The sheer amount of (often conflicting) cycling nutrition advice can be confusing, especially if you are new to the sport. The key is to read, listen, and understand with a broad and open mind. You see, any nutrition advice must always be taken in the context within which it was given. Context is king, to rehash a clichéd phrase.

To put it simply, in most cycling contexts, carbohydrate loading (i.e., carbo-loading) is good advice. That said, there are cases when a low-carbohydrate diet is the better plan.

Your goal is to sift through the information to find which applies, when, so you can ensure you’re giving your body whatever (and the amount of) carbohydrates it actually needs. Better yet, you can consult a dietitian, preferably a sports dietitian. It would be even better if they were experienced with endurance and performance cycling athletes.

For now, though, you can read the following general tips on carbohydrate intake. Evaluate them, and make sure to understand their context. Finally, you can adopt, adapt, or discard, as needed, based on your specific circumstances.

Load Up on Carbohydrates

This is the default advice to cyclists. It goes something like this: Eat plenty of carbohydrate-rich foods so you will have the energy cycling requires.

Note that carbo-loading is necessary for long, intense bike rides, especially high-performance ones. Carbohydrates are the fuel you burn to generate the energy your body needs to power through the race and help your body recover post-event.

Carbohydrate Sources

Porridge, rice, pasta, and bread are all carbohydrate sources, but the following are ideal:

●       Complex carbohydrate sources, such as whole grains (e.g., oatmeal), seeds (e.g., quinoa, chia), legumes (e.g., beans, lentils, peas),

●       Fiber sources, such as high-fiber fruits (e.g., bananas, raspberries) and vegetables (e.g., carrots, beets, broccoli)

However, if you have gastrointestinal problems, opt for lower-fiber, lower-protein options. You can, however, build tolerance for these healthier carb sources by gradually increasing your fiber and protein intake while you’re in training, so that when race day comes, you won’t experience gassiness, bloating, or other such problems.

If you find it difficult to reach your carbohydrate targets through food intake alone, you may also take energy gels. These are convenient carbohydrate sources, especially during a race.

Timing

You need carbohydrates before, during, and after a ride or race.

Before a cycling event

Eat carbohydrate-rich foods as early as four hours before the ride starts. You can still eat 60 minutes before the race, but maybe limit intake to easier-to-digest options, especially if digestion has ever been an issue. Ideally, you should finish eating your carbohydrate-rich pre-cycling meal at least 90 minutes before you start riding.

During the race

You must sustain your energy levels during a cycling event. For this purpose, you must eat on the bike. Be sure to eat what you have been accustomed to consuming at training. To reiterate, you don’t want gastrointestinal distress in an endurance race.

Energy gels are recommended for ease of consumption. Opt for easy-to-rip and easy-to-handle packets and, again, practice eating on a bike during training so you can be an old hand at it come race-time.

After the event

After the event, eat within a half-hour to an hour after finishing for the day. Eat pasta, rice, or bread. You need carbohydrates this time to replenish your glycogen stores; this is crucial for muscle recovery. The importance of recovery in race performance can never be overemphasized, especially if you’re participating in a multi-day, ultra-distance endurance cycling event.

Amount

How much carbohydrate do you need to consume? There is no definitive answer here because this varies from person to person. Factors like your weight, how efficient your body is at utilizing carbohydrates, and event-specific metrics, such as cycling duration and intensity, will determine how many carbohydrates your body needs for optimal cycling performance and muscle recovery.

The following are general guidelines, which (again) you should adapt to your circumstances:

●       Before the ride, 1-4 grams of carbs per kilogram of body weight

●       During the ride, 30-60 grams of carbohydrates per hour of riding for rides up to 2.5 hours

●       During the ride, 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour of riding for rides (particularly intense ones) that are longer than four hours

●       After the ride, 1-1.2 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight.

Note that you cannot suddenly increase your carbohydrate intake on race day/days leading up to it. Acclimatization is necessary. This is why you must gradually increase your carbohydrate intake during training until your body gets accustomed to optimal levels.

Keep Carbohydrate Intake Low

After all the discussion on why carbohydrate is a vital nutrient when cycling, why do some cyclists prefer a low-carbohydrate diet? It all boils down to purpose.

You see, carbohydrate intake must match your activity requirements. High-intensity events naturally require you to maintain high energy levels. For instance, a high-carbohydrate plan makes sense if you’re participating in one of the high-performance, long-distance Bikeera cycling events in Dubai, such as the Saturday Weekend Warrior Rides that take cyclists on a brisk 33-kilometer-per-hour lollipop-loop ride on the iconic Al Qudra Cycle Track.

However, low-intensity riding is more apt if you’re a cyclist who’s in the sport primarily for the following reasons:

●       For optimal fat burning

●       To combat metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance

●       To lose weight

While you may enjoy cycling, your goal is to become healthier. Thus, you ride at a more leisurely pace because low-intensity rides are better for accomplishing the goals listed above.

On low-intensity rides, you keep a low cadence (e.g., 50-70 revolutions per minute). Your breathing is normal (you don’t run out of breath), and while it is higher than usual, your heart rate is at 50-60% of the maximum beats per minute.

In this low-intensity zone, the body prioritizes fat utilization over carbohydrate burning. Thus, it makes sense to stay on a low-carbohydrate diet.

Note: Some athletes cycle between low-intensity and high-intensity training. Consequently, they also cycle through low-carb and high-carb days.

High Carb or Low Carb?

High-intensity and competitive endurance cycling events demand a high energy output. For these, you need a high-carbohydrate intake. A low-carb diet may be better if you’re doing low-intensity cycling for fun or exercise.