{"id":191287,"date":"2022-12-13T12:25:15","date_gmt":"2022-12-13T12:25:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=191287"},"modified":"2022-12-13T12:25:15","modified_gmt":"2022-12-13T12:25:15","slug":"juliet-elliott-on-foods-that-will-fuel-you-on-the-bike","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2022\/12\/13\/juliet-elliott-on-foods-that-will-fuel-you-on-the-bike\/","title":{"rendered":"Juliet Elliott on Foods That Will Fuel You on the Bike"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cycling nutrition is a big deal. Most keen cyclists realise that to perform at their best and avoid the dreaded \u2018bonk,\u2019 fuelling regularly whilst riding is a necessity rather than a luxury. And like anything in life, brands have seized upon the opportunity to drive up demand for cycling-specific energy products such as handy pre-packed gel packets.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Arguably, there is nothing wrong per-se with the majority of these offerings as these can be efficient, space-saving and with nutritional values clearly stated on the packaging. But what if you can\u2019t get your hands on such things, don\u2019t want to pay the inflated prices or prefer to keep things as natural as possible?<\/p>\n

Whilst riding in Morocco, we had the opportunity to take energy bars and drinks on our rides if we chose to. But with a fantastic array of local products available alongside those, I opted to fuel our six-day ride with natural, readily available foods. And maybe it\u2019s physiological but I felt better for it.<\/p>\n

As a rule of thumb, around 60 g of carbs per hour is considered about right, though it depends on your size and the intensity at which you\u2019re riding so make sure you delve deeper into the specific needs your body and riding routine need. Here are my go-to staples and the approximate number of carbs they pack. And, of course, alongside the carbs (and fat, in the case of the almonds) you\u2019re also taking in vitamins, antioxidants and electrolytes<\/a> from these foods. It also goes without saying that sufficient hydration should be the base of your fuelling strategy.<\/p>\n

Here is an approximate \u201cconversion table\u201d to which I tend to stick when fuelling with whole foods:<\/p>\n