Mountain Biking: Foods to Eat Before, During and After

What you eat or stop eating can be decisive for your next route to become a success or a failure….

In order to get the most out of any mountain biking route, it is essential that you pay attention to your diet. Do not intend to enslave yourself with a strict diet of meals, but learn how to choose which foods to enjoy more in your next routes, or races.

BEFORE

We have to refer back to a couple of days before the appointment. It is convenient that two days before, the carbohydrates in our dishes prevail to fill the deposits (muscular and hepatic) with glycogen (in this format is how carbohydrates are stored in animals and humans). Just eat at least one plate of carbohydrates at each of the main meals of the day and it will be even better if you also provide this nutrient throughout the day (lunch and snack).

For those of you who may not be familiar with what carbohydrates are, they are mainly pasta, rice, bread, cereals, fruits, honey, sugar, tubers… but vegetables also contain and even dairy products (although they are primarily protein).

Just because carbohydrates are being “abused” does not mean that you should not eat other necessary foods such as proteins and fats, only that they will take up less room in your stomach. In fact, it is proven that the intake of proteins (meat, fish, dairy and other foods of animal origin) promotes the best absorption of carbohydrates. The fact that carbohydrates prevail in our diet does not mean that we should eat until we “burst”. We must eat moderate amounts of food and they simply have to be of a certain profile.

We also recommend that the carbohydrates ingested should be complex, which means that they are gradually released into the blood during digestion. These are mainly cereals, pasta and rice. The most complex carbohydrates are integral, rich in fiber, indispensable for the health of our intestine.

The breakfast before the route must be made at least two hours in advance, to allow the digestion to be completed. In it, carbohydrates must prevail, and they must be foods to which one is accustomed and which are appealing. If you drink a large glass of water on an empty stomach before breakfast, you will get better hydration, but it is also important that you take care of this aspect the days before, drinking plenty of water.

“Try to make 5 small meals a day to promote digestion.”

IMMEDIATELY BEFORE

In the period of time that elapses from one hour before starting to pedal and even just before starting (if you start slowly) it is advisable to take some fruit (banana and peeled apple are usually the most suitable because of their nutritional profile and their “format” of intake). You can also take some energy bars or gel.

DURING

Once we are on the bike it is a good idea to eat some light food every 45 minutes or hour. The usual is fruit, nuts (apricots, raisins…), gels or bars, but there are alternatives. You can replace the gels with honey or condensed skim milk (by putting it in a small container, like the mini drums used by ultra-thin runners). Baby jellies are also a good alternative, especially fruit based. Carbonated drinks can cause gastric discomfort or discomfort as a result of the gas, although a cola soda ‘gives you life’ when you start to experience the symptoms of a ‘bird’, thanks to its ‘ball’ of sugar supported with caffeine.

If you are planning to take the day off and stop to eat (or similar) try to eat lightly. Cooked whole, Galician pot, bean stew, or steak are not exactly the lightest, most suitable, or most desirable dishes. Also avoid foods that are repeated a lot (garlic, peppers…) or very salty (anchovies) as they will make you thirsty. You may also want to let the food rest for at least half an hour. Choose a sandwich (especially bread), ham, turkey, chicken or tuna, white rice or milk, pasta without much seasoning, fruit, yogurt….

To maintain hydration and also as an energy source, sports drinks, energy drinks or isotonic drinks will be very useful. They combine minerals (which moisturize) and maltodextrins (a combination of sugars that provide a gradual release of energy – fast, medium and slow). Try to drink every 15 to 20 minutes, it’s better to drink too little often than too much at once.

IMMEDIATELY AFTER

From half an hour to two hours after completion, a “metabolic window” opens. It is basically a period of time when the body is most receptive to collecting nutrients. It is the ideal time for a speedy recovery. The first thing to do is to hydrate yourself, then take simple carbohydrates (as opposed to complexes, so that they can quickly pass into the blood and from there into the cells that will be demanding it). A good help in this regard are sports drinks and a good alternative to these are juices.

When you sit down at the table, you’ll have to give priority to carbohydrates again. Salads and vegetables are also important for their high water content, which will help rehydrate you.

DINNER

The next main meal of the day (possibly dinner) should follow similar guidelines to the previous ones but include more protein foods for the muscles to’regenerate’. If dinner is the meal that follows the route by bike, then combine carbohydrates and protein, with vegetables or salad.

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