, you can cram 500g+ into one and keep it in a jersey pocket. Perfect for longer ride meaning you can just have water in the bottles. Add a bit of cordial or maple syrup and it's delicious.

[@anthonymiller4004]

Actually was going to also point this video out. I was also. Sceptic on the sugar water option but gave it a go after watching his video. Simplifies taking carbs in and spreads the dose. Plus you must have sucked in about $50 worth of gear on the course, that is a much cheaper option..

[@CamNicholls]

Hope everyone is doing well. I spoke with Kate (Koja Owner) before publishing this video, mentioning I was giving her bars a plug. She provided me with this 1 X use discount code CAM20 - Please note that is not an affiliate code. This is my bar of choice: www.koja.com.au/collections/oat-bars/products/cinnamon-raisin-oat-bar

[@matt_kj]

Ordered a couple of boxes. Have been using them for a while. Lemon is my favourite. Thanks for the 20% discount mate 👍

[@kojahealth4369]

So glad to hear you love our bars so much and that they're giving you the fuel you need!

[@themediocretriathlete]

There's a reason triathletes call it the fourth discipline...taking in the right amount of carbs before and during the race is critical. Glad you touched upon this as it really has helped me as well in my races.

[@CamNicholls]

I like the way that's put. Thanks for sharing on the thread Max.

[@hardcheese]

I thought the 4th discipline for triathletes was getting undressed and dressed quickly? :-/

[@dollabillwill415]

@@hardcheese that's the 5th lol

[@peterlenz2188]

Fueling was the big lesson I learnt cycling. In my youth I used to compete in competitions that lasted all day, start off strong and then fade. Back then, in the early 80's and in to my 20's, I always put that down to not being strong enough and not doing the right training, but riding since my mid-30's and now watching this kind of content showed me that I just didn't fuel enough. A few sandwiches spread across a day wasn't enough. Even now, I fade on the bike, but when I have enough to eat I fade less and feel great after.

[@SimonKral-iv9lt]

Informative video. Well done. I'm blown away that someone can ride 70km without a saddle! That is a story to tell the Grandkids!!

[@lloydbikesadventure]

Great job cam! Carbs carbs carbs. That has always been my biggest issue. Thanks for the little mention. Love the content.

[@lukehodge5431]

Hey nice riding too finish without the seat!! Great to see you get some kudos for it in this video.

[@adambuttenshaw]

One of your best vids Cam. Well done on the race result. Steph seems to know her stuff! I’ve always been a huge fan of those Koja bars too, but maple is my go to. Thanks for the discount! 🙏

[@DC-lu5qs]

Way to go, Cam! I'm honestly quite surprised you had never done this before, considering how much you feature Steph on RCA channel and how well she presents her guidance. I was inspired by her advice a few months ago to really be proactive in planning my nutrition and hydration and instead of fading after ~4 hours, I felt strong throughout my 7-8 hour rides. I tried my first ~12 hour ride last weekend and found that after about 10 hours my gut revolted and I had to back way off on the carbs, and the final couple of hours was pretty rough.

[@shaunbassett5093]

That was fantastic Cam. The breakdown for a novice just trying to better myself year on year, not win races is priceless. Thanks so much

[@Barrygee]

I believe the term is ‘Carb the fuck up!’- Harley Johnstone

[@durianriders]

When big name World Tour riders started contacting me asking for weight loss and performance tips I thought I was getting pranked. It is crazy how undercarbed most of their teams nutritionists were causing them to become.

[@the_fast_life]

CTFU

[@mikey.1205]

The KING OF CARBS

[@Okcyclist]

First person I thought of watching this, que music..."they call him Durianriderrr" ha cheers man✌

[@Roman.Denisenko.New.Zealand]

Harley been talking about it forever! I’ve tried his suggestions back in days and it worked! Carb the f’’k up approach! Just water and sugar! Love it and use it always!!! Durian Rider protocol is the best!!!

[@dkelly7159]

White rice for brekkie is one of the best ways to carb up. Also best way to replenish glycogen after the event. Ask Team Sky/Ineos. 😊

[@Kermitonwheels]

This was such a major unlock for me too. I’d been chronically under eating during events. Well done, strong result.

