60 Minute Ride BEFORE Brekkies...

['Dale]

Hmmm... variety of views and preferences.

 

I'll go with the low intensity 60 minute leg loosener approach.

And let those love handles downsize a bit.

[jmaccelari]

I do all my morning rides before breakfast - typically two hours and 50-60kms.

 

You get used to it fast.

[SwissVan]

There have been various studies wrt to training on empty VS training fed. Initial results indicated that athletes got more benefit training on empty and only feeding post exercise, but the exact mechanics of why are still unclear.

 

http://www.ergo-log.com/emptystomach.html

 

I like to do both, train on an empty stomach (just drinking water) as well as training soon after eating.

Started doing this years ago out of necessity (not enough time to work, train, sleep and eat) and nowadays I can pretty much eat and train straight away quite comfortably.

IMO doing both routines helps you to get accustomed to situations where you might be riding on an empty stomach as well as riding and eating at the same time.

[EigerSA]

I live by this chap's advice here... Cycling Performance Tips

 

His advice is that for rides of medium intensity up to about 2 hours you don't need to eat simply because you easily have enough energy to cope. As for weight loss, endurance riders should aim for long hours on the bike at 50%vo2 max, this causes your body to turn to fat cells for energy as they are very slow burning. It's a long read but really worth while.

['Dale]

Meaning if you do it two days in a row with high intensity with a total ride time of five or six hours as mentioned in the article I linked to.. but I don't think this is what you had planned?

 

Burning a lot of fat at high intensity floods your body with ketonic acid. Eat like a horse to get rid of it.

Thanx for this interesting point, Luke.

Nevva heard of ketonic acid before...

[Lucky Luke.]

Thanx for this interesting point, Luke.

Nevva heard of ketonic acid before...

 

It's a byproduct created when your body burns protein / muscle for energy. One of the reasons Atkins and high protein diets are bad for you.

['Dale]

It's a byproduct created when your body burns protein / muscle for energy. One of the reasons Atkins and high protein diets are bad for you.

Okay, that confirms it, no high intensity on an empty stomach.

This ketonic acid bizness sounds too bad for da system.

 

Thanx again, Luke.

[Pegasus]

Bradley Wiggins got down to 4% body fat by doing 5 hour rides only on a cup of coffee and a seed bar. Two days on, three days off. I've probably got the detail wrong, you can look it up if you want to lose 7kgs. I think that a lot of recreational riders take on way too many calories. When I see slow riders with two bottles filled with some brightly colored liquid I can't believe they will expend all that energy during their ride.

 

Two hours without breakfast and with only water is fine. You'll suffer near the end if it was a hard ride but that's ok.

 

Now riding without coffee, that would be another thing altogether!

[cosborne]

I've also read that eating before a ride sends the bloodflow to your stomach to digest the food, instead of to your legs where you need it most. Don't know how true this is but it seems to make sense.

['Dale]

Bradley Wiggins got down to 4% body fat by doing 5 hour rides only on a cup of coffee and a seed bar. Two days on, three days off. I've probably got the detail wrong, you can look it up if you want to lose 7kgs. I think that a lot of recreational riders take on way too many calories. When I see slow riders with two bottles filled with some brightly colored liquid I can't believe they will expend all that energy during their ride.

 

Now riding without coffee, that would be another thing altogether!

I agree, Pegasus.

Starting to come home with one almost-fill bottle on my 3 hr rides. Even on warm days.