Nutrition

What to Eat While Cycling

September 1, 2015 by Adam Farabaugh

Eating the right things to help your body can be a challenge, but with the proper know how, prep and ingredients, you can have a great wholesome meal. But how do you continue that great eating on the bike? You have to carry everything, eat it while you ride, and then the same foods you may eat at other times in the day don’t sit well. The same preparation, know how, and ingredients can make the food you eat during your ride not only taste good but can fuel your long hard rides and keep you feeling great throughout.

Nutrients

Eating great on the bike starts with what you eat. You are not only eating to satisfy your hunger but to continually fuel your body and keep it near its maximum. If you just eat whatever, it can leave you feeling empty as well as with an upset stomach. The three main components of nutrition: carbohydrates, protein and fat all contribute to your energy output. Your body burns carbohydrates for energy but can also get them through converting fat to carbs and can burn protein for energy if your carbohydrate and fat stores run out.

In general, you want all three in anything that you eat on the bike. The ratio is what changes when you ride longer and easier to harder and shorter. Longer endurance rides should be fueled with a higher ratio of protein and fat as your body isn’t going hard enough to require the use of as many carbohydrates. As you ride harder, when your legs start to burn going over a climb, that’s when your body is burning straight carbohydrates. If you do this repeatedly, that is when you need to up your carbohydrates and lower the protein and fat. Think protein and fat equals slow burning. Carbohydrates equal fast burning.

What to Eat While Cycling

Many bars and other ride specific foods will say what their intended purpose is as well as show how many carbs, proteins, and fats, are in them. These are easier. Just read and you’re set. Bars and other processed foods however aren’t always the best option when riding. They are easy and convenient but when you can, real food should be sought out. This includes things like homemade bars and cookies as well as things like bananas and dates. These can be easier on your stomach to digest, cheaper and overall, better for your body.

Other good foods to be made are sandwiches, pancakes, and waffles. Sandwiches can be eaten at stops provided you aren’t riding too hard. Just don’t eat too much at once. Pancakes and waffles, provided that they are made with more than just white flour, but rather with whole grain flours, nuts, seeds, and berries, can be a great option for a pre-ride breakfast and then the leftovers topped with jam or peanut butter to take on the ride. Other foods such as homemade rice cakes with scrambled egg, bacon, and blueberries can be a delicious treat as well as a great fuel.

Ease of Eating While Cycling

Anything that you eat on the bike needs to be able to be eaten quickly and easily. This means that it is packaged in a way that is easy to open and then doesn’t fall apart before you can eat it. Bars, gels, and other ride ready foods are great for this, especially when riding in a group or a race. If you make your own food however you need to make sure that it is packaged in a way that it can fit in your jersey pocket as well as can be easily opened and eaten.

Probably the easiest and most versatile way of doing this is using aluminum foil. Cut the foil so it’s a large enough square and wrap the contents almost like a present but leaving one side or end with an easy open flap to quickly access what’s inside. Any food you make or bring also should be relatively easy to chew and swallow while riding. Some ride bars, specifically protein bars, can be hard to chew along with other foods being a bit too messy such as chocolate.

Ride food can be tricky but planning ahead and knowing what to eat and when will help you to stay strong throughout your ride. As with any food, trial and error will show you what works best as everything doesn’t work for everyone. Some foods may make your stomach upset, other foods you find just don’t quite give you as much energy.

On your shorter training rides test different foods that way if something doesn’t work out you are not far from home and can complete the ride. Trying something new on a longer ride, or worse in an event, can be the recipe for a bad stomach, low energy, and not the greatest time. Fuel properly and your rides will not only be faster and easier but also tastier.

Food Ideas

-Homemade Rice Cakes (these can be made in any number of ways with eggs, dates, bananas, bacon, blueberries, the list is endless.)

-Salt potatoes with olive oil and parmesan.

-Hearty pancakes with peanut butter and jam folded in the middle.

-Hearty waffles with peanut butter and jam folded in the middle.

-Peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

-Turkey/ham sandwich or wrap.

-Nut bars made from an assortment of nuts and honey.

-Date bars.

-Dates.

-Bananas.

-Hearty sweet breads such as banana, zucchini, carrot, etc.

-Healthy cookies with less sugar and butter. Add whole grain flours, oats, nuts, and raisins.