[@lukewalker1051]

Educational Cam and thanks for the video. You are starting to sound more and more like Durainrider everyday.😉 One caveat to all my cycling peeps. I am going the exact opposite direction because carbs turn into sugar and excessive carbs kills the body. Key of course is matching carb intake with exertion level and duration. The world is full of diabetic carb eaters with insulin resistance that are obese. Depends on your body and insulin levels which keep carbs from overwhelming cells and turn into body fat. A suggestion and only that for those pushing into their 50's who are heavy carb eaters buying into carbs makes you faster on the bike, check your body's sugar levels. Mine was trending high, I have gone all keto and yes, maybe I don't have the same punch on race day, but my body and life is more important. I can keep up with most on a road bike.

[@lukewalker1051]

Hard part of course is how to determine how many carbs you need to satiate cells but not overwhelm them creating insulin resistance and all the companion disease associated with too much sugar in the body. This is why anybody who wants to play russian roulette with carb loading should monitor their blood glucose level consistently. Inflammation of course keeps a lot of people off the bike and most don't know why their immune system is creating arthritis believing its all genetic. No, its overwhelmingly diet. Intermittent fasting and allowing the body to heal and hormonally rebalance and limited carbs is the healthy solution. Disease = 80% diet/20% genetics. Careful what you put in your bodies everyday everybody. Weight lifters can lift more weight on growth hormone and steroids as well and many die young as a result. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gGrKkH93jcuGaJY

[@michaelbradbrook9575]

Well done Cam! You didn't podium, but you came pretty close! Good to get the nutrition right and to see the result on the bike.

[@RichardMigneron]

I really see the Eureka moment in your eyes there Cam, brings tears to mine - I really got to fuel better too ! (I'm 60 btw.... !) Good going there.

[@veloperformance]

So good to hear this. Carbohydrate has had a kicking from main steam media. It’s refreshing to hear it talked about in a positive light. From my own experience higher carb intake in events always wins for consistent power and energy. 👍🏼. Nice one Cam 👌🏼

[@messi9991]

I despise how mainstream keto has become and how zealous people are about how carbs are evil.

[@timandkristigeddes1997]

Thanks for this Cam, I was in your age group wave but was too far back to say hi sorry :) Great result for the race & also with your fuelling. This vid is especially helpful for me as I bonked at Cootha and incorrect fuelling played a major part which I am now trying to piece together for another crack at next year's TDB event.

[@modernboard]

Mr. Nicholls, I'll keep it simple and to the point; your effort, work, and videos are Awesome as well as Educational. I really appreciate them - Thank You.

[@proctermorris6657]

Nice one Cam. The TrainerRoad podcast got me onto mixing up my own mix of Maltodextrin (Glucose) to Fructose at a 2:1 ratio in my bidons. (Same mix as SIS Beta Fuel). At whatever ratio I desire. I buy the products in bulk. Game changer. So easy to get the carbs per hour, and you don't have to do it with food or gels. I usually flavour with a tablet like a Zero or Gu for electrolytes, and also add a little Branch Chain Amino's for protein uptake.

[@DJMSydney]

Excellent video mate! As an average punter rider (83kg, 55y/o, FTP 284), I followed your example today for the Five Peaks Challenge sportive in Canberra (120km/2000m). Doubled my breakfast carbs from 80g to 160g and increase carbs during ride from 60g p/h to 90g p/h. Definitely made a huge difference; able to hold threshold for all the climbs/passed other riders and whilst my legs felt the usual fatigue, they kept powering on to the finish. I’m a covert. NB: My wife is not so impressed, as we relax watching TV post event, I could podium for farting at the moment!😂

[@ssbagley]

Cam, Cam, Cam!! Legend!!! Followed this for my first road race of the year, and thought I was risking it a bit going into a 70mile race for the first of the year (usually do around 50 and build up through the season) . But WOW, what a difference all these carbs make, I've totally been under doing it for years!! Now fast at 43!! Legend!!

[@CamNicholls]

👍👍 thanks for sharing mate

[@alextasch8114]

As a former CA state champ in XC MTB I can tell you I have experimented with all types of fuel and nothing ever works as good as this combination and especially keeping topped off with sugars and carbs throughout long endurance events. I keep honey in the water bottles and dates and banana and clif bars in the jersey pockets if I want to feel good on big rides! Thank you for this video Cam as always you have great content!

