CYCLING NUTRITION ULTIMATE GUIDE
- mariesoleilblais
- 7 days ago
- 6 min read
What do you eat while cycling?
I get asked this question a lot! There are plenty of online articles about carbohydrates and grams, but few answer the question: What do you put in your pockets?!
So, in this article, I'll share all my suggestions for what to eat while cycling, divided into three main categories:
But just before diving in, I'll give you the basics of cycling nutrition so you can fully understand the connection between what's in your jersey pockets and the energy you'll have on the pedals (and all the subtleties in between!).
Carbohydrates for moving forward
On a bike, as in all physical activities, your primary energy comes from carbohydrates. Since muscles can store carbohydrates (in limited quantities), it's normal to feel good for the first hour or so of cycling. It's after the first thirty or forty kilometers that things start to deteriorate. To pedal longer, it's essential to consume carbohydrates at a constant pace to avoid energy dips.
Avoid these mistakes
We want to prioritize carbohydrates that are easy to digest. Because pedalling is difficult enough, we want to avoid overloading our stomachs with foods that take longer to digest, such as fiber, protein, and fat. Yes, it's okay if there's a little fiber, protein, or fat (at some point, you can get sick of candies!), but be aware that these nutrients (fiber, protein, fat) will weigh down your digestion without providing direct energy. Fat, for example, can take several hours to be converted into energy - not very useful if you need energy right now! However, they can become useful when your stomach needs something other than carbohydrates to stay satisfied, especially during long rides. (So yes, there's room for nuts in the proper doses.)
Adapting to reality
There's theory, and then there's reality and factors to consider, such as temperature, your hydration level, the intensity of your ride, the duration, etc. What works for two or three hours isn't guaranteed to work for five or six hours (or fifteen hours+ in an Ironman!). What works at 20 degrees Celsius is definitely not the same at 30 degrees Celsius. No matter how detailed your plan is, the MOST IMPORTANT thing is to listen to yourself and be flexible, to give your body what it's asking for.
Keep your stomach happy as much as possible. Sometimes, you need more water to absorb the food; sometimes, you need to reduce the intensity (or even stop altogether).
If you struggle to ingest carbohydrates or stomach issues arise, the worst thing you can do is keep pedaling at the same pace and hope for a change. That's a direct path to energy failure!
Hydration
A quick aside on hydration since it's closely linked to nutrition! For rides lasting more than an hour, you'll need electrolytes to stay hydrated and ensure the transport of nutrients in the blood. Electrolytes are minerals such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium. You can easily find them in hydration drinks sold at the store.
Many hydration drinks also contain carbohydrates (sugars), but the ratio varies from one brand to another. It's, therefore, essential to pay attention to the amount of sugar you ingest compared to the amount of electrolytes (by reading the label), as liquid sugars can cause gastric distress in some people (more often in women). Sugar is good, but you need enough water to absorb the calories during exercise.
In case of gastric discomfort, you can adjust the situation with a sugar-free electrolyte drink or by having every other bottle filled with water, for example. You can also add electrolytes to your snacks by adding salt, thus ensuring your electrolyte intake without relying on overly sugary hydrating drinks!
Nutrition product and snack ideas for your bike rides
1 - Commercial sports nutrition products
Examples :
Energy gels
Sports gummies (Bloks or commercial fruit paste)
Sports energy bars
Sports wafers
Hydration and energy drink mix (powder)
Where to find them:
Bicycle and sports stores
Website of our Quebec and Canadian businesses! (Zenit Nutrition, Brix, Näak, XACT, Kronobar, etc)
Pros :
High carbohydrate profile that's easy to absorb
Packaging and texture are easy to carry/consume on a bike
Often supplemented with performance-enhancing supplements, such as electrolytes, caffeine, vitamin B6, B12, and BCAAs (amino acids)
Quick and easy solution (no time to mess around)
Cons :
Very expensive!
You can get sick of it over time
When to use them :
These products are perfect for special events (such as the Grand Défi Pierre-Lavoie), competitions, or sporting challenges that are bigger than usual. They can also complement other homemade snacks.
