Like marathon runners, cyclists often endure long hours of grueling exertion. Competing in an extended event or doing long distance recreational rides takes a toll on your body. Training for these activities is no less demanding than the events themselves. In fact, while training, you protract the exertion over long periods of time, day after day, placing chronic demands on your body. Proper nutrition during training is essential to optimize the condition of your body so you can excel during the duress of a long ride.
Calculate Caloric Needs
Consume enough calories during training to maintain a healthy weight. Generally, the calories you burn each day are based on your basal metabolic rate, or BMR, plus the calories you burn in activities, including your training. Your BMR results from calories your body burns doing basic maintenance activities, like breathing, distributing blood throughout your body, metabolizing glucose, glycogen and fat to produce energy, as well as other physiological functions. Use online calculators, such as BMI-Calculator, to estimate the calories you need for basic maintenance. For example, a 5-foot-8-inch, 30-year-old male that weighs 150 lbs. burns about 1,660 calories per day at rest. Add to your BMR the calories you burn in training. Again, use online calculators, such as HealthStatus.com, to estimate the calories you burn in training and other daily activities. Sum your BMR and activity calories, then add an additional 10 percent to account for thermic calories --- these are the calories you burn consuming, digesting and eliminating the food you eat.
Example
If the 30-year-old man in the prior example trains by riding a bike at 12 to 14 mph for two hours a day, he burns about 1,188 calories in training. Add this to his BMR of 1,660 and you get 2,848 calories. Add 10 percent of the total calories, 284, to the subtotal; this yields a daily caloric need of 3,132 calories.
Protein
When in training, you need to consume plenty of protein to maintain and restore your muscle mass. To estimate the your daily protein needs, first, calculate your weight in kg by multiplying your weight in pounds by .455. Then multiply your weight in kg by 1.5 to yield the number of grams of protein you should eat each day. In kilograms, the 150-lb. male in our example weighs 150 lbs x .455, or 68.25 kg. Multiplying weight in kg by 1.5 yields a recommended 102.375 g of protein each day. Convert grams to calories by multiplying by four. So, for example, 102.375 x 4 equals 409.5 protein calories per day.
Fat and Carbs
To maintain a balanced diet, you should include healthy fat. Based on the average American diet, you should consume about 70 g, or 630 calories, of fat each day. The remainder of your daily calories should come from carbohydrates, such as bread, pasta, rice and fruit. While in cycle training you need your carbs. Carbohydrates are converted into a form of fat called glycogen, which is stored in the liver and in muscles for later energy use, such as your marathon cycling sessions.
Movable Feast
For rides that last longer than two hours, you will need to replenish your energy stores while you ride. Practice eating while cycling during training. Choose easily accessible energy sources, such as processed -- as opposed to whole-wheat -- bread and liquid energy drinks. Eat 1 g of carbohydrates for each minute of riding beyond 45 minutes, according to Bicycling.com.
Pre-event Carbohydrate Loading
Four days before your event, eat additional carbs to fill your glycogen stores. Four hours before the event, top off your glycogen stores with a pre-event, carb-heavy meal.
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