[@MrAjwest]

This is really good information! I have been riding fasting for years, I would tend to do anything up to 50kms fasting and eat prior to a longer ride but I never really had carbs on the bike…. I just started working with a RCA coach and he recommended this video and this approach - I’m keen to see the difference!!!

[@aluminati9918]

Great advice! Thanks. Took me 30 years of riding to get this right. Now I carb up just like you do, about 1.5h before riding. On the road I do 1 gel & 1 bar every 45 minutes. Big difference for me, I’ve stopped bonking.

[@billrodgers151]

Great breakthrough! I just discovered this fueling technique prior to the Mammoth Gran Fondo in the US and it was life-changing. I was knocking down SIS gels and bars every half hour to get to the 90g carb threshold, and hydrated with LMNT for hydration. I love Maurten (which I use for running), but the SIS gels have a higher carb content and function like the Maurtens in terms of intestinal absorption. A shot of pickle juice to deter “flavor fatigue” at mile 70, and I was good. Keep up the great work!

[@CamNicholls]

Thanks for sharing on the thread Bill. I've heard about pickle juice! Haven't given it a try yet...maybe that's the sequel to this video haha

[@PMcKay00]

No argument with the results and great to hear someone make a breakthrough, but just wanted to offer something else for consideration. I switched to a low carb diet a while ago for a few reasons, but thought I'd still have to 'sugar up' on my longer rides. Did a bit of reading, and maybe I didn't have to? I thought I'd try to stay low carb on a 200 mile (340km) ride I had coming up and see what happens. I had a black coffee and a piece of cheese for breakfast, nothing else before lunch at 165km. Felt great, and stomach was very happy. Had a piece of cake and a burger for lunch and felt very bloated and slow for a while. Had some jerky on the 2nd half for something munch in but nothing else. Had Cliff bars with me but never touched them. Never felt hungry. Stomach felt great. I was having electrolyte powder with water. This showed me it is certainly possible to ride long distance without sugar. High sugar levels might well give higher performance. For long events though it becomes a logistical issue to carry so much food, and you have to concentrate and focus on constantly eating. I also find my legs feel worse afterwards when I ride eating carbs and sugar. My guess is that there's more metabolic waste in them. These days I regularly do 100km rides without eating anything before or during. It's just not an issue. Again, not saying it is faster, but it is simpler, and I feel great. It does seem that if you train your stomach to handle more carbs it can boost your performance. My own experience is that you can train your stomach to have low carbs and still ride quite well, and for long distances. Everyone is different, and some things will work better for some, and worse for others.

[@ralfmimoun2826]

Well done! Btw, a great source for nutrition advice is the triathlon scene. They are aiming at 80-120g carbs per hour on their ride, and they know how to do that.

[@barneyd9785]

This is a real eye opener. Thanks, Cam. Great video.

[@Bazza1968]

On a 4 hr 100km/750m ascent ride I'm usually around the 4hrs 15m mark(old, fat, slow!) and have one 22g gel at 2hrs, 2:40 and 3:20. After watching GCN talk about this same subject I yesterday did a "virtual" Etape which involved 105km, 1250m ascent (one continuous 400m ascent peaking at 17% and averaging 12-14%) and decided to eat the 3 gels per hour after hour one...did it in 3hrs 53m so think there may be something in this to experiment further! And today I do not feel as washed out as I normally would, legs aren't really even sore....

[@The_Normalised_Cyclist]

My biggest take away is that the SMP eagle beak is creeping in the back and it looks majestic! Also just yesterday by an accident when I was commuting back home. I did longer route 1h 30min and sitting for an hour in 87-90% of threshold. On such a short ride I did just around 60-70g of carbs and it felt a lot to eat, but I felt strong just like you. Cheers mate

[@CamNicholls]

haha it does look majestic.

