Training Nutrition For Road Cycling

Posted August 27, 2010

By Jennifer Gibson

Competitive road cyclists, like those training for the upcoming Gran Fondo cycling race in Whistler this fall, have extremely high needs for calories and carbohydrate. A properly planned nutrition strategy is essential for athletes to ensure they are fueled and recovered from training. Ideally, competitive endurance sport athletes should work with a Registered Dietitian to develop an individualized, comprehensive sport nutrition plan. Read more…

I have put together a 3 part blog series on nutrition for road cycling. The next few weeks of blogs will include:

general nutrition considerations for road cyclists in training
carbohydrate loading before long rides/competition
fueling during long rides and competition

Daily Nutrition for Training tips:

Diet should be high in calories, quality carbohydrates, proteins and vitamins and minerals. See guidelines below. Choosing nutrient dense foods found in Canada’s Food Guide to healthy eating is the right place to start.
Since cycling is a heavy aerobic sport with intensive training, iron status should be monitored, especially in female athletes. See my previous blog “Iron in Athletes”

Guidelines	Elite Cyclist (600km/wk)	Club Cyclist (300km/wk)
Calories per day (kcals)	~60cals/kg body weight	~35 – 48 cals/kg body weight
Carbs per day	8-11g/kg body weight	5-8g/kg body weight
Protein per day	1.2-1.6g/kg body weight	1-1.6g/kg body weight

Nutrition before during and after training sessions:

	Guidelines	Real food Examples
Pre Training	Timing: 2-4 hours before hand Composition: ~3g per kg carbohydrate 10-20g protein 5-7mls/kg fluid until urine colour is clear	2 eggs + 2 slices whole grain toast with peanut butter and jam + 2 cups orange juice (110g carb + 20g protein) 2 packets instant flav oatmeal + 2 cup chocolate milk + 1 banana (130g carb + 15g protein)
During Training	Drink approx 3-4 gulps of fluid every 15-20 minutes. Aim for 30-60g of carb per hour from sport gels/drinks	Water is ok for workouts under 90 mins Sport drink, gels, blocks, chews
Post Training	Timing: Recovery within 15 minutes Composition: 1g carb per kg, minimum ~10g protein Minimum of 1L of fluid or 1L per KG of sweat lost Follow up with a balanced, high carb, protein core meal within 2 hours	1 Banana + 1.5 cup chocolate milk + Kashi granola bar (83g carb + 15g pro) 1 Cliff bar + ½ cup fruit yogurt + fruit source bar (81g carb + 8g prot)