Early morning training

[Rain]

I eat before all rides, even if it's just some toast and a banana. You're obviously better at riding on empty than me, because I can't even convince myself to ride out of the gate, let alone go on a long training ride, without eating. I've heard a lot of theories about promoting fat loss, but to be honest I don't really believe much of it.

 

Maybe try eating and see if it makes a difference?

[Guest Frail4Life]

Riding ROAD or MTB?

 

I am a Roadie.

I get up at different times through the week/ schedule.

 

I eat throughout the DAY /NIGHT. NOT just at your regular meals.

 

I have one fruit on leaving on my ride, one water bottle on the bike, 45km.

 

Coming Season and I will see if its helped.

[Jaco-fiets]

a Fasted state ride of max 1.5hrs is a good thing in my opinion. Except for the fat burning benefits your body becomes better adapted to energy consumption. The important thing is to keep the haertrate below your aerobic zone. In other words stick to your mid to high end fat burning zone. Your post ride nutrtion is critical here. Make sure to eat a good combination of simple and complex carbs with some protein

[Enticement]

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 ?

 

Eddy the purpose of eating before you ride in the morning is to switch certain metabolic processes on after they have been switched off as a result of your fasting during the night. Very little of what you consume will be processed and taken up in your body in time for the ride as they have to pass through your stomach first and then your liver, which takes some time. If you are not lactose intolerant try something like yogi sip as it contains the whole matrix of everything you need. Coffee and rusks also works but bear in mind that, according to research, guys eating a little before a training session in the morning can maintain their endurance efforts for longer than those that don't, and its not about what they eat ...

[Enticement]

Eddy the purpose of eating before you ride in the morning is to switch certain metabolic processes on after they have been switched off as a result of your fasting during the night. Very little of what you consume will be processed and taken up in your body in time for the ride as they have to pass through your stomach first and then your liver, which takes some time. If you are not lactose intolerant try something like yogi sip as it contains the whole matrix of everything you need. Coffee and rusks also works but bear in mind that, according to research, guys eating a little before a training session in the morning can maintain their endurance efforts for longer than those that don't, and its not about what they eat ...

 

Forgot to mention that one can train harder later in the day than in the mornings. I suggest you still use afternoon training for hard training sessions but that you use morning sessions as active rest - one actually recovers better when you have your blood "flushing" through your body without working hard. Do that until you are use to the morning rides and then you can carefully start to add some intensity. Watch out for over training ...

[Lou Zealand]

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?

I'm the same.

No rationale for future benefits just rate sleep higher than chow...

Anyway, eating's cheating!

[P.A.K.]

I just sip half a glass of low-fat milk before training in the mornings. I just feel like training on an empty stomache isn't a good idea. I'll have some yogurt and muesli afterwards

 

However, I do have some excess fat that should be shed. Will your body actually break down fat more efficiently if you train on a completely empty stomach in the mornings?

 

Also, I'm scared that I'm too tired the rest of the morning at work if I train on an empty stomache

[eddy]

It is 7 months since I posted this question and I have now done exactly 100 early morning rides of differing durations and intensities.

 

I tracked what I ate and also how I responded during the ride and day.

 

Once a week I ride with the old-toppies, at 04:45 for 75 mins on average. Slow and steady, I easily manage on a single cup of black coffee before and water in my bottle. Adding 30 mins to the ride and whilst I am ok on the bike, I am sore all day thereafter.

 

Twice a week, I ride harder for about 75 mins and 90 mins on respective days. Ave HR is about 15 BPM faster than the slow ride and I need a slice (sometimes a slice and a half) of wholemeal toast with peanut butter with my coffee to have a good ride. Again I manage with only water in my bottle.

 

All rides finish with a blend of low fat yogurt, some fresh berries, a scoop of whey and one of Recoverite. My hunger stays away all day, i eat normally therafter.

 

On my longer weekend rides, two slices of toast with PB, some Perpetuam in the bottle and maybe a Gu gel if I feel I need it on the ride.

 

Two observations:

 

1) I can go much further on less during my long rides. Not sure if it is because my body is conditioned to be more efficient or because of

2) I have dropped 7 kg over the period and that would make everything seem better.

 

Comments ?

Edited April 7, 2012 by eddy

[andydude]

"For energy purposes, you may need to wait one to two hours after eating a small meal to exercise. This is especially true with morning workouts. According to the Mayo Clinic, your blood sugar is relatively low in the morning. Not giving your body enough time to digest breakfast can keep you from getting the most out of your exercise routine."

 

Personally, if I go for a 2 hour ride or less I don't normally eat before the ride, but would have a banana at the hour mark. Also, only water in my bottle. I think we might be conditioned by marketing to think we need more than we actually do, especially regarding energy drinks.

 

The other question is how long the food actually takes to be converted to energy. Something more wholesome might take a few hours, which means that eating before a ride won't help in the ride at all. You body should have enough energy stored in the body to last you a few hours (even after the fasting while sleeping), and as I understand it, starting without eating conditions your body to rather use stored energy than waiting on new energy. Eating after training in more important to me since there is where you replenish your energy and glycogen stores.

 

But on longer rides, you'll have to eat before and during. As my personal, general rule, I think that eating now will benefit you in 2 hours time (sugary energy drinks obviously convert more quickly, but might also cause a spike). Therefore, in a race like the Double Century, I know breakfast will help me with the first 2 - 3 hours, but I already have to start eating at between 1 - 2 hours into the race to help with the rest of the time.

[andydude]

Interesting article explaining "How Long Does It Take to Digest Food?"

 

http://www.wereyouwondering.com/how-long-does-it-take-to-digest-food/