Need to know how to make some of these recipes? The Feed Zone Portables Cookbook gives great recipes for your ride!

Hydration Don’ts: What To Avoid

August 27, 2015 by Guest Post

If you are a serious cyclist and are going out for bike rides that last over 30 minutes long – or are cycling in a very warm and dry climate, one thing that you will need to be paying close attention to is hydration.

Even if you are just a recreational cyclist, making sure that your hydration stacks up will still help to ensure that you are performing optimally and feeling your best while you are out there on your ride.

So what is there to know? The following list of don’ts when it comes to hydration will help you set the record straight for what you should and should not be doing with your hydrating strategies.

Don’t Consume Fruit Juice

First, you will want to stay away from fruit juice right before a ride. Some cyclists think this is a great way to get their carbohydrate intake up, but for many people, a cup or two of fruit juice can give any cyclist, well, the runs. If you want to keep your gastrointestinal system happy and avoid an unnecessary and unwanted pit-stop along the way, keep fruit juice out of the picture.

Don’t Wait Until 30 Minute Prior To Hydrate

Be sure that you don’t wait until 30 minutes prior to the ride to hydrate yourself. This is a big mistake that some cyclists make because they simply aren’t prepared.

They’ve been hardly drinking all day and then realize they are seriously dehydrated. In a quest to combat this, they down 2 litres of water.

Not only will this not help you achieve proper hydration but by the time you are doing that ride, you will most certainly be setting yourself up for cramps if you go this route.

Instead, keep a water bottle with you all day and sip on it throughout the day in the hours leading up to that ride.

Hydration needs to be a 24 hour event, not a 30 minute water guzzle.

Don’t Over-Hydrate

Likewise, you also want to be sure that you aren’t over-hydrating either. You can definitely get too much of a good thing and when it comes to plain water, if you take in too much, you will dilute the natural electrolyte concentration in your blood and this can cause serious problems – not just in terms of impairing performance.

So keep hydrated, but don’t overdo it. If your urine is clear, you know you are well hydrated.

Don’t Load Up On Calorie Dense Beverages

Finally, make sure that you are being mindful of calories. Not all beverages are created the same and if you are constantly hydrating with calorie containing beverages, this is going to lead to weight gain over time.

Instead, keep those calorie containing beverages out of the picture unless you are doing a long ride and need some during-ride fuel.

So there you have some key cycling and hydration strategies to remember. How is your hydration stacking up?

Best Cycling Supplements

August 7, 2015 by U.M.

While your training will achieve plenty of great results, especially if you’re going at a high intensity, getting the right mix of cycling supplements will ensure that you get the most out of each workout, allowing you to achieve the results you want much more quickly.

There are tons of different supplements on the market, all of which target different aspects of your workout and body, so it is a good idea to know what each one does and how you can use it to help you along the way to becoming a better cyclist.

Whey Protein

A favorite of practically every athlete and gym rat, whey protein aids in the building and recovery of muscles. It should be consumed during the exercise sessions, when it will be quickly absorbed and put to use by your body.

Alternatively, if you take some whey protein after a hard cycling training session, you will find your muscles recover quickly enough for you to go on another ride. Couple that with the fairly low price, the ease of making and consumption and it’s no wonder why this is one of the most popular supplements on the market.

Electrolytes

You will probably find that an awful lot of sports drinks make a big deal about how they include electrolytes, so you are probably consuming this supplement whenever you bring one along with you. That is generally a very good thing, as electrolytes aid in the process of rehydration, helping you to maximize fluid recovery.

The electrolytes mix into the fluid that contains them to help your body retain them, rather than expelling them through sweat. This keeps you feeling hydrated, particularly in hot weather after a tough training session, when you are gasping for a drink.

Multivitamins

Taking the recommended amount of vitamins that your body needs on a daily basis can be tough, especially if you are using them up with high intensity training sessions. This is where multivitamins come in, as they can be used to replace anything that you lose during the session in addition to helping you to stay healthy.

They also act as a recovery aid, though their effects are much slower than most other supplements on this list. Try taking one pill a day and you will gradually notice a difference in how you recover post-workout.

Fish Oils

Is there anything worse for a cyclist than getting yourself all hyped up for a training session, only to fall ill a couple of hours before? Fish oils aim to help in that respect, as they take care of your immune system and keep it performing no matter how hard you are training.

