I'm over gels and bars as a cyclist what else is there to fuel my rides?
When I meet cyclists and other endurance athletes, it’s very common for them to tell me that they aren’t fuelling their rides because commercial bars, drinks, gels and other sports nutrition products are so expensive.
I was recently discussing this exact topic on the Long Munch Podcast. There are so many real food options out there for you to try - but what exactly works for you best will come down to a number of factors.
I am a huge advocate for using real food to fuel my rides, and often will make banana bread, biscuits, rice cakes or homemade muesli bars to keep me going on the bike. Check out my training food recipes for ideas.
And like all things sports nutrition - you need to test them out in training to see what does (or doesn’t) work for you.
So while rice cakes and home made baked goods are my usual go-to, sometimes I just don’t have the time and energy to make my own ride food.
This is where you can often find readily available, cost effective and nutritionally suitable foods already in your pantry cupboard - in the form of dried fruit.
What’s in an energy gel?
A standard energy gel contains around 20-25g of carbohydrate depending on the brand.
Gels will typically contain a mixture of different carbohydrates which are absorbed a different rates, but on the whole they are absorbed very quickly and available rapidly as fuel.
This is why gels are perfect during high intensity training rides and races or when you are feeling low in energy.
How does dried fruit compare to an energy gel?
Likewise, dried fruits are rich in concentrated sugars because the water has been removed from the whole product.
You can get the same amount of carbohydrate from dried fruit by eating:
5 dried apricots
2 dried peach halves
5 dried dates
Some people can be more sensitive to eating large amounts of dried fruit, so it’s best to start small and increase how much you eat of it at once to avoid any unwanted gut or bloating issues.
Interestingly - a number of the clients I work with who have sensitive stomachs and usually don’t tolerate dried fruit well have observed that when using it as training fuel on their rides, they don’t experience the same negative side effects.
Why not test out a few different dried fruits on your next training ride to see if this can be a useful alternative to gels or other commercial sports nutrition products.
Until next time.
Gemma
Fuel your cycling with confidence
Learn how to fuel before, during and after cycling with the Cycling Nutrition Framework for optimal body weight, recovery and performance.