[@STUDIO388_]

Sup Cam , geee funny to ear you say THAT MUTCH ! Man coming from 33 years of Bodybuidling / Fitness / cross training , being now at 200lbs or so i was and still am eating double of that easy in the morning. The breakfest for me is THE most important meal to start up watever. It amaze me how some high intensity cardio athletes dont eat that mutch for the amount of energy they have to put out. Anyhow good job , keep it up mate .

[@emilsalman2734]

Cam, good job! Good job on the race and mostly on getting your point accross in this video. I watched it as I was carbing up for a ride and you motivated me to double up on my carb intake. I ended up riding stronger than I ever have and set a few PRs at the end of the ride, which as you felt too, ended with me feeling that I had a lot more left in the tank. Kudos and thanks for sharing!

[@RJ_Wagga]

Awesome video Cam. Really appreciate the honesty and a real world example of how/what to eat and the effect it had on your ride. I don’t race but I train for riding up mountains in the Victorian high country. I constantly get cramps towards the end of my rides but have never consumed the amount of carbs you talk about. Will certainly try this on my next mountain. Thanks for the insight and advice!!

[@dakalla]

I had the same experience last saturday. Had a big breakfast, lots of carbs and added an oat shake with banana on top. Went for a 130k groupride, that wasnt always easy going as we had a lot of head wind and i ended up in front often. Took some rice cakes, 2 energy bars and a gel, bought some pastry on the ride and a fanta. Felt really strong the whole time and did a PR on my local climb in the last 10km and i had still some left in the tank. This was one of my longest rides! I didn't count the carb grams, but for me it shows just fuel as much as you can. I will follow this on all of my rides from now on.

[@ChiTownBrownie89]

I am right there with you, in my 11th year of racing and my new coach has changed everything for me. Fueling, warm up, recovery, its all different yet I have produced some of my best results.

[@antspage]

i do pretty much the same mate for a race 100-130 km in length, even in training will half the preload but do 75 gm per hour and always feel great at the end and could keep going where the others guys are done it does take a while but worth the experimenting, glad you found this extra "gear" really validates your fitness and training, thanks for sharing cam great to share your wins and learnings

[@LittleJulio.]

Good for you Cam, your progress is inspiring! I had a similar experience last October riding in my first Fondo. This was around the time of the fruit toast, fructose fueling confusion, still funny. I fueled just as Steph instructed and I too was surprised during efforts and how I felt after race, especially next day. Brilliant series that when applied works!

[@CamNicholls]

Awesome to hear that, thanks for sharing to the thread

[@danieletognozzi7641]

I just rode a (for me) fast 200k flat marathon at 36. Woke up at 5 and had a late start at 8:30, so had a sandwich with scrambled eggs , some Müsli and a banana around 7, then a bar before starting. In total I rode for 5:50min , drank a bottle of grapefruit juice with ISO, 2 Cliff bars, 4 smaller bars, at the 2 stops 2 slices of bread with jam, more ISO, a banana, some biscuits, a cake. Wait: Two cakes. Then we arrived and we were dead tired, we had fries, some pickles, 2 beers, a sandwich. Then I got home, eat pasta, salad, a chocolate dessert. Total: 1290345688920 Kcal. Fastest ride of my life. But my stomach now hates me.

[@shaneveivers3807]

Hi Cam I absolutely love your channel and your videos , such incredible insight and content, this video is a standout so interesting and I have learned so much in such a short video on how to improve my cycling and this video in particular will improve me leaps and bounds . Was there at the tour de Brisbane last year and what a ride it is , coming back this year hopefully on a Polygon A8x (thankyou for all your videos on this) . I have watched tour 2 videos on the A8x so many times and I really think I will go with this bike based heavily on your reviews and the service from Bikes Online (Brad) You are an absolute legend and your content is nothing short of amazing, keep up the great work in 2024 and happy new year to you and your family 🎉

[@CamNicholls]

Very kind works from you Shane. Many thanks and appreciate the channel support. Can’t go wrong with that bike too! Value for money is off the charts 📈

[@christianemeiners9224]

Good stuff, Cam! Just saw a GCN video about the topic; there seems to be a trend towards even more carbs on the pro side, hence your advice and experience is in line with the science. Congrats on that performance 👍😃 Cheers, Chrissi

[@CamNicholls]

Cheers Chrissi, and yes, I need to check that video out! It was sent to me this morning.

