What is the diet of a professional cyclist?

When it comes to cycling, there's an impressive amount of data to record for a beginner (choice of gear, equipment, training, nutrition, etc.). After discovering what diet to follow for a cyclist, today we bring you a focus on the diet followed by a professional cyclist.

What is the importance of diet for a professional cyclist?

Food plays a prominent role in a cyclist's preparation and is just as important to manage as training in order to be at the top of your game on the big day. And this is all the more valid on stage races like the Tour de France which lasts from several days to several weeks. Because of this, the diet of a professional cyclist is very supervised because it constitutes the source of energy that the rider needs to perform in races. The professional cyclist's diet is not just about the day of the race, but is prepared several days before a competition in order to prepare the body by building up energy reserves.
If the body is not sufficiently fueled, it will tire faster and, as a result, the rider will not be able to deliver a high performance. In addition to the risks of underperformance, poor nutrition or poor lifestyle on the part of a professional cyclist, can also lead to more serious problems such as injuries, not to mention the risks of hypoglycemia, poor recovery, etc.

What energy drinks are favored for the Tour de France?

A cyclist should absorb at least one half liter per half hour, or a 500ml can. This measure is obviously to be adapted according to the weather conditions and the effort provided.
But a cyclist does not just drink water but energy drinks to help the body replenish glycogen reserves. This is just as true for weekend cyclists as it is for professional cyclists. But do you know what energy drinks are favored for the Tour de France?

There are three categories of energy drinks: waiting drinks (to be consumed before exercise), isotonic drinks (to be consumed during exercise) and recovery drinks (to be consumed after exercise). They each have their specificities because they do not meet the same needs depending on when they are consumed.
Before the effort, the waiting drink is used by the runner to take the start perfectly hydrated but also to increase its reserves of carbohydrates and minerals before the start. To do this, it is generally composed of mineral water, Maltodextrin and mineral powders. It is to be consumed in small sips in the hour and a half before the start of the race.
During the effort, the drink has three objectives: to hydrate, ensure caloric intake and compensate for mineral losses. This is why energy drinks are usually enriched with carbohydrates (slow and/or fast), minerals and sometimes amino acids.
After the effort, runners usually consume a shaker filled with a vegetable drink, mixed fruits, protein powder and amino acids, which can also be supplemented with a remineralization drink (enriched with minerals) to recharge what may have been lost with perspiration during the race.
Just before going to sleep, runners can still consume a mixture of water and Maltodextrin to have an additional carbohydrate intake for the next day.

What is the diet of Tour de France riders?

A professional bicycle race lasts several hours. Therefore, riders need to eat accordingly before, during and after the race. Do you know what the diet of Tour de France riders is?
A rider can burn between 6,000 and 9,000 calories per day of racing depending on the type of effort provided, the duration of the race but also its altitude difference, which is 3 to 4 times more than for a sedentary person. The energy intake must therefore be adapted accordingly and each meal is important.

Before the start, the runner eats a breakfast consisting of low glycemic index foods with carbohydrates (whole grain cereals, whole grain bread that can be supplemented with rice or whole grain pasta), vitamins/minerals (fruit, dried fruit, fruit juice, fruit compotes, etc.) and proteins (cottage cheese, yogurt, plant milk, white ham, omelet, etc.), usually accompanied by tea or coffee. This meal is about 700 calories in order to store glycogen in the muscles.

During the race, runners need immediate glucose intake to maintain blood sugar levels through a range of sports nutrition. The riders of the Tour de France are therefore led to consume cereal bars, energy gels, fruit pastes but also bags of fruit or gourds of compotes, as well as salty snacks such as cakes or pies in order not to saturate the body with sweet foods and to vary the pleasures. On a stage of the Tour de France, depending on the effort required (length of the race, altitude difference, etc.), a runner is generally expected to consume a cereal bar and an energy gel per hour, along with a sweet snack every two hours, alternating with compote or fruit, i.e., a consumption of food every thirty minutes or so to avoid hunger.

As soon as the finish line is crossed, runners take a collation whose purpose is to help recovery and restore muscle and liver glycogen stores so as not to damage the muscle fiber. In order, the runner consumes a salty soft drink (to rehydrate and buffer with the acidity accumulated during the effort), one or more sugary drinks unlimited for an hour and a half (the runner's choice: soda, fruit juice, syrup, etc.), semi-liquid foods (such as a fruit compote which also has the advantage of stopping lactic acid). Finally, comes the time for a solid snack (rice, pasta, polenta, potatoes, tabbouleh, salt cake, white ham, etc.).

The evening dinner, meanwhile, is mainly used to replenish reserves for the next day: most of the calories lost during the day having been made up for by the post-race snack. This meal is therefore primarily composed of carbohydrates (which will serve as fuel for the next day) and proteins (to rebuild muscle fiber). The notion of pleasure must come first for runners: this is why meals are often varied and why they are entitled to a dessert that is pleasant but not very fatty most of the time. Generally, the plate is composed of two-thirds of starchy foods (pasta or rice) and one-third of vegetables (for vitamins and minerals). Raw vegetables and fat are to be banished to avoid slowing down digestion (which would prevent the runners from sleeping and which is necessary for optimal recovery). Some also take a dairy (yogurt, cottage cheese) and can even allow themselves a glass of wine at the table a few nights a week.

Now that you know all about what a professional cyclist eats, how about finding out when and what to eat for a long bike race?