Ideally you want to find a fish oil that contains omega-3 fatty acids, consuming somewhere in the region of 500-1000mg every day. While they don’t aid in muscle building, meaning the effects aren’t immediately apparent, your immune system will be bolstered and you will get ill less often as a result.

Caffeine

We all know about caffeine and its ability to make us feel energized, and we would be willing to bet that there are more than a few people reading this article who barely even feel human in the mornings until they have had a cup of coffee.

However, caffeine can also be used as a handy cycling supplement that is vital for many riders who take part in endurance races. A caffeine-based drink or supplement boosts energy and increases the metabolic rate, allowing riders to keep going at a faster pace for longer, allowing them to stave off the effect of exhaustion so that they can keep pushing through.

Do you use cycling supplements? Which cyclist supplements are best for you?

Can Too Much Protein Cause More Harm Than Good?

July 28, 2015 by U.M.

Protein is a popular dietary component in the modern era of fitness. Walk into any shop dedicated to the subject and you will likely see rows of protein powders that are all intended to make your exercise both easier and more productive.

However, like in so many other cases, too much of a good thing can actually be bad for you. In fact, there has been some debate in recent years about the potentially detrimental effects of a high protein diet in the human body.

If you are considering starting such a diet, or you already consume a lot of protein, it may be worth taking a little time to contemplate some of the risks that have been associated with it.

Increased Bodyweight

There is a reason why bodybuilders eat a high protein diet, as it allows them to make quicker weight gains that they can then turn into muscle.

That may be fine for a body builder, but a cyclist should be much more interested in a leaner body shape. Eating more protein than you need simply leads to that protein being turned into calories and sugar. Add that to your regular diet and you have a recipe for unwanted weight gain.

Liver Damage

When you eat any protein, your body will produce ammonia as a waste product. This will be processed by your liver and exits your body in the usual ways.

However, eating too much protein creates more ammonia than your liver can comfortably deal with. Do it over a large period of time and your liver will become overtaxed, which will result in the ammonia entering your bloodstream.

Not only does this lead to liver damage, but it can also cause a decline in brain function and have a terrible effect on your nervous system.

Dehydration

When your kidneys process protein, one of the main waste products that is produced is blood urea nitrogen. This is then ejected from the body whenever you urinate.

Of course, the more protein you consume, the more nitrogen is created. If more nitrogen is created then you will need to get rid of it, which leads to you literally flushing the water your body needs down the drain.

As such, if you have a high protein diet, the least you should do is to always make sure you drink plenty of water.

As Bad As Smoking?

One of the more recent studies into the health ramifications of a high protein diet has claimed that it can increase the possibility of a person getting cancer by as much as smoking 20 cigarettes a day.

The research tracked a large group containing thousands of adults over the course of two decades, eventually concluding that someone who eats a high protein diet is four times more likely to die of cancer than somebody who eats a low protein diet.

The findings seem to gel with similar results when it comes to the consumption of red meats and have even led to health organizations reconsidering the recommended daily amount that is safe to consume.

What is the Moral of this Story

Overindulgence in any one thing is generally bad. Keep everything in moderation! The Paleo Diet may be the new diet of choice, but in a couple years it will be something else. A better gauge is seeing how you feel after each meal. If you cut out one thing at a time, say gluten for a few days and it makes you feel infinitely better, maybe you need to consider eating less gluten. The same principle applies to all foods! Common sense goes a long way in eating proper foods especially when fitness is involved.

The Best Breakfast For Cyclists

July 25, 2015 by U.M.

Because biking burns your calories, it’s a bad idea to burn calories you don’t have. By doing so you’ll feel sluggish, hungry, and won’t be motivated to finish your training. Researchers have found that people who eat a breakfast before exercise are able to go for 16 percent longer than those who didn’t eat breakfast. Below you’ll find some good options regarding breakfast for cyclists.

Easy Training

If you’re taking an easy day you’ll still want to have a light breakfast. For a ride that involves an easier route you need to eat about 30 minutes before and consume 200-300 calories to replace what you lost in sleep. Skipping breakfast for a light ride will cause you to risk overeating later.

