Nutrition in ultra-distance racing: how do you eat when you're training hard and riding for long periods? with Camille Pic

If there's one thing that can make or break an ultra-cycling event, it's nutrition. On the other hand, ultra often reduces life to the essentials: drinking, eating, breathing, sweating, sleeping, surviving. That's why, if there's one subject every cyclist is passionate about, it's food!

Before: the basics of healthy eating, should you lose weight before an event?

The basis of a healthy diet is : 

  • good carbohydrates (seasonal vegetables and fruit) & good cereals (millet, quinoa, wheat, rice...) 
  • quality proteins (animal or vegetable) 
  • good fats with quality oils (olive, rapeseed etc...) and nuts (cashew, hazelnut etc...) but also butter, avocado, cheese... to make "good fats" before the event, because you'll inevitably be in a caloric deficit (we'll come back to this later). 

Then season with sprouted seeds, gomasio (sesame salt), fresh herbs, etc... 

There are thousands of recipes on the internet but personally I love the insta account @lefoodbol because it's full of vegan seasonal ideas and her book is top notch!

For a healthy plate, we remind you of the right food associations:

  • Eat fruit outside of mealtimes (1 to 30 minutes beforehand if possible to avoid fermentation in the intestine).
  • Cereals + pulses
  • Cereals + fresh vegetables
  • Fresh vegetables + animal or vegetable proteins 

If you don't feel well after a meal (tiredness, acidity, flatulence), there's a digestive problem, so listen to your body!

And above all, what you want to see most on your plate are vegetables ;))

Finally, when preparing for ultra events, don't try to lose weight. That's not the point. If you're eating properly and feeling good on your bike and in your daily life (top energy levels, mental acuity etc.)... It's because you're at the right weight.

It may not be the one you'd like to see on the scale, but it's the one that allows that fantastic machine that is your body to perform, so do it proud. 😉

By the way, great post by Emily Chappell (1st woman on TCE in 2016) on this subject: https: //www.instagram.com/p/CPQdkl0h6DP/ 

The day before the race

  • During exercise, digestion comes to a halt: blood redistribution means that priority is given to getting blood to the organs involved in the race, while intestinal digestion is put on "pause". This is why, when running on a full stomach, you often feel nauseous or heavy: the body is trying to get rid of the excess to concentrate on the effort required of it.  
  • During intense sporting activity, the porosity of the intestine increases. The intestinal membrane no longer functions properly and no longer plays its role as a "sieve", which can sometimes lead to burning sensations that follow the urge to go to the bathroom.

1. Know when to eat

In our experience, if you prefer to eat before running, you should eat at least 1 hour before the start of your effort.

As for snacks: a piece of fresh fruit (ideally an apple, very easily digestible) or some dried fruit, to be eaten 15 to 30 minutes before departure.

Some people prefer to train on an empty stomach, but every body is different! Women in particular should always eat before training, as their hormonal response to food deprivation is not the same as men's, and this creates stress on the body.

2. A real protein and carbohydrate meal?

Focus on proteins and carbohydrates: these are what the body needs most during exercise.

In general, a 3:1 ratio is recommended: 3 portions of carbohydrates for 1 portion of protein.

When it comes to carbohydrates, it's up to you: for my part, I prefer white rice or gluten-free bread (which is easier to digest).

For protein: a little fish or an egg, for example. But also quinoa, legumes and lentils.

You have to take your own specificities into account! 

3. Fast and slow sugars

Simple sugars are those easily assimilated by the body: fruits such as bananas, apples or dates give the body an immediate boost.

Complex or slow sugars: these are the sugars contained in cereals, starches, potatoes, etc. They take longer to digest and provide a delayed charge of energy, a few hours after consumption. These are the ones we'll be looking for on our plates just before!

4. Fat & fibre

Lipids (9 calories per gram) take a long time to be digested by the body. Eating too much butter, oil or even avocado just before the start of a race can make your stomach feel heavy.

Fiber is the opposite: it speeds up digestion. And believe me, you really don't want that while you're riding. So avoid large quantities of salad and, of course, too many raw vegetables.

5. Electrolyte charging

Electrolytes are the minerals we lose through perspiration during exercise (mainly sodium & potassium).

There are 2 ways to avoid losing weight: eat salty foods the day before (in moderation, otherwise you'll get very thirsty), or drink coconut water, which is very rich in potassium. You can also make your own recovery drink by adding lemon, strawberry ororange to your coconut water.

  • during: recommendations + our respective feedbacks

During exercise, our body burns everything we give it, so we have to give it calories. Point.

The first thing to estimate is your daily energy expenditure. On an ultra event, it's quickly around 8,000 to 10,000 calories / day.

One gel = 150 and 200 calories. And frankly, the very idea of eating 50 gels in one day makes us want to cry.

So you have to eat real food during the effort: sandwiches, taboulés, makis, French fries... lots of ultra athletes have their own guilty pleasures!

  • after: managing the metabolic window for muscle recovery

We won't go into the subject today, but the metabolic window is shorter for men (around 4 hours after exercise) than for women (around 30 minutes after exercise), but here's a recommendation for everyone!

Fill up on protein (complete protein source with the amino acid leucine) within 30 minutes of the session, then eat a full breakfast (mix of carbohydrates, proteins and fats).

Example: If you're an omnivore, opt for whey protein and cow's milk because they have a higher leucine content, but if you're vegan or vegetarian, you can use pea protein of course!

> Protein powder - A spoonful of whey protein with oats/porridge, add it to a smoothie or make pancakes!

> Eggs - hard-boiled, pre-cooked omelette with toast.

> Greek yogurt, cottage cheese with oats.

In conclusion

Your body is your engine. Fill up on good fuel, and if you have to look at a number, make it the number of kilometers you've covered this year rather than some silly number on the scale!

Enjoy and have a great ultrasound season! 🙂

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