[@global_nomad.]

Do what I say , not what I do....thanks for admitting that you were a sceptic of the advice being given on your own channel...as an masters level educator, I know that knowing the theory and practicising it are not the same thing. Last year on one event I managed to consume close to the ideal amount, like you here, and it made a huge difference, but it does take a lot of focus to keep eating that much.

[@samucong]

Great video mate. Always enjoy hearing more about your cycling journey.

[@PeterPutz82]

Nice work Cam, glad your on the carb train. Next step, start heaping sugar into a bottle, little bit of powerade powder for flavour, much cheaper than Maurton and just as effective. Jesse Coyle runs on it and I've been doing it for a while and it's super effective. Why eat when you can just suck down a hundred carbs in your bottle. Keep up the good work.

[@mysho6317]

OUTSTANDING = Your Discovery, Your Performance, This Episode - blending the Discovery with Race Report & Your Presentation of it all👏 Kudos for taking the leap of Faith on Steph's Rx...........and getting the Carbs down on the Bike while You were pushing big Watts & zig-zagging around the course, not easy 👍. Guessing You were riding the BMC?

[@CamNicholls]

Cheers mate, appreciate the kind feedback. Yes, BMC is the workhorse.

[@Yoda-em5mt]

Hey cam good to see your getting it i,m 53 yo been top end racer on and off for years and only worked out in the last few years what works for me is 250 grams of white pasta at least 3 hours prior then the crazy part is sugar i use raw sugar mixed whith water and about 1 / 4 coke anywere from 90g to 150 g per hour on the bike and salted peanuts to give the stomach something to digest as just water and suger can sometimes not go so well its crazy how fast and for how long i can go 4 hours at 90 percent no probs .

[@tsundru]

Thanks for the thorough advice and great data!

[@donbracci2199]

Great video. I love the complete pre and during ride national breakdown. I hope Backward Hat Dylan isn't too harsh with his comments on this video 🤣 I am also a fan of Dylan Johnson's videos. Keep up the great work!

[@andyking8464]

Awesome effort, Cam. Great video, too!!!

[@8rk]

Yup! I'm 40 and was having trouble this year. It seemed like I was stuck at certain watts of FTP and was barely finishing my 4x10, 3x12, 3x15 type HIIT sessions. For the last 3 sessions I've done the exact same. 160-170 grams of carbs 75-90 mins before the session. I'm finishing the sessions with such ease (at the same wattage I used before and struggled) that I started suspecting my power meter. Fueling is insanely important to endurance sports. Correct fueling, even more so. Everybody knows this but most of us (including me until recently) eat less carbs than what's necessary to fuel our workouts / races / rides

[@JoshuaTHawkins]

Had a similar epiphany fairly recently but on a 180k training ride. I knew I had probably been underfueling thanks to Dylan's videos, but it wasn't until I actually consumed 100g per hour - mostly through liquid (thanks Jesse Coyle for the tip in one of his older videos) that I actually felt the benefit. Realistically, I had been probably only consuming 40-50g per hour for many of my 3-4 hour rides since taking up cycling in 2017. 🤦🏻‍♂

[@CamNicholls]

Thanks for sharing on the thread Joshua, I have probably been similar tbh. 40-50, prior.

[@durianriders]

Dylan & Jesse got it from me and I got it from Dr Ferrari in a conversation I had with him in 2003.

[@wsbygt]

Thank you for the valuable insight! The trend of carbing up to 100-120g \ hour is hard to manage during an event but the results are, once again, there to prove its validity. But again its difficult staying on the carb-path! Cheers! Also: 378w for 8 minutes ... "aww you bloody think you good dont ya m8?!?!"

[@chadchad6243]

Great video. Coming back to copy it for race this weekend. Your pre-event totals are off (where your sitting at the table). 140=170, and 165=190. Ps - you are bloody good mate!

[@markusseppala6547]

So nice to see a cyclist actually improving their fueling instead of just saying the mantra "oh I'm so bad at eating on the bike". Now also treat your hard workouts as mini races, I eat 100g/hr minimum and start carbing up the day before.

