So looking for anecdotes, advice, input on nutrition/calorie intake for ToS. Unfortunately I couldn’t get the time off, so am going to ride stages in the morning, then work afternoon/evening for the week. Really concerned about fueling properly for the tour.
I don’t normally do a breakfast, so adding that to the list, with enough lag before the stage to give my body time to process. Given the length of some of the efforts, will definitely need to fuel during stages, followed by a post-ride lunch before out the door for work. Back on the bike after many (many) years away, so I’m sure sport science and nutrition have come a long way…
(and yes, I see there’s a flagged nutrition post from the coaches on the main board. reading it today!)
Without getting in to individual needs/bio’s etc I’d suggest that it’s just about eating a normal daily food intake and adding a bit of extra carbs for fueling day after day. So whatever normal eating on a normal cycling day basically.
Personally it’s a week I’ll not be trying to put myself in a weight loss effort anyway. But that’s because I enjoy doing each day with as much energy as poss.
Hey. Just whatever you’d use any other day on bike - there in theory isn’t any change needed for consecutive days.
For the ones that I’m going hard that are also VO2 (day 2 for example I always end up in a gel (or 2). But I’m not sure I need them or not.
Longer double workouts days I’ll def have something after workout1. I like toast and jam (if we have any bread) … easy to eat in the 9 mins I allow myself between workouts.
I spent a lot of hours riding and talking to Matt, the MD of Torq Fitness. (I see Torq bottles in the cages of Mike Cotty in several videos.)
Matt’s advice is to make sure you have enough fuel for the efforts by feeding exclusively carbs before the ride. Carbs are quickly absorbed from the stomach and to get fuel in efficiently give yourself glucose and fructose on 2:1 proportion as they use parallel pathways. However, any fat blocks the pathways and slows absorption so must be avoided in the 2-3 hours before the effort.
So no milk, not even in drinks. Perhaps porridge made when water and honey or golden syrup.
There is some evidence that fuelling during the ride at the rate of 60-90g of carbs is ideal to aid not only the workout, but also your recovery afterwards, even if you don’t need it to complete the workout. So I’ll be doing that during the ToS.
Afterwards a recovery drink can help combining fluids, electrolytes, carbs to rebuild glycogen stores and protein to rebuild muscle.
I’ll be also using a beta-alanine hot cocoa twice per day for the week before, the week of the ToS and the week following. I got through until day 9 on nuclear last year doing all of this.
Although it’s not discussed nearly enough, there is one other aspect of Tour nutrition that must be addressed: ensuring your fridge has enough food in it for several days afterwards because you are GOING TO BE VERY HUNGRY AND WILL EAT EVERYTHING.
Lat year I fuelled each ride as I would a stand alone session.A sip of half str. Energy drink throughout rides of over an hour, and a gel on standby for 2 hours or more of riding. For the tour I did take a recovery drink at the finish, and allowed an extra hour of quiet to myself during the rest of the day to help recovery. Although you can read in places your body can store enough energy for 60-90 mins, the tour is not the time to get into debt and force your body to play catchup because there is another day ahead of you