Cycling nutrition plans
nutritional advice before a bike race
nutritional advice before a bike race
A few days before a bike race (starting four days before), it's recommended to avoid or reduce your intake of certain foods, such as:
• Foods high in fat, which slow gastric emptying.
• Foods that may cause intestinal gas.
On the contrary, it is recommended to:
• Stay well hydrated and regularly.
• Consume carbohydrates in the form of food (pasta, rice, etc.) or a Carbo Powder replenishing drink (from 4 to 2 days before the race) or a Booster+ energy drink.
The maltodextrin in Carbo Powder allows you to replenish your glycogen stores so you're at 200% on race day. A replenishment is the carbohydrate equivalent of 2.3 kg of cooked pasta.
Find more detailed advice on this point and specific examples of pre-race meals in our article dedicated to running nutrition plans.
How to eat the day before a bike race?
All of these meals and foods must be tested beforehand: the day before a long test run or a competitive race.
Keep a small bottle of water with half-diluted Booster+ energy drink (20g per 500ml) at all times to ensure you stay hydrated throughout the day.
Example of a pre-race dinner:
- Starter: raw vegetables (cooked raw vegetables such as beets or green beans, or seeded raw vegetables without skin), soup.
- Main course: al dente white starch, not recooked or quickly cooked + lean meat/fish/omelet/deboned, defatted ham + cooked vegetables or vegetable coulis +/- white bread
- Dairy product or similar: yogurt, fromage blanc, cottage cheese, soy specialty, rice pudding, or rice pudding.
- Dessert: cooked or easily digestible fruit, very ripe, seedless, in compote, apple tart, sorbet, floating island.
- Beverage: unlimited low-mineral water, caffeine-free hot drink, herbal tea + honey.
- Fats: limit fatty dishes and sauces (butter, mayonnaise, crème fraîche, béchamel sauce, etc.).
+/- rapeseed, walnut, or olive vinaigrette
How to eat on the day of a bike race?
General notes:
- Test products during training to ensure they're suitable for your body and develop your own nutrition routine.
- Establishing a nutrition routine helps avoid anxiety and prepare for unforeseen events on race day. When your race starts, you'll get into your nutrition routine and won't need to worry about it anymore. You'll be able to fully concentrate on your race and managing your effort.
- Generally speaking, during exercise, it is recommended to consume 1 gram of carbohydrate per hour per kilogram of body weight. For a 70kg person, this equates to 70g of carbohydrates per hour. Recommendations should be adapted to your individual needs.
- Alternating between energy drinks and gels allows your body to absorb more carbohydrates without causing digestive problems.
- On the bike, you should mainly eat on the faster sections of the circuit, when the peloton is calmer. It then becomes easier to eat a bar or solid food. It is advisable to eat before the difficult parts, for example by taking gels at the bottom of the climbs.
What meal should you eat the morning of your bike race?
Like the rest of your nutrition routine, it is recommended to always test your pre-race breakfast in the conditions of your race.
It should be eaten 3 to 4 hours before the start of your warm-up. Find all our advice on pre-race nutrition in our blog article.
If this time seems too long and you want to prioritize sleep, you can eat a homemade pre-workout cake 1.5 hours before the start.
If your race start is quite far from breakfast, you can consume an energy gel (Boost Gel) or an energy cream 15 to 30 minutes before.
The idea behind the pre-race meal is to avoid feeling hungry, but not to build up reserves. They're already stored beforehand!
A carbohydrate-rich, easily digestible energy cream to refuel before exercise.
Is it advisable to take a waiting ration?
Yes, it is recommended to consume a waiting portion before the actual start of the race, during the warm-up phase (if applicable): 250ml of Booster+ diluted ½ (10g of Booster in 250ml of water). This waiting portion should help reduce stress through its comforting effect.
A few Boost Gums, with their comforting texture and taste, can also help you manage pre-race stress.
Avoid magnesium-rich water, which can accelerate digestion.
Nutritional plan for a bike race of less than 2 hours
For a ride completed in less than 2 hours, we recommend:
- 1 liter of sports drink, or approximately 1/2 liter per hour
- Possibly 1 dose of gel, if your last meal was more than 3 hours before the start of the ride, or energy gummies.
> Download the nutrition plan for a bike ride lasting less than 2 hours
Nutrition plan for a 2-4 hour bike race
For a 2- to 4-hour ride, we recommend:
- 1.5 to 2 liters of sports drink spread out over the entire duration of the race
- 3 doses of gel, taken around the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd hour
- 1 energy bar or 1 packet of energy gummies at the 2-hour mark
> Download the 2- to 4-hour cycling race nutrition plan
For a course lasting more than 4 hours, we recommend:
- A minimum of 2 liters of sports drink spread throughout the duration of the race
- 1 dose of gel or 1 energy bar at the end of the 1st and 4th hours of the race
- 1 energy bar or 1 high-protein bar or 1 packet of energy gummies after 2 hours
- 1 dose of gel after 3 hours
> Download the nutrition plan for a bike race lasting more than 4 hours
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How to optimize your recovery after a bike race?
Regardless of the duration of your workout, we recommend consuming an AUTHENTIC RECUP recovery drink, SPORT CHIPS post-workout chips, or high-protein bars combined with a sports drink—to be consumed within 30 minutes of finishing (see diagrams above).
After your recovery portion, which you will consume within half an hour of your physical activity, you can continue eating for the next two hours with a small amount of carbohydrates.
For example: a slice of gingerbread, 20g of low-fat biscuits (speculoos, petits-beurre, paille d'or, ladyfingers, etc.), or a handful of dried fruit, prunes, apricots, or raisins.
For the first meal after exercise, it is recommended to continue to hydrate well (1 to 2 glasses of still water) and, depending on your tolerance, eat raw vegetables or a bowl of soup with a tablespoon of wheat germ. For protein, it is recommended to eat an omelet with cheese and a little starchy food with very little irritating fiber (e.g., white rice or pasta with a slice of white bread), followed by cottage cheese with raspberry coulis and a delicious dessert (not too fatty to aid digestion) such as an apple tart.
In the evening, you can consume half a liter of herbal tea with a little honey for a little comfort and good hydration.
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