[@Matthew-ez4ze]

Before every 50 to 70 mile ride: A Big Coffee. Half cup instant oatmeal with 6oz hot water and zapped for 30 seconds. Splash of almond milk, sliced banana, and honey. Mix and enjoy. My bottle has ice, pineapple juice and orange flavored LMNT. Post ride: 2 raw eggs, half an avocado, a banana, 8oz almond milk, scoop of vanilla protein powder, tsp cinnamon, chia seeds, tbsp almond butter: all goes in a blender with a bit of crushed ice. Got this recipe from one of the Smallbone brothers of the Aussie band For King and Country. Try it, you'll thank me later. I ride about 300 miles a WEEK and am a health nut.

[@5teve85]

Very insightful Cam, I'm going to focus on this for longer rides now too. great time up coot-tha! Luckily you had shedded some weight from all those bars in your pockets before the climb. (Well, I guess this is the Jetstar theory of shedding weight, where you're just transfering to a different "suitcase"!) Back in 2016 I did a 8:30 up there... Now I'm lucky to get 10:30. Perhaps carbs are the answer (and problem?) 🤣

[@ruiloureiro3167]

Great video Cam, as always. And very updated info. I have been following the news on this recent fueling trend and can confirm that carbs up to 120g (some even talk about 140g, if you are a top athlete and trained your gut during training to absorb that quantity) are the way to go. Thank you!

[@SuperYobo]

How do you know when you overdo the carbs?

[@ruiloureiro3167]

@@SuperYobo your gut will let you know!

[@tayloroliver7293]

Love your channel. Keep up the great work!

[@bitminerbob6731]

I raced that event and completely fk'd up the carbs. I thought I had 8 gels. For some bizarre reason, only 2 gels were in my back pocket. I somehow left the other 6 gels in the van at the carpark. Not the dumbest thing I've ever done but comes close. I completely bonked at the 70k mark and had to ride solo for that point on, catching small groups as they rolled through but having ZERO energy to keep with them. It was terrible. The climb up Cootha was a disaster. I then got a flat in the tunnel (my back tubeless tyre lost a heap of pressure) on the other side of Cootha and had to limp home from there and the pressure was getting less and less. Worst day on the bike ever lol. But keen to give it another crack next year, hoping not to repeat my mistakes this year!!!!

[@bitminerbob6731]

I did have 2 crampfix gels and they worked as no cramps!! :D

[@CamNicholls]

How frustrating that sounds. I am sure the climb would have been horrendous (bonking). At least you had the experience and won't make that mistake again!

[@melbournecyclingsegments7510]

Since adopting the Jesse Coyle carbage, after a ride I get off my bike and continue the rest of the day like normal. B4 I'd guzzle tonnes of food post ride and feel more tired.

[@robertcastellani5301]

Extremely interesting..excellent topic …thanks Cam

[@janvanrookhuijzen8309]

So true. The longer the event, the more important this is. I'll do MTB (XC) ultramarathon's a few times per year. Those are more positioning and eating contests than about raw leg power.

[@jgogl9791]

Delighted to see Shouty Hat Man make an appearance here. Freakin' love that guy.

[@sandgroper1970]

Recently GCN had a video on fuelling in a race or ride, including the old adage. But what was interesting was a sports scientist who worked with Bora, and he was saying for people pushing 3/400 watts should consume like 120grams +++ of carbs per hour, but the more average 100 to 150 watts, average is follow the old folklore when riding

[@teknonmy7210]

getting maltodextrin and fructose in bulk saved me. With gels all I thought about was the cost, now I can just bang out all the carbs I want without a worry. I'm still getting the dosage down, seems like I don't currently have much of a problem with up to 2 hours of riding with ~60g of carbs if I just carb load enough the day before.

[@simonalexandercritchley439]

Hi Cam, well done with that effort. I had my best decade of riding in my 40s (1990s) so you can do it too.Getting the right amount of carbs before ,during and after is the key provided you do everything else right. Add some cinnamon&cocoa to your cereal. Add fresh ginger,turmeric and other spices to tea and other drinks,this helps. Beetroot gives a nitric acid boost. My health and performance has improved since going vegan Oct.2019.

