Vegans: pre-ride nutrition

[mvcap]

Wondering if there are any vegans on here willing to discuss pre-ride meal/nutrition routine?

I went plant-based last year and although I feel fantastic and my fitness is better than ever, I am still struggling to find the best routine before rides. Would be interested in what you eat and how long before your ride. And on-bike eating too! Thanks!

[Tapeworm]

Not a vegan, but my fuelling wouldn't change if I were.

Depending on the ride:-
1-1.5hrs: black coffee
1.5-2hrs: black coffee + fruit toast
2hrs plus: oats w/ a bit of coconut oil and maple syrup + black coffee

During the ride:
1-1.5hrs: water
1.5hrs-2hrs: diluted juice or sports drink is hard sesh
3hrs+: sports drink (sugaaaaaaar!).

If on the erg for intervals: just water and pulse jelly beans as needed.

[helldiver]

Almost every morning, my breakfast is this mix:

oatmeal
sunflower seeds (i occassionaly swap that for cashew nuts when i buy them in bulk cheaply)
shredded coconut
sweetened dried cranberries (just a little bit, for little sweetness in the mix)
chia seeds (or flaxseeds, but you have to grind them before, otherwise you mostly won't be able to digest them)
poppy seeds
At the end I pour some mild/watery plant based milk into it (usually soy).

On a longer ride (4h+) i occasionally take one banana with me, on shorter rides, i don't bