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Biking being an endurance sport, the cyclist must adopt a diet in line with the practice of this sport, even more so when he wants to tackle long distances in training or during a race. After seeing when and what to eat for a long bike race, today we propose to discover which foods to prefer before the start of a race.
Opt for a balanced diet
For a cyclist, and any other athlete for that matter, diet is just as important as training in achieving a goal. Before thinking about diet, the first thing to do is to adopt a balanced diet with proteins, starches, fruits and vegetables and little fat in order to provide the body with everything it needs, without resorting to food supplements, which are not necessary for amateur athletes and are really to be reserved for professional athletes.
What meal should you eat the night before a race?
The dinner, eaten the evening before the race, is one of the most important meals to prepare well for an intensive effort, especially when the start of the race is in the morning. It is this meal that will allow constitute glycogen reserves in the muscles thanks to a diet enriched in carbohydrates compared to a usual meal. But be careful not to fall into the opposite excess: the body can only assimilate a certain amount of glucose and, beyond this limit, the carbohydrates are transformed into fat.
First, you need to provide carbohydrates, i.e. starchy foods in the right amount to the body. You will have the choice between pasta, rice with al dente cooking or potatoes. Count about 300 to 400g cooked.
Always accompany them with at least a hundred grams of cooked vegetables (and not raw to avoid digestive disorders and, therefore, a difficult sleep). Complete with a hundred grams of protein by opting for a lean meat (poultry), an omelet (cooked with little fat), a piece of fish or else a slice of white ham. To finish the meal, you can take a dairy (yogurt or cottage cheese), followed by a fruit salad or a fruit compote. Finally, hydrate well, favoring still water.
Avoid fats, high-fiber foods (wholemeal bread, wholegrain cereals, etc.) and exciting drinks (tea, coffee), as well as foods that you are not used to eating normally to avoid any unpleasant surprises on that side.
What breakfast should you eat before the start of a race?
On race day itself, the last meal should be eaten no later than three to four hours before the start to allow for a complete digestion cycle. Nevertheless, when the start of the event takes place in the morning, this deadline is impossible to meet. It is therefore necessary to adapt its breakfast accordingly by adopting foods that are easy to assimilate for the body. Nevertheless, the latter must still take place no later than two hours before the start of the event to allow the body to assimilate the food.
For breakfast, one should favor low glycemic index foods to avoid a blood sugar spike that would be followed by hypoglycemia during the race. For this, you have two options: a classic breakfast or a breakfast with Gatosport (or effort cake). In either case, take the time to chew well and enjoy this meal.
For a classic breakfast, we recommend you opt for:
- Whole grain bread with a teaspoon of jam or honey or whole grain cereal (muesli);
- A hot beverage with little sugar (tea or coffee);
- A dairy (yogurt, cottage cheese);
- A squeezed fruit juice or fruit or fruit compote;
- Possibly some fat-free white ham or an omelet for protein intake.
If you do not have time or you are not used to eating in the morning, you still have the option of Gatosport (or exertion cake) which can be consumed up to 90 minutes before the start and you can cook the day before. Its nutritional composition is adapted to physical activity and is complete in terms of nutrients. You can accompany it with tea or coffee, yogurt and fruit compote.
In the hour and a half before the start, you can also use a waiting energy drink that you will drink in small sips until the start. It helps to boost carbohydrate and mineral stores before the start. It is usually composed of plain water, Maltodextrin and powdered minerals.
Now that you know all about which foods to prefer before the start of a race, how about finding out what type of diet to adopt for cycling? Do you also know what foods to prefer during exercise?