Meal Suggestion: Oatmeal with fruit

Time-Trial

A time-trial is a race against the clock and requires you to use a lot of energy in a very short amount of time. If you have a time-trial race, you’ll want to eat but you don’t want a big breakfast. Too many calories and eating too close to the start time will bog you down.

Fatty foods, even in small amounts, could cause you problems as well. You want to aim for about 400 calories, two-hours before start time. For a small boost you’ll want to consider having an energy gel or block 15 minutes before the race begins.

Meal Suggestion: Two slices of toast with jam, an egg, fat-free vanilla yogurt, small banana and an orange juice.

Hard Ride

A hard ride is usually thought of as one that will push your physical ability and endurance. For example, a challenging route or a route that lasts for hours or even all day. For cyclists planning on going for a hard ride, you’ll want to aim for a breakfast with 400-600 calories, two to three hours before your start. Because this breakfast is heavier you’ll want to give yourself some time to digest or you’re likely to throw up halfway through the ride.

You may be tempted to eat a breakfast even larger than that but doing so will make your calorie intake over the course of the day uneven and you may find yourself overeating. For longer rides you will of course need to take plenty of food and drinks with you.

First Meal Suggestion: Oatmeal, an egg, toast with nut butter, and a glass of orange juice. Have an energy block or a portion of a sports drink 30 minutes before you start.

Second Meal Suggestion: Two pancakes, half-cup berries, one cup fat-free yogurt, and one slice of Canadian bacon or one scrambled egg. No syrup! It’s too full of sugar and empty calories!

There are many recipes that you can use to get yourself ready for whatever’s coming. If the meal plans here do not work for you, play around with what you like. The real breakfast skill comes in portion control. You don’t want to eat too much or too little and run into problems on the track.

A good resource for recipes is: Easy Breakfast Recipes

Should I Have Caffeine During a Ride?

July 17, 2015 by U.M.

For many of us, the day doesn’t really begin until we’ve had that first cup of coffee, and a long ride isn’t really complete without the post-ride coffee break. But what exactly is that shot of espresso doing to your body, and how is it affecting your performance? [Read more…]

Nutrition and Fueling For Cycling

January 16, 2015 by Lee Agur

Cutting through the performance nutrition crap… let’s look at what is going on with food and cycling.

At the front of every athlete’s mind are a host of questions about nutrition, diet / body weight, fueling and recovery. Here we are going to cut through some of the confusion and give you some clear effective knowledge you can benefit from.

Realize that the most important thing is that each athlete has to know themselves. We all have different body types, blood types, metabolisms, performance goals, allergies / sensitivities and so on. This is why adopting someone else’s diet without listening to your body and applying your own unique situation often results in failure.

Nutrition

Ok this is a broad section, but let’s look at some fundamental concepts you can apply right now to your life, your health, and performing better.

Natural nutrients > Toxins and artificial substances. Unrefined sugar is way better for you than nutra-death, um sweet.
Nutrients trump calories. Think fruits and vegetables over “flour” foods bread, cereal, and pasta.
Listen to how you feel. Do you get symptoms when you eat certain foods? Excess gas, skin bumps, headaches? Listen to YOUR body and use your intuition when eating.
Movement. Have you ever seen an obese wild animal? Never. Movement, facing the elements and no refined sugar and flour / carbos = Beast mode. You can be too, it’s simple.
We are all different. Some people thrive on a vegetarian diet, others try it and realize they feel and perform better with animal food sources. Your diet should be a balance of things you enjoy and things that serve your health and support your goals.

Focus on high nutrient content foods with minimal processing. Eat plenty of high nutrient content foods like FRESH fruits, vegetables, greens, nuts, and seeds. These provide the nutrition we need to be healthy, vital, and perform well. The rest are fill calories.

Your body will more or less convert any food into energy to burn or replenish blood sugar and fats. Simply think before you buy and eat. Is a Ritz cracker food? Hmmm let’s see: bleached flour, orange coloring, artificial cheese flavor and salt, yum.

Pre-Exercise Fueling

There is a lot of confusion here on what to eat before training and racing. Realize that most of your performance energy, especially in events under 2 hours, is already stored in your blood sugar and available fats gas tank. So there are 2 important things we want to consider for performing our best.

Do you have the eye of the tiger? Fuel to be ready to pounce!