[@CamNicholls]

Lovely to hear 👍

[@gavinarber8802]

Followed your guide for a road race i had here in UK last sunday and it was amazing how effective it was . I am slightly lighter at 72 kg but adjusted the volume accordingly and had similar results felt strong throughout the RR and will now carb up even before training sessions of high intensity to help fuel the performance , especially as i train in the am and usually go fasted

[@CamNicholls]

Awesome to hear that Gavin.

[@74_Green]

LOTS of recent science proving this. This is something I'm absolutely bloody terrible at doing!! I will carb load the night before and 90-120 minutes pre-ride but get on the ride and totally forget to maintain the high carb intake. Current thinking for World Tour is ~120-160g/h which is crazy! 2h51m12s, Great time and congrats on qualifying.

[@dsonyay]

Jesus, H Christ, I just finished watching this complete video again for the third time I cannot believe how many carbs you take. Yesterday I rode 75 miles at probably the fastest pace I’ve ever done in a group. All I brought with me was water, and I was still fasting from the night before. Zero carbs +0 food that day, except for when I was done riding.

[@CamNicholls]

I used to do fasted riding. Recovery was worse and now I've realised performance.

[@jessewilliams1129]

Great vid and thanks for sharing this gem!!! Changes my perspective on carb load 💪🏾

[@Southerncyclist]

Great job Cam

[@bikesavvy3654]

Good seeing your still running the SMP. Ps. I had a banana pre event, 3 SiS gels and 2 600ml bottles of coconut milk with a pinch of salt. Worked out on the ride home I still Had a full water bottle. 8th old man’s 55-59. Going to try your recommendations if budget allows 😊

[@jamesmckenzie3532]

Got to add MORE carbs during my events, I guess...Great work on moving up in the event.

[@jamesmckenzie3532]

Added a drink that contains 333 calories per bottle today as well as Hammer Nutrition gel to a 2.5 hour ride today. Felt great at the end of the ride.

[@patrickparisienne1917]

Great insight, and great result!💪

[@mat_from_ballarat]

Carb doping! My nutrition is hopeless. For so long I've attempted to eat as little as possible to try to keep my weight down. Usually I just end up getting sick and don't get much, if at all faster. You'd have thought I'd have learned by now.

[@jonarnold7689]

Really great vid. Nice work.

[@tomigun750]

I’ve recently began upping my carb intake to around 90-100g/hr and feel so much better. Stopped paying for expensive packaging and marketing noise and run simply on Sugar (=1:1 Fructose/Glucose) table salt for sodium and a squirt of lemon juice . - costs about $1AUD for 300grams in 3ltrs mix 👌

[@davidtyler5129]

Sensational presentation Cam. Super informative and relevant, even to we average cycling punters.👏🤙🚴🚴‍♂️

[@alexandruhojda160]

Try out Durianrider’s sugar water, can have like 200g of carbs in one bottle

[@lukehodge5431]

I didn't know this before: Carbohydrate requires less oxygen to burn as compared to protein or fat. Carbohydrate is increasingly vital during high-intensity exercise when the body cannot process enough oxygen to meet its needs. I think this may be the key point regarding why a large intake of carbs before and during a high intensity ride is so important. It is like running an engine on high octane fuel. More power output from the same engine.

[@FaiscaaaH]

Great ride Cam !!!

[@ByteSizeThoughts]

Need to give this a go. Rode my local clubs Sunday 88km ride and spent the rest of the day eating half the fridge. Probably was 10km away from a bonk I reckon. Off to get some powerade powder and some gels :D

[@carlpentney290]

Great video mate well done. I've a 200 mile sportive coming up that has 3 designated feedstops, obviously in addition to what I carry on the bike. I think I'll use 90g/h minimum as over say 11hrs cycling thats a lot of calories burned.

[@donschloth5785]

Cam I did this on my first gravel race and I was amazed at my ability to keep going for the entire race, almost 3 hours! I actually could have had more carbs

[@wintergreen_25]

Nice 1. Good advice. As a 100kg guy riding 100km I always eat every 30-40 mins, even if I don't think I need to. Would've been great to ride that one in the last km's. Good work!

