{"id":147789,"date":"2017-04-27T11:38:19","date_gmt":"2017-04-27T11:38:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=147789"},"modified":"2017-04-27T11:43:20","modified_gmt":"2017-04-27T11:43:20","slug":"cyclists-fuel-candy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2017\/04\/27\/cyclists-fuel-candy\/","title":{"rendered":"Should Cyclists Fuel With Candy?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Be honest, how often do you ride your bike just to feel less guilty about indulging in your favourite junk food? Good news, there might be a way to make candy a part of your nutrition plan! Remember when Peter Sagan opted for handfuls of Haribo gummy bears after his win at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne? Most of us probably don\u2019t have much in common with the Road World Champion, but it\u2019s worth investigating whether candy is a good option for the average cycling enthusiast too.<\/strong><\/p>\n

What if you\u2019re not Peter Sagan?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Most people consider protein the main recovery nutrient. But for seasoned and well-conditioned endurance athletes like Sagan, it\u2019s actually calories that are much more important, regardless of their source. In cycling, you\u2019re not breaking down muscle – you\u2019re mainly depleting fuel sources. So if you\u2019re riding regularly, chances are you could also benefit from quick calories after a long ride.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=e6dAx7m-55Y<\/p>\n

Are gummy bears that different from energy gels?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Energy gels, bars, and drinks are the most popular ways to ingest calories quickly when riding a bike. Their main purpose is to rapidly bring up blood sugar without causing stomach or intestinal issues. The high glycaemic index is actually helpful in this case. A serving of gummy bears has almost the same number of calories, the same carbohydrate mix, and glycaemic index as common energy drinks. So, in Sagan’s case, they were a great way to immediately replenish depleted glycogen stores after the massive effort he put out that day.<\/p>\n

\n
\"nutrients-are-everything\"\/<\/a><\/div>
\n Health & Training<\/a>\n <\/div>\n
\n \n

Nutrients are everything<\/span><\/h3>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/article>\n<\/div>\n

When is a good time to fuel with candy?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Firstly, you should be well-adapted to cycling. If you\u2019re someone who goes for a light hour-long ride around the neighbourhood from time to time, then don\u2019t even think about candy. But if you\u2019re a passionate amateur cyclist or an aspiring pro, you might find a good use for it.<\/p>\n

You can use candy after finishing a stage of a multi-day race or, for us amateurs, on a cycling vacation, where you want to take long rides for several days in a row. Alternatively, you can use them to give yourself a boost during a long three-plus-hour races. Finally, in six-plus-hour long endurance building training sessions, there\u2019s virtually no downside to candy, it can literally save the day.<\/p>\n

\n
\"its-what-you-dont-eat-that-matters\"\/<\/a><\/div>
\n Health & Training<\/a>\n <\/div>\n
\n \n

It\u2019s What You Don\u2019t Eat That Matters<\/span><\/h3>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/article>\n<\/div>\n

Be smart about it<\/strong><\/h2>\n

If you decide to experiment with candy as a fuelling option, make sure you keep plain water or a light electrolyte mix in your bottle only. That way you don\u2019t end up overloading yourself with carbs and upsetting your digestion. And especially during long rides, it\u2019s not a good idea to rely solely on candy as a fuel, take some rice-cakes, sandwiches, or high-quality bars to get other nutrients into your system along with sugar.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Be honest, how often do you ride your bike just to feel less guilty about indulging in your favourite junk […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":147794,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[332],"tags":[1030,369,381],"global-categories":[],"class_list":["post-147789","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-and-training","tag-candy","tag-cycling-food","tag-peter-sagan"],"yoast_head":"\nShould Cyclists Fuel With Candy? - \u0160koda We Love Cycling<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Be honest, how often do you ride your bike just to feel less guilty about indulging in your favourite junk food? 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