Have a relatively empty digestive tract. Dropping a bagel or oatmeal into your stomach 2 hours before an event is good as you will have time to digest it. These carbs absorb water like crazy so you need to follow them up with lots of water or you are in effect dehydrating yourself.
Empty your elimination system. Yep, nothing worse than having to go #1 or #2 during an event. Get up early, massage your lower abdomen, drink hot coffee, a few deep knee bends and you should be good to go, literally!

For shorter events I suggest something simple an hour before your event like a banana with a nut butter or something like a Clifbar. If you are doing an event much longer than 2 hours then you will benefit from additional calories. Since this will be a moderately sized meal it should be eaten 2-3 hours before the event and should include sources of fat like butter, nut butter, oils and 10-15 grams of protein.

The important thing to realize here is that your energy does not come from your breakfast. Nearly all of your energy even in a 100 mile century ride will come from stored blood sugars and fats. How effectively you use them is determined by your training. We cannot eat our way to success, we need to train our body to run efficiently on our stored fuels.

The biggest thing to be concerned with in pre-exercise fueling is:

How not to sabotage your event/race

Eat too much too soon before or during the event and enjoy cramps, inability to hydrate, heartburn, vomiting, peristalsis you name it. Good times. The best athletes fuel lightly pre-event, moderately during and then eat to replenish and rehydrate after the effort is done. Pro athletes can do 4-5 hour rides easily without any calories and on water alone.

The best way to discover this and tap into this performance secret is a specific fasted training protocol. Contact me for details below.

Fueling during your exercise / event

Time to tear it up!

Let’s get straight to the chase. Your endurance and energy does not come from what you are fueling with during your effort. The majority of it is how well trained you are and how effectively you use your stored blood sugars and fats. Fueling is not the holy grail of performance. Again, the first thing to consider is how to not screw up your performance with dehydration or eating too many solids that do not get digested.

Also, who is telling you to consume 2 scoops of energy drink each hour in training and racing? Who is telling you this and what do they have to gain? Ok, again the top endurance athletes train in a calorie deprivation mode to train their system to use their stored energy more efficiently. Train on water and low calorie intake so your body learns to use your stored fats as energy. You will increase your endurance, increase your threshold power and get leaner, spend less on processed energy drinks / products. Win win for you!

For an event or heavy training day, the primary concern is hydration. Aim for a large water bottle per hour depending on duration and temperature. For calorie intake, it depends greatly on how well trained you are, but 150-200 calories per hour is a good target. You have to listen to your body to see that the energy drink, gel or food is actually being processed and absorbed. If it is not moving down past your stomach you need less calories, more water, and more time before putting anything else in your stomach.

Let’s look at where our energy comes from for a 100 mile 4000 calorie ride.

We have 2,000 calories available as blood sugar / glycogen

We have 90,000 calories available as adipose and free fats, for this example we use 1,000 stored fat calories

We then need approx 1,000 calories from fuels on a 100 mile ride to meet the energy demands. 5-6 servings of energy drink bottles, gels or bananas and presto. You have met the demands. Now you have a 3,000 calorie deficit that needs to be replaced to recover so eat up after the event!

I personally like Heed, Sustained Energy by Hammer Nutrition and Skratch or Osmo as my source of 150-200 calories per hour. Getting your calories through fluids is the easiest to process and supports staying hydrated.

Recovery nutrition

Duration is everything. How long did you actually exercise and how much energy did you burn? Do a hard 60 minute effort and you don’t need to eat 3,000 calories to recover. Here are some fine points to consider.

Rehydrate first. Hydration is primary. Drink water first, let that go into your system which happens quickly and then start the calorie train.
Your body does not care where the calories are coming from after intense / long exercise. It will metabolize just about anything. A donut, a banana, a smoothie, a chicken sandwich. The key is to get calories in immediately after your effort and a quality source of protein is important to speed recovery, lessen soreness, and support strength building. Recovery smoothies with protein powder are awesome and recovery drink mixes are perhaps the easiest and most practical as you can drink one down after an event, get your calories, protein, and hydration all without any effort or time lapse.
After an event until bedtime is when you want to make up the calorie deficit to recover. You should never eat until stressed or full. Digestion takes a ton of energy and overeating puts another stress on your overworked body. Again know yourself, and whether you are fueling to lose weight, gain strength or recover for day 3 of a stage race. These variables all determine what choices you will make. Give pause and ask yourself, “What am I trying to accomplish with what I am putting in my mouth?”

