Early morning training

[eddy]

I have started the early morning before work group ride thing, but don't know what to eat - if anything - beforehand and what to fill my bottle with.

 

The ride is about 75 - 90 mins and I need to work quite hard to keep up. At the moment I have a cup of coffee before (if there is time), else nothing and I just have water in my bottle.

 

Am i getting any benefit from these rides or would it be better to have aomething to eat before and something decent in my bottle ?

 

At the moment I am doing it once or twice a week in addition t my weekend rides, would it change if I were to do it 3 or 4 times a week what is the best thing to have afterwards ?

[Guest agteros]

Depending on exercise duration, going on empty might actually be the best for weight loss (teaching the body to use stored fat as energy). 90 minutes might be on the outside of what is feasible though. Try a peanut butter sarmie(no jam, no syrup) with the coffee (do not load this with sugar though), and take it from there.

 

Less is better!

[Cippo]

Coffee is good enough to get you going because of the caffiene. As faras keeping you going you gonna need some carbs in the form of a energy drink which you normally use. I would take one bottle od water as well. Just remember coffee is a diuretic so expect a stop especially early morning because of tbe cold. Our blood vessels constrict in the cold so our body compensates for by having the kidneys work a bit harder and create more urine to regulate your blood pressure. You could substitute your coffee for dark hot chocolate, there was a useful article in the recent Ride magazine on this, or milo which will give you some carbs and then have some oats or any other low gi cereal for breakfast because you want a slow release food source to sustain your energy levels. Its not impossible to bonk on such a short ride. What we sometimes also forget is our post ride meals so include proteins in that, something simple like a protein shake or a steri stumpie funny enough. Hope this helps

[eddy]

Thanks guys. Much appreciated

 

I have a peanut butter sarmie or two before my longer rides, and do have a recovery drink after my rides.

 

So, if I understand properly, as long as I don't go much over an hour I can do it on an empty stomach and a cup of coffee (black, no sugar). Much more than that, a small low GI snack would be better ?

 

How good would a banana be as a pre-ride snack ?

[Tieffels]

I ride in the mornings with whom I imagine to be the harde baard bigger boys on the block, at least in my frame of reference.

 

And by ride I mean hang on with everything I've got. These guys are way stronger than me so its a balls to the wall effort for me for about 1h15 over the 42km's, 450m climbing. I ride on just a cup of coffee, which is a habit from the winter moths to help with the cold. There is hardly time on the ride to drink, which is just water in my case. Never bonked or even felt close to it.

 

So my advise is just to ride and take it from there. Your body will let you know if you need something more.

[ROCKITRIDEIT]

my morning commute ride is 17km in under 40 minutes, i have a quick glass of OJ before i leave the house just to kick-start the metabolism, and the 1 water bottle on the bike in case i get thirsty, which i usually don't as its too flipping cold at 6am

[The OriginalSpartacus]

I ride 2 hours in the am and I usually have a Future Life shake before the ride and have my usual energy drink in my bottle. Then a bowl of oats with Protein Shake afterwards. Just cause it is an early morning ride doesn't mean you need to treat it any differently to your other rides.

[FrancoisO]

I would not eat before. Just take a bottle of energy drink with, and you would be OK

[The OriginalSpartacus]

It amazes me how one doesn't eat before an early morning ride... the last time you usually ate was at supper somewhere around 7 - 8 pm so say you ride at 05h30 that's like 9 hours since you ate last. If you rode in the afternoon would not eat 9 hours before that ride? It makes sense to me that you will have more energy not only on your ride but throughout the day if you ate something small before the ride. Even if it is a bowl of cornflakes... could be wrong, I'd save myself more food if I am

[eddy]

It amazes me how one doesn't eat before an early morning ride... the last time you usually ate was at supper somewhere around 7 - 8 pm so say you ride at 05h30 that's like 9 hours since you ate last.

 

Thx OS, that is exactly why I asked the question.

 

I would have thought that it is sensible to break the fast, even if it is only a light bite but most people on the ride do it on an empty stomach and a bottle of water.

 

Tomorrow even though I am trying to lose some weight, I'll have a slice of wholewheat toast with Peanut butter and my cup of coffee before setting off for what will be about 90 mins on the bike.

 

Thanks to all who volunteered advice. I will use all alternatives given and try them over the next few weeks and see how it all turns out.

[flyguysa]

I find it difficult to eat at 04:00, so I skip the coffee and have a cup of Milo to get the energy levels up. If I feel hungry I'll eat a banana before the ride.

[T-girl]

I never eat before a morning week-day ride. Sometimes feel hungry before I get out the door but 20 mins or so later and the hunger is gone!

Would rather have the extra zzzz than the chow!

Plus I figure if I train on empty then in theory I should be that much stronger when I ride on fuel...???

Am I way off the mark on this?

[Kranswurm]

Bonk Train

 

Cup of coffee and off you go

['Dale]

Even if your appetite is low or none, have something to eat.

Remember food is fuel.

 

Fuel is necessary to train.

 

Low GI sandwich with Nutella and a banana or apple is cool.

Or a lil oats.

 

It also keeps you from raiding the kitchen later in the day!

Edited August 31, 2011 by AirBender

[banna]

Cup of coffee and some all bran flakes. And then a banana just before you start the ride. Works for me. The banana gives you an immediate energy source and the all bran flakes will take about an hour or so to start giving you a boost. So a steady flow of energy.

[Rydogg]

I agree with eating before all rides!

 

I have tried not eating before my rides in the morning, but found that I was way stronger (and happier) when I ate something.

 

Even though in theory you can train your body to run on empty, training with energy is still better training in the long run.

 

If you insist on not eating before, keep your ride to low intensities and under 60 minutes.