Road Cycling has seen explosive growth in recent times due to its benefits to our health. Cycling regularly keeps our health in check. It also keeps the heart in good shape as we get older. Unlike swimming or other sports, you just need a bicycle to involve in this activity, which is easily accessible. To have consistent performance in cycling, you need to follow a certain diet. Cycling takes up a lot of energy and it is vital to get all the essential nutrients from your diet before you exercise.
You definitely need to have carbohydrates stored up in your body if you plan to go cycling for more hours. Carbohydrates are easily converted into sugar by our body, so you get much-needed energy with the carbohydrates. You also need to eat food with salt, vitamins, and other essential nutrients before you cycle for long hours. Make sure to choose best cycle brand to start. These essential nutrients are easily dried up when you exercise for long hours, especially in the sun. It will become dangerous to your health if these nutrients deplete below the normal levels.
So there is a lot to consider in your diet before you perform a high-intensity exercise like cycling. In this post, let us see the important source for these essential nutrients that you should have before your high-intensity exercise. We will also answer some important questions regarding diet for cycling in the end.
Foods to eat before Cycling
Foods for Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are essential for your muscles when you perform high-intensity exercise, as it can be easily converted into energy. The below listed are some foods that are rich in carbohydrates, which you can take before you go on cycling.
Pasta
Pasta is rich in carbohydrates, so it the go-to food for endurance athletes. The energy from pasta is slowly released into your bloodstream and muscles, so you should eat it a few hours before you go on cycling. It gives sufficient time for your body to convert into sugar and the necessary energy for your muscles to work.
Bread
Bread has long been consumed for the instant energy it provides for our body. It is high in carbohydrates, especially plain white bread. If you need instant glucose, then you can have the plain white bread with jam or peanut butter. Bread is easily accessible, and you don’t need to cook like pasta to consume. Bread types like wheat, rye are considered a healthier choice but it releases sugar slowly. You can have this type of bread too but make sure that you eat it a few hours before you go on to exercise.
Rice
For Indian people, there is no better source for carbohydrates than rice. We eat is regularly and it is rich in carbohydrates that are easily converted into sugar. You will have instant energy if you consume rice before you go on cycling. Just make sure that you don’t eat it until your stomach gets full as you will not have a good cycling experience. You can also have grain rice but eat it before some hours as it takes some time for your body to convert it into energy.
Food for Sugar
Every food you eat is converted into sugar for energy or stored as fat. So you need to have sufficient sugar food source so you get instant energy when your body needs. Carbohydrates take some time to convert into energy, but sugar is easily converted into energy. Let’s see some food items for sugar.
Sugar
This may not come as a surprise but you get instant access to sugar by consuming sugar. You can have sugar by consuming it with juice, coffee, or other energy drinks. They also give you essential nutrients along with the glucose to your body. It is a must that you take sugar just before you start to exercise as it is readily converted into energy. If you eat sugar and don’t do any exercise for some time, then the sugar is stored in your body as fat.
Energy Bar or Chocolate
Chocolate and Energy bars are rich in sugar and carbohydrates. You can keep a chocolate bar or energy bar in your pocket and eat it when you feel down or hungry during your cycling exercise. Don’t consume it too much as a small amount of chocolate bar has a high amount of sugar.
Food for Proteins and other essential nutrients
Peanut Butter
Peanut Butter is a good source of protein that you can easily get it than other sources like fish, meat, eggs, etc. You can have peanut butter with bread or fruits to add protein to your body along with carbohydrates and other essential nutrients.
Fruits
Fruits are rich in vitamins and other essential nutrients, which are important for your body when you perform high-intensity exercise. Banana is a good source for vitamin and energy, so it is frequently consumed by endurance athletes. The ripeness of the banana affects the availability of energy. A ripe banana will be processed quickly by your body, so you can have it during or just before your exercise to have instant energy.
Hydration
It is essential that you hydrate well during your exercise. Dehydration happens easily when you exercise for long hours in the sun. You will also feel light-headed when the fluid level depletes below the normal range. You should drink water regularly, so you will have a good exercise session.
FAQ’s regarding What to eat before cycling
How long before cycling should I eat food?
Depending on the type of food, the time you eat varies. If it is a low GI food, then you should eat it before some time you gon for cycling. Foods that are rich in proteins take some time to be digested by our bodies. High GI foods such as rice, wheat bread are easily broken into energy by our body, so it should be consumed just before you go on for cycling.
What type of foods should I avoid?
You should avoid foods that are high in spice and fiber. They will disrupt your digestion process, so you won’t get the necessary energy when you do cycling. You should also avoid fast foods, fried foods, snacks, and especially drinks that contain alcohol.
What should I eat after a hard ride?
You should eat food items that are rich in carbohydrates and sugar to replenish your energy after a hard ride. You should also add salt if you have been sweating a lot. Eating within the hour after a hard ride helps your body absorb the energy to heal the muscles that are broken during your exercise.
Conclusion
Riding a cycle is a great way to keep your health in check. It doesn’t need specific equipments or a partner, so you can start cycling if you just have a cycle. But sticking to a healthy diet is important before you go on cycling, so your body gets the necessary energy for it to work. Stay tuned at bestcyclesindia for more.
You should eat food that are high in carbohydrates, so you don’t get tired during your exercise session. Adding sugar and other food items are also essential to keep up with your cycling schedule. We hope this post helps you in deciding on what to eat before you go on cycling.