Stay tuned, next in our 2015 series on cycling better than ever is how to tap the mystical, jedi and real powers of your mind to bend your cycling reality!

I welcome your questions and comments, contact me for a FREE performance evaluation. If you like what you see I offer remote coaching programs to cool athletes around the globe. I guarantee you will gain something that boosts your cycling or your life.

Scott Price

Master Cycling Coach

Canadian National Road Cycling Champion

Contact me here:

BIO

Scott Price is a unique cycling coach that is at the leading edge of what the future of sport will look like. Highly conscious, highly intuitive, personally responsible athletes creating incredible performance, experiences and raising the bar for all humanity. Scott is applying his lifetime of knowledge, study, experience of racing with grand tour greats and scoring over 100 victories in over 1,000 endurance events to provide remote coaching to athletes that want to discover what we are really capable of physically as well as the internal state we embody. In walking this walk, when you team up with Scott and his coaching program you gain a wealth of knowledge, inspiration, an advocate and a friend that only cares about your highest good and best interest. The challenges we take on are at the heart of what it is to be alive and it can be awesome.

There is a better way. Email Scott to find out how.

Straight and narrow is the path. Waste no time.

Recovery…Beer?

November 4, 2014 by Aaron Robson

Recovery…Beer?

I’m probably not the only person who has sat down after a long hard ride and enjoyed a nice cold pint of beer. I’m also probably not the only person who has felt a tad guilty afterwards – the responsible athlete inside reminding me that my recovery would have been helped more by a bottle of Gatorade rather than a nice golden ale. That guilt might be somewhat misplaced though.

Science say yes?

A recent study from the University of Grenada in Spain found that drinking 660 milliliters of beer followed by lots of water was more rehydrating than simply drinking water alone. When you think about it, the idea of beer as a recovery drink isn’t that far fetched. It contains plenty of water, easily digestible carbohydrates, and since it is plant-based, it has many naturally occurring nutrients that traditional sports drinks lack. So what’s the catch?

On the other hand…

The biggest issue is the alcohol – alcohol is a diuretic (causes dehydration) and also impedes protein synthesis, both things that endurance athletes want to avoid right after a hard workout. However, another study published last December found that the dehydrating effects of the alcohol in beer were mediated by changing the electrolyte content. Perhaps a light at the end of the tunnel?

It’s Real!

At least one adventurous company thinks so. Lean Machine, based in Canada, is hoping to solve the dilemma of the post-workout beer, with a brew they call a ‘recovery ale’. Their beverage is high in protein, low in alcohol, and also contains a slew of important nutrients, antioxidants and electrolytes. By packing their beer with all the things that endurance athletes value, and reducing the ABV, they hope to create something that will appeal to the palate of the beer-loving athlete and boost recovery. Doesn’t sound to bad, does it?

Top 10 Ways To Lose Weight Cycling

September 15, 2014 by Lee Agur

Top 10 Ways To Lose Weight Cycling

Burn more calories than you take in to lose weight… wow… tell me something I don’t know! The following list is a little more creative:

1. Interval training or intense training burns the most calories.

Burning the most calories possible = winning. This magic “fat burning zone” is ridiculous as explained in this article: Best Way to Lose Weight Cycling

2. Think of cycling as fun and not as a weight loss program.

The more you love cycling, the more you will do it! Do whatever it takes to make it fun… pretend you are on the tour, race cars off the line or put a bell and tassels on your bike whatever will make you happy to turn those cranks!

3. Immerse yourself in the bike culture.

Go to your local bike shop and hang out… the good influence will rub off on you. You will find other people that are passionate about cycling, find out why they love it, why they are out there and what they are doing…

4. Find a partner!

It is easy to plan a ride and cancel if it is only yourself; however, if someone else is depending on you to be there… you will show up! Group rides are also encouraged! Having trouble finding group rides or ideal partners? Go to your local bike shop find out where people are meeting! (often local coffee shops in the morning)

5. Download Strava!

Track your progress, watch yourself improve, see how far you went or how long you were out there. Challenge yourself or your friends. This program got me addicted to cycling!

6. Change your routine.

It can be subtle little things that you begin to change like riding to work once a week or going for a group ride every Thursday.