2- Quick, simple, and affordable snack ideas!
Examples :
Medjool dates, dried mangoes, dried apricots
Applesauce pouches
Store-bought gummies
A slice of white bread with jam (+ peanut butter for longer or lower-intensity rides) *Plain white bread is much preferred.
Brioché bread (with a touch of Nutella or honey 😋)
White tortilla wrap with honey
Reusable flask of maple syrup 🤤
Store-bought bars (Go Pure oatmeal bar, Z-bar, etc.) *Be careful with chocolate and yogurt coating, which can melt; some textures are more or less ideal for cycling. Check the carbohydrate vs. fat content and opt for the one with the highest carbohydrate content!
Throughout my cycling career, my nutrition often consisted of these snacks, especially when I had to travel and couldn't access a kitchen.
When I raced with the professional Astana team, they made us dinner rolls filled with honey or jam by carving a hole in the center of the bread with a knife. It was handy for keeping your hands from getting all sticky during the race!
3- The best ride food in the world when you have the will to make it!
If there's one reason I love cycling, it's because I get to eat lots of DELICIOUS things!
Homemade snacks are a winner on (almost) every level. They're pleasant to eat, you don't get sick of it, they're affordable, and you can add all the extra supplements you want.
The only downside is the time! (Sometimes the packaging too, but I'll take an energy ball a hundred times over a store-bought bar!)
Wrapping Your Homemade Snacks
My favourite method is cutting the aluminum foil to the smallest size to avoid overloading my pockets.
Pro tip: I fold a double-thickness edge to give me an easier grip when I use my teeth to open it.
Pro tip: Label them and put the extra in the freezer.
French toast (dairy-free)
Homemade flour tortilla (mini pita)
Pancake or waffle
Sweet potato pancake (one of my favorites!)
or made with regular flour or rice flour
Pancakes are great for transporting on a bike and are easy to chew and swallow; they're mostly carbohydrates. Make a large batch and freeze the rest! The waffle version is just as delicious, just a little less compact. ;)
If the French toast is a little soggy, I wrap it in aluminum foil or a Ziploc bag.
Energy paste (homemade gel style)
Energy jelly
When the intensity increases, or I'm looking for a variety for my bigger fitness challenges, energy paste or jelly is excellent for eating in small bites. They don't look very pretty and aren't always very chic, but trust me, they're the Bomb💣!
Packaging
I put them in a Ziploc bag and cut a small incision in the corner. I squeeze the bag to eat the dough from the hole I cut. You can also put them in a reusable flask (ideal with jellies), depending on the consistency.
Rice Cakes
Chocolate and Coconut
Sesame and Honey
Cashew and Bacon (for a savoury version)
From experience, rice cakes are a little trickier to make, but oh so popular in Europe. It's no wonder: white rice is the carbohydrate source with the highest glycemic index.
Cook the rice (calrose or sticky sushi rice) as usual. Once cooled, add other ingredients and form into balls or bars.
Wrapping
The trick is to put a layer of wax paper (inside) and a layer of aluminum foil (outside).
I've also succeeded with small rice balls wrapped in plastic film, like candy, and twisting each side. To eat them, I tear off one side with my teeth and slide the rice into my mouth in one bite!
Bread Cakes
Chocolate and Nuts
Parmesan and Bacon (yes, anything goes on a bike 😁 as long as you burn it!)
Bread cakes are made from pieces of bread mixed in a large bowl with eggs and plant-based milk (like French toast!). You can add a flavor for a change. After baking, cut them into a "bar" that's easy to carry. Nothing could be easier!
In conclusion
You'll understand that the possibilities are endless when you know the key elements for successful cycling nutrition:
Prioritize carbohydrates
Look for a texture that's portable and easy to consume during exercise
Choose foods/flavours you like - it has to be good!
Listen to your stomach, adjust with water, and reduce the intensity if needed.
Enjoy your snacks! Uh, enjoy your ride!!
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