Keeping Energy

[Sven137]

Hi

 

I'm a budget rider.

 

When mtbing and around the 20 km area I start to lose power and start to slow down..

 

How can I keep the power up?

 

What should I be drinking and what are good snacks..

 

Thanks

[King_Crispy]

After 20kms? Water.

Htfu.

Get your body used to the exertion.

You shouldn't need food or snacks unless you're a diabetic.

[Snails]

Ignore the above advice.

 

From Cutting-Edge Cycling:

 

Current Consensus:

 

Carbohydrate delivery of about 60 grams per hour promotes carbohydrate availability and spares glycogen stores, enhancing submaximal exercise. Carbohydrate may have nonmetabolic benefits for high-intensity exercise shorter than one hour.

 

Developing an individual hydration strategy:

 

Carbohydrate fluids of 6 to 8 percent concentration should be consumed for prolonged exercise of longer than one hour and possibly for high-intensity exercise of less than one hour.

 

In other words, consume Energade rather than water, or consume the equivalent amount of carbohydrates through energy gels, sweets or fruit. This is not about "hardening the **** up" or training your body to deal with situations it is not made to and does not have to. It's about replacing the carbohydrate stores your body is burning and requires in order to sustain the levels of exertion you're placing upon it.

[Wayne Potgieter]

Sven...how long have you been riding and what are your estimated levels of fitness?

[Wayne Potgieter]

Are you having a laugh? Energade? We know nothing about this chap apart from the fact that he gets tired after 20kms. And you are telling him to drink energade? If you were my coach I would demand my rondelas back. You are very funny though.

but he used italics. So it must be true.

[popcorn_skollie]

Making sure you eat decent foods and stay hydrated should go without saying for rider.

But there are no shortcuts to improving endurance.

You wanna go faster for longer?

Ride, ride, then ride some more.

[King_Crispy]

Are you having a laugh? Energade? We know nothing about this chap apaurt from the fact that he gets tired after 20kms. And you are telling him to drink energade? If you were my coach I would demand my rondelas back. You are very funny though.

+1

What a dooos.

He'll be the only cyclist getting fat from cycling.

Putting in more kj's than being used

[Orbit]

Eat a good meal beforehand and maybe snack on a bar after a couple of hours. Otherwise water in the bottles and time in the saddle is probably all you need.

[JXV]

Sven...no alternatives that work work better than putting more miles on the bike.

 

I ride casually and finish mid pack when I enter the odd mtb race. I can easily go 40 km of singletrack with no snacks but then I feel it shortly after.

To enjoy your rides more make sure to drink a bit more than you think you need and eat something at least every hour or 20km. I prefer water to energy drinks but then I use energy bars, fruit and gels to go with it.

We don't know your age, fitness level, how many km a week you are riding or if you have any health issues so cannot give very specific advice unless you share a bit more.

It will also help to find some riding buddies so look to join a club or ask at your local bike shop about group rides that would suit your level of fitness.

 

Good luck

[MarkT2014]

 I'm a novice rider and I found this useful:

 

[TrackGuy]

You get tired after 20kms because you aren't fit enough to do 30kms, just keep on training.

Easy as that.

[Vetseun]

After 20kms? Water.

Htfu.

Get your body used to the exertion.

You shouldn't need food or snacks unless you're a diabetic.

Gotta Agree

['Dale]

What's a budget rider, Sven'

 

Also, what are your goals in MTBing?

That'll determine your training strategies.

[Snails]

but he used italics. So it must be true.

 

It is in italics as it is a quote from a book stating the current consensus in the field of exercise physiology based on thousands of hours of scientific research. I thought that would be obvious

 

 

Are you having a laugh? Energade? We know nothing about this chap apart from the fact that he gets tired after 20kms. And you are telling him to drink energade? If you were my coach I would demand my rondelas back. You are very funny though.

 

Firstly, I'm not a coach. This is a forum asking for suggestions, and I provided the poster with a suggestion based on the facts, rather than a piece of incorrect, useless advice like "harden the **** up".

 

Secondly, the poster enquired about increasing his performance while cycling. I posted that the current general consensus is that in order to maintain performance during submaximal exercise, approximately 60 grams of carbohydrates should be consumed per hour. If the poster is already consuming carbohydrates while exercising or is following a strict LCHF diet, he can and obviously will disregard my advice, but if not, it is a starting point and something he should certainly look into. Energade contains approximately 8% carbohydrates, and it therefore, again based on the current general consensus, contains an optimal fluid to carbohydrate balance, hence why it suggested it as a possible solution.

 

 

+1

What a dooos.

He'll be the only cyclist getting fat from cycling.

Putting in more kj's than being used

 

Yes, because professional athletes, amongst some of the highest daily consumers of carbohydrates on the planet, are all fat.

 

One hour of cycling will on average burn anything from 300 to 1200 calories in the average human being, depending on intensity. Therefore, consuming 60g, or 240 calories, of carbohydrates an hour will result in a negative energy balance even at very low intensities. Carbohydrate consumption also allows one to exercise harder and longer and recover more quickly, therefore increasing the potential benefits that can be gained from exercise.

['Dale]

Uhm mm.. It's been rather quiet around here lately.

This could become Fri Fight Club material.

[King_Crispy]

It is in italics as it is a quote from a book stating the current consensus in the field of exercise physiology based on thousands of hours of scientific research. I thought that would be obvious

 

 

 

Firstly, I'm not a coach. This is a forum asking for suggestions, and I provided the poster with a suggestion based on the facts, rather than a piece of incorrect, useless advice like "harden the **** up".

 

Secondly, the poster enquired about increasing his performance while cycling. I posted that the current general consensus is that in order to maintain performance during submaximal exercise, approximately 60 grams of carbohydrates should be consumed per hour. If the poster is already consuming carbohydrates while exercising or is following a strict LCHF diet, he can and obviously will disregard my advice, but if not, it is a starting point and something he should certainly look into. Energade contains approximately 8% carbohydrates, and it therefore, again based on the current general consensus, contains an optimal fluid to carbohydrate balance, hence why it suggested it as a possible solution.

 

 

 

Yes, because professional athletes, amongst some of the highest daily consumers of carbohydrates on the planet, are all fat.

 

One hour of cycling will on average burn anything from 300 to 1200 calories in the average human being, depending on intensity. Therefore, consuming 60g, or 240 calories, of carbohydrates an hour will result in a negative energy balance even at very low intensities. Carbohydrate consumption also allows one to exercise harder and longer and recover more quickly, therefore increasing the potential benefits that can be gained from exercise.

Or his recovery drink can be a Heineken.

After he has drunk his bottle of water for the ride.

Kinda like a reward for the effort.