Preparation & Tips

Nutrition:

• Consuming enough food before, during and after your exercise session will help you train well, recover quickly and reduce the risk of illness or injury A healthy balanced diet should provide adequate amounts of carbohydrate, protein, fats, vitamins and minerals
• Eat plenty of carbohydrate-containing foods, eg bread, rice, pasta, potatoes at each meal time in order to stock up your carbohydrate (energy) stores
• Eating during the ride is based on personal preference but could be beneficial if riding for longer than an hour
• What you eat on the ride should be easily digestible and contain a significant amount of carbohydrate to give you an energy boost
• Some examples of items that people find beneficial to eat while cycling are energy bars and gels, cereal bars, jelly babies, jaffa cakes, dried fruit
• Experiment during training rides rather than trying something new during the event

Recovery:

• Recovery is just as important as the training sessions
• Try and eat a snack high in carbohydrate (about 50g) within 30 minutes of finishing a hard ride
• Try and eat a meal 1-2 hours after a ride
• Remember to keep drinking to remain hydrated after your ride
• Allow adequate recovery between sessions
• Good nutrition is also important throughout the recovery period and will help you get the best out of your next training session