For those doing long distance competitive rides - Endurance or CTR - what are your favorite foods/drinks for between loops or after the ride? Not so much the celebratory adult beverage but to re-energize yourself (preferably in a healthy way)? Thanks!
I think it’s such a personal preference, and I’ve had to try a few things before settling on my current favorites (I took this on a 23 miles training ride this weekend):
dried apricots
peanut butter and jelly sandwich (share with horse, who eats half of it!)
salted almonds
candy orange slices (not healthy, but a nice dose of sugar)
I’ve also liked turkey jerky, any other dried fruit, oranges. I like granola bars but find them too dry.
After a ride I like cold carrots or fruit (melon is great), applesauce, cheese. I don’t like gatorade-type beverages, but there is a light lemondade-type drink that I do like. I try to eat and drink enough the day before too, kind-of like the horse!
Things not to take:
crackers (pulverized)
banana (seriously, what was I thinking?)
anything that tastes gross warm or squished.
Many of my 50 mile friends swear by chocolate milk. Not as a bring-along, of course.
If I ride soon after work, I try to eat protein, as it “sticks” longer, and keeps me from getting hungry for a while. Of course, I’m just postponing dinner, and riding around our property. No “endurance” rides or anything.
http://www.cheribundi.com/wheycherry.html
the first time i tried this after a long sweaty ride i was amazed at how good it made me feel.
i find the extra protein made a real difference, though the taste is fabulous no matter what type.
plus the horses love it, it it weren’t so pricey i’d give her the pure cherry stuff.
Not an endurance rider but as a person who spent more than 12-14 hours a day every day in the saddle. Before ride 2 eggs, bacon and toast washed down with OJ(fresh squeezed). During the ride I always packed apples, lots of lemonade, PBJ & jerky. After the ride I always ate 2 bananas, another PBJ sandwich and if I was really lucky fish of some sort with a salad. I found if I skipped the banana I paid for ir with muscle cramps. Fish kept me from falling asleep during the celebration/sorrow drowning.
I really dislike the taste of Gatorade and most of their products, but I do feel like they help on rides.
I drink one of the Gatorade “Prime” pouches with breakfast before a ride. I think they are gross, but it actually seems to help a lot. Breakfast is usually some kind of protein bar down during the getting ready process. I am not typically hungry for breakfast until I’ve been up for a few hours so I don’t generally feel hungry until things have settled down and I’m a couple miles down the trail. Usually I will eat a second protein bar (I like Luna bars and a couple others, pick your poison here) at some point on the first loop.
I take a small baggie of trail mix comprised of nuts, dried fruit and dark chocolate chips that I assembled or a granola bar on all loops. I’m going for something that’s easy to pack that will get me through to the next hold. I try not to add too much extra stuff to what I take on the trail. I have a tiny little Arab and while he CAN carry a pretty significant amount of weight, he’s only got so many miles in him, I’d rather not shorten that any by asking him to carry extra weight whenever I can avoid it.
On holds we usually eat sandwiches of cold cuts and cheese. I’ve never had a problem keeping any of that stuff cold in just a big cooler for the weekend. We also usually have chips, cookies and some kind of fruit. We don’t generally go for performance/scientific here. Just whatever we can eat quickly that involves protein.
To drink I always bring SmartWater (has electrolytes in it) on one side of my saddle bag and some flavor of Propel on the other. I have found that I am more apt to drink enough in general if I have the flavored option. The sports drink option also tends to help with hunger since its something with calories. I try to drink at least one full bottle of something on each loop and one on every hold. Staying hydrated for me is absolutely the key. I also try to drink a lot the day before a ride.
At the end of the ride, I try to drink as much of one of the Gatorade Recover drinks as possible. I usually get about half of one down. I don’t really like them, but again, they do really help.
Breakfast is almost always a cup of raspberry greek yogurt and a fiber bar- filling but not lead on your stomach and plenty of protein.
Lunch is something salty like goldfish crackers and some fruit- maybe a piece of cheese if it’s not too hot out or a 1/2 PB on multigrain sandwich. I don’t do well eating in the heat- it just makes me feel sick.
I alternate between gatorade and water- I am the odd one out as I actually love the taste of gatorade.
probably best to skip the gatorade and fruits- full of sugars. Studies on endurance athletes (bikers and runners) find they perform best if their bodies are running off of fat oxidation instead of burning sugars/glycogen.
So “they” suggest avoiding eating high-glycemic index foods (sugars, carbs) before and during the competition (and also training sessions); there is some evidence to suggest that if you eat a high-fat low-carb diet for at least two weeks prior to the event you will have greatly improved endurance, and you should definitely avoid eating carbs, sugars during the actual endurance event.
[QUOTE=wendy;6358972]
there is some evidence to suggest that if you eat a high-fat low-carb diet for at least two weeks prior to the event you will have greatly improved endurance, and you should definitely avoid eating carbs, sugars during the actual endurance event.[/QUOTE]
This. You’ll use your fat stores more efficiently – fat is actually the body’s preferred fuel source. Plus eating high-fat/high-protein instead of the carbs (providing that you’ve gotten your body used to working that way) will keep you sated and sustained for longer on lot less.
Thanks for responding everybody - a lot of good details and some new products named that I haven’t tried… appreciate your help. My go-to is peanut butter and banana sandwich on high-fiber bread for breakfast or during breaks - really sticks to the ribs - but since I’m looking for some variety it’s nice to see what works for others.
I love Smart Water! It has electrolytes in it and doesn’t taste weird. Propel is pretty good, too. I gotta have protein, hard boiled eggs, oatmeal, or an egg sandwich with some turkey lunchmeat for breakfast. I do like granola bars, some protein bars are ok. The Goldfish crackers are good too since they have a little salt and make you want to drink.
In the morning, Star bucks in the glass bottles, about 3 or so of those. Yogurt, maybe a handful (or two) of chopped bacon from the big bag I get from costco. Milk. Water.
Peanut butter and jelly on wheat, apples, carrots, granola bars, all which my horse will eat if squished or I will not eat for lunch. Also if I lunch at the trailer, pickles are a good thing, and some water.
End of ride: Hamburger vegetable soup I made from home and brought with me to eat. Red wine or beer, french bread or something like that, peaches, or a fruit of some sort. Salad, prepackaged. Candy bar or 3 or something sinful and sweet. Love milky way’s. Cold is really good.
Or spaghetti which also I would have made at home and cooked noodles from home, bread/butter/garlic etc, etc red wine or beer afterwards. And the rest above. Both the aboves can have parm cheese too.
IBP.
And beer or wine afterwards. Oh I mentioned that already, never hurts to mention again. Boxed wine would be nice you could take to your friends and offer it up! Also you could premix up drinks before you go. Like margaritas, or cosmos.
Sometimes I would pack a watermelon or cantaloupe and share with my horse. Yeah, really.
If I had help, I would take the whole propane BBQ and do some grilling. And the sky is the limit on that. Shrimp, corn on the cob, bread, pizza (yes fresh, and dough can rise during the day while I ride), depends on your cooling capabilities, and mine has ALWAYS been a big blue cooler, and no electricity. So there ya go.
I try to keep the acidity down, do not want more acid in my tummy. So no fruit juice.
