On a three day bike ride, you can get really hungry. That hunger can lead to food choices that might just come back on you. Don’t let your stomach rule your mind and avoid these food decisions while riding:
Fried catfish
Fried chicken fingers
Fried livers
or just about anything fried from a gas station. The COS will stop at gas stations with kitchens. As you enter the store, the smell of fried food can be over-whelming and tempting. Flex that will power and pass on the fried food. Otherwise, stomach cramps and other dire suffering may descend down. Treat your body as an expensive sports car that deserves only premium fuel, not the low grade.
Carbonated drinks. Some riders can handle the soda, but most avoid it. Carbonation can create bloating and general ‘blah’ feeling. The sugars will pep you up for a short time, but at an ‘inflated’ cost.
Disruptive foods. You probably have a good idea about the foods that don’t like you. They still will not like you on the bike. But there will be bars and gels that you have never tried.
Ideally, when you train, eat foods that you plan to eat on the ride. A little experimentation will go a long way to determining what your athletic body needs. Buy energy bars or gels and eat on the bike. Eat a sandwich half way through a ride. Train your muscles, and your digestion.
The three day ride has an impact on your entire body. Keep that in mind when reaching for nutrition. When in doubt, better grab a bite that you know will promote your top performance.
- Side note…if we are writing about it…then you can bet…it’s happened :)))
Happy Riding!
John Stevenson