7. Get extreme or creative.

I did not renew my car insurance for a month so I was forced to ride my bike to get in better shape! Sign up for a big event. Make bets with people that you can ride to work for an entire week…

8. Sleep & water.

Getting adequate amounts of sleep is critical as sleep deprivation is often mistaken for hunger. The same goes for drinking water.. if you are thirsty you may eat something as opposed to drink water.

9. Ritual.

Many people do a long ride for their birthday every year, select at least one day to do an epic ride each year.

10. Habit

Make cycling a habit in order to effectively lose weight. Again, doing whatever it takes to make it fun and part of your routine.

Cycling is an amazing way to help with weight loss as it is a low impact sport that you can do for a lifetime. Stay fit and have fun.

Cycling To Lose Weight Tips

June 27, 2014 by Lee Agur

Cycling–like most cardio workouts–is a fun and efficient way to lose weight. The average person will burn about 500 – 800 calories per hour if riding at a moderate pace. That is equivalent to 2 or 3 Big Mac’s!

Benefits of Bike Riding

Biking is all about the legs, and your leg muscles are some of the largest muscles in your entire body. When you build up these muscle groups, not only will you have some of the most toned legs and glutes of all your friends, but you’ll also be building up oxygen delivering capillaries. With oxygen running through your body at a faster rate, your metabolism will speed up and start to eat away at fat cells, resulting in even greater cycling weight loss.

It’s harder to get bored when you are on a bike because things are moving at such a fast pace. You can also integrate cycling into your daily routine as form of transportation, getting you places a lot faster while burning a lot more calories in the process.

Starting a Cycling Weight Loss Routine

If you are ready to get started on your cycling weight loss routine, follow these tips to get the most of your results.

Cycling To Lose Weight Tips:

Make a Plan – Make a training plan and a meal plan and stick to it. A training plan can be as simple as commuting to work 3 days a week or as difficult as riding 200 miles a week. Whatever the plan is make it reasonably attainable. In other words, do not make the plan too hard or too easy. If the plan is too difficult you will give up right away and if you make it too easy then you will not see the benefits you may be expecting. Also making a meal plan will significantly increase your chances of losing weight while cycling.

Eat Properly Pre-ride – Don’t try to starve yourself before going out for a ride because you need to drop 20 pounds by next week. Long-term fasting can actually slow down your metabolism to conserve valuable energy and eventually start to eat away at your muscles as well as fat. Instead, eat small snacks while you ride to quench your appetite and keep your metabolism running at full speed.

Eat Natural Foods – When you are out there training, commuting or just riding for fun try and eat natural foods as often as possible and save the high carb energy bars and Gu’s for the race.

Hills Are Your Friends – Going up a hill takes a lot more energy than riding on a flat surface. This will cause you to use up extra calories and will help you reach your cycling weight loss goals quickly.

Get Comfortable – Get yourself as comfortable as possible. Enjoying the ride means that you’ll be more likely to keep up with a routine and less likely to take one too many cheat days.

Eat Properly While Riding – If you do not eat properly while riding you will come back starving and will be more likely to overeat cancelling all the calories lost during the ride.

Eat Properly After a Ride – A 4:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein is a general guideline for efficient post-ride recovery. When putting together a meal or snack to help you refuel, aim for this 4:1 ratio by combining different food options.

Select Electrolyte Drinks – Gatorade or energy drinks are not always the best choice. Instead if you are going for a ride under two hours select an electrolyte based drink like nuun as it does not carry all of the additional carbs and calories.

Cut Back On Drinks – Whether it be beer, mixed drinks or a starbucks coffee try and reduce your consumption by 1 unnecessary drink a day or replace it with a lower calorie drink. Tea without sugar anyone?

Go Harder, Faster or Longer – Want to lose more weight while cycling, easy! Increase any and all factors. By increasing volume, duration or intensity of your normal ride you will be expending additional calories.

You may have noticed a theme in the above tips to losing weight while cycling. It basically states you should eat well and bike hard! If you were to boil it down… that is really what it takes. Eating properly (not necessarily less) is key as well as actually getting the rides in.

Cycling is a great sport if you want to lose weight. Remember that it does take approximately 3,500 calories for every pound of fat shed, but if you keep up with it and try your best to put in an hour of cycling most every day, you’ll reach your weight loss goals in no time.