[@ashnm001]

I did similar at TdB - 165g carbs before, and 360g during race. 3x beta fuels (240g) is the easy way to get the carbs in. I'm a handful kg heavier and handful watts slower, and finished more mid pack 😢

[@sambrown1779]

Be interesting to see how that fuelling strategy would go in hotter conditions. Yes I know you're in Queensland, but heat often trips up the digestion. Great video. Well done on the 4th place. Solid effort 😎🤘

[@stevelong9178]

I think that’s my weakness on long hill rides. Not enough carbs. Defo a learning experience.

[@TommySaucierPlourde0]

Well done mate!

[@lukehodge5431]

Wow, I had 1 smallish banana for breakfast. Then about 60g carbs in bars/balls and about 80g in drinks over this whole event. Which is pretty standard for a 3-4hr ride that I would usually do (Cat 2 - 3.8w/kg). I felt fine all ride and came top 20 after dropping a chain at the start of Mt Cootha. I did notice during this race that each time I ate or drank something I would feel stronger and then do something silly like take a turn on the front. So lots of room for improvement for me. I will try upping the carbs during some rides and see if I can get to Cat 1.

[@CamNicholls]

Thanks for sharing on the thread Luke and well done on the result.

[@robertlight2370]

Interesting. I did the TdB after having a good, solid breakfast (I can't remember how many carbs) and set off with a pocket full of gels and two bottles full of carb mix. At around the 40km mark, I realised that I had lost a bottle. Like - it had fallen out of the cage and disappeared. So I was underfueled and underhydrated in the second half of the race. Luckily, I was in the second group on the road for my category and it was pretty chill from there until Coot-tha. I managed to climb Coot-tha at just over FTP, which was enough to drop the majority of the group. I even managed to PR the short pinchy climb across the top of the hill which was great because I've probably done it over 100 times. I'm not sure how I would have coped if I had to chase a break like you did. I finished 22nd and qualified and I'm off to Scotland!

[@lukehodge5431]

@@robertlight2370 Nice Work, all the best with the race in Scotland!!

[@pierrex3226]

Cautionary tale: I had 100g of maltodextrin & 1 Twix on a 115km ride last week. Felt great. Was happy with myself. The next day (not the same day, funny enough), i was physically devastated, my stomach took days to recover. Whatever you do, don't do that :) Probably has to do with getting used to it + also eating solid food + i dont remember having breakfast, although i may have had.

[@orlandopiper3214]

I'm still trying to get my summer legs back after 3 months off over winter - not even home/gym bike. I've always eaten as little as possible and normally nothing but water for sub 2 hours then a banana and maybe some weak malto for a 3 hour ride. That did used to feel fine (albeit with the occasional emergency stop on bigger rides for a can of coke). But the last few rides have been a bit disappointing with the final 10k of relatively short rides (75k with Belgian hills) with nothing in the legs. It's been a busy few months and generally only getting a couple of rides a week at best but I reckon this could be what I try, at least until I'm back to form. Malto and marzipan will probably be how I do it.

[@davemellor4697]

Seriously Cam,i dont have much time for the likes of durianrider but if what you are saying is correct,he does speak some sense about his massively carbed up diet!

[@ShawnStevens]

I’m a super big fan of the maurten gels ( regular and caffeine). I normally have maurten with me on bike rides and even tried their energy bars. I also normally pair that with 1 LMNT bottle.

[@fernpeck]

Just wait till you discover Vespa. Anything over two hours, it changes how much fuel your body needs. I learned about if from my ultra-running friends. This is a huge deal coming from someone whose gut is extremely sensitive to…everything.

[@warrenrae32]

Fantastic to hear👊. I wonder what the low carb Keto gurus would say about this🤔

[@gbssav100]

Low carb advocates would correctly say that high volumes of carbs are useful to fuel the high intensity efforts needed by elite racers, but unnecessary for the vast majority who exercise at much lower intensity

[@bretedwards5576]

the best thing i learned before i got into cycling was high fueling and getting my stomach used to it now its just second nature and ik if i need to perform i just gotta be eating that much or drinking that much

[@chrisjie2127]

"Carb the fuck up" - DurianRider

[@zzhughesd]

GREAT vid, 8 odd mins Vo2 max 380 good enough to me, I feel an ok rider and would love get to 380's