QUESTION: On bike club rides, I seem to snack more often than the other riders, and when the ride includes a bakery stop, I notice that I eat more than other riders. I’m not overweight, and I don’t think I eat more than others when I’m not riding. Is it possible to eat too much while cycling? —Len D.
RBR’S STAN PURDUM REPLIES: It is possible to eat too much while cycling, but before you assume that’s the case with you, you may want to consider whether you simply have a higher metabolism than some other riders. There are ways to get your rate tested (see here for options), but even before doing that, you might want to think about how you physically respond to the amount you eat while riding.
Some time ago, a reader asked, “What should I pack for a 50- to 100-mile bike club ride?” In one part of my answer, I briefly mentioned some snacks and liquids — basically the standard stuff many riders carry — but in the comments section following my answer, one man offered the following:
That depends on your metabolism as to what to bring.
My first 100-mile race, granted this not a ride, but I was on a team and took snack stuff as the team leader said to take, and ate a pre-race meal as was suggested, I got about 1/2 way into the race and I had gone through my snack bars and was starving and starting to bonk, so at around the 60-mile mark I saw a mini-mart, so I pulled in and got a pre-made sandwich, fortunately, I had some cash with me. Needless to say, that first race I finished last! LOL!! But what I found out was my metabolism was higher than most, so from then on, I packed more snacks.
45 years later and when I’m riding my touring bike loaded with gear, I have to stop about 2/3rds of the way to a designation and get some real food, snacks like store bought energy bars don’t really do much for me, most stores don’t carry high calorie energy bars, I found I need around 4 or 5 400- to 600-calorie bars on a long 75 plus mile ride.
All the other folk in the race were fine with their snacks, so you have to know your body and know how long will it go without the need for fuel, but to be safe, pack a bit more than you think you’ll need. Take cash along as well, just in case the group stops to get something.
It’s likely that your body will tell you when you are eating too much while cycling. When downing more than you can process right away, the food sits in your system and can leave you feeling bloated or even nauseous, which, of course, will negatively affect how well you ride.
Being slightly hungry while riding won’t hurt you, but being very hungry will certainly cause your performance to degrade. So eat and drink what you need to keep your performance up.
Of course, I am neither a physician nor a dietitian, so if you have further concerns, it would also be a good idea to run your question by your doctor.
Stan Purdum has ridden several long-distance bike trips, including an across-America ride recounted in his book Roll Around Heaven All Day, and a trek on U.S. 62, from Niagara Falls, New York, to El Paso, Texas, the subject of his book Playing in Traffic. Stan, a freelance writer and editor, lives in Ohio. See more at www.StanPurdum.com.
Stan, some of us are finding eating fat before, during, and after a ride helps us ride further. ‘Fat-burning’ is a known phenomenon for extending endurance, even while it may not allow one to be as fast as someone burning mostly carbs. The claims are that it is healthier, more in line with how humans are built to move and fuel. Since starting this I have far less bonking and hunger pangs while riding. What do you think?
When it comes to eating before, during and after riding, I’m a big fan of doing what works for each individual. In bike racing, of course, it’s a different thing, where riders are looking for any nutritional edge to outpace other riders. But for recreational and adventure riding, go with what works for you.