Yes, eggs can be good pre-cycling fuel when paired with a carbohydrate 2-4 hours before you jump on the bike. One large egg has 70 calories, 6 grams of protein, 0 grams of carbohydrates, and 13 essential vitamins and minerals.
Combining rice with protein options such as eggs or chicken, is a good way to include some protein in your meal. With rice, it tends to be more of a dinner option that is often served with vegetables. For a pre-ride meal, skip the vegetables as they don't provide very much energy and can be more difficult to digest.
09:00: Breakfast
Riders will have breakfast around three and a half hours before the race, with carbohydrate-rich foods such as bread, muesli, cereal, pancakes, rice pudding, smoothies, orange juice - and even noodles - to help top up glycogen stores. An accompanying strong cup of coffee almost goes without saying.
This takes longer to digest compared with most carbohydrates, so has the effect of helping you feel fuller for longer and to help prevent hypoglycaemia. So a couple of eggs as part of a high carbohydrate breakfast before a long ride is the perfect choice.
Porridge. Porridge is the hallmark of any great cycling breakfast. It sits low on the Glycemic Index (GI), providing a slow source of energy over a period of time, perfect for long hours spent in the saddle. If you add in milk, you will get a significant amount of protein into your system too.
One good option is a bowl of cereal, its quick to prepare and a good mix of carbohydrates and protein – giving your body a decent head start to recovery. Tip: Several top UK road riders enjoy the new version of Weetabix with extra Protein.
Bananas are good for long rides and eating before a ride as other than the very brown ones they reduce energy steadily over time. Don't just eat bananas on your bike, the fibre in bananas called pectin helps to moderate your blood sugar levels and can reduce your appetite, making them a good snack between meals.
Peanut butter also has essential minerals for cyclists, such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium. Calcium helps keep your bones and muscles strong, while both magnesium and phosphorus help your muscles contract and also help convert the food you eat into energy that powers your rides.
The ideal pre-ride snack contains a blend of lean protein and slow-digesting carbohydrates, and a serving of whole-milk Greek yogurt gives you both, says Grant. “The carbohydrates in Greek yogurt will keep you from bonking, and its protein content will help fuel your muscles so you can really push yourself,” she says.
A good source of calcium, potassium, and vitamin B-12, low-fat Greek yogurt offers an ideal blend of carbohydrates and protein in a portable portion. The high protein content offers long-lasting energy since it takes a while to digest and the carbs provide a short-term energy boost to get you pedaling strongly.
Yes. A healthy, nutritious meal 2-3 hours before a ride tops off critical glycogen stores that fuel your performance. Think of it as putting gas in the tank before a road trip; the more you start with, the faster you can drive, even if you're only going for a short trip.
In general, allow 2-4 hours before cycling, following a larger meal to allow for digestion, and 30mins - 2hours for a smaller snack. Consider the Glycaemic Index (GI) of carbohydrates - A food's GI measures how quickly it is digested and broken down into glucose.
The likes of rye bread are considered a healthier choice and will release their energy much slower than a higher glycemic bread like white bread. If you are seeking a quick energy hit before a ride then a white bread sandwich with peanut butter or jam can be just what you need.
Bananas or Apples With Peanut Butter
Mixing the healthy carbs of fruit with the fat and protein of peanut butter is an ideal pre and postride snack. Bananas are high in potassium which helps to balance electrolytes after you've been sweating. Apples are rich in flavonoids, which are great for brain health.
Yes, early evidence suggests that you can drink milk before cycling (specifically low-fat or fat-free milk) without incurring GI distress during a ride, provided you do not have a milk protein allergy or lactose intolerance.
That said, white rice also has a place in your diet. It's more easily absorbed, which can help sidestep GI distress, and the energy is more quickly available for your body to use, which makes it a great option for an on-the-bike snack.
Yes, pasta is a good fuel source for cyclists, as pasta is easy to digest, low in fat, and high in carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the preferred source of energy for working muscles.
A 50g serving of fresh avocado contains 1 gram of protein and a whole 5-oz. fresh avocado (3 servings) contains 3 grams of protein. Though fresh avocados do not contain a significant amount of protein, they can be a creamy and delicious addition to a variety of meal plans and menus.
Eggs are a beloved breakfast food in general, and an excellent healthy choice when trying to get in an extra dose of protein in the morning. "Eggs are rich in choline and vitamin D and are complete proteins," says Shapiro.
In fact, eggs are considered to be the perfect protein source, serving as the standard for comparison for other protein sources [8] According to the 2018 USDA National Nutrient Database, one large egg contains 6.3 g of protein distributed between the yolk and white portions (3.6 g in egg white and 2.7 g in egg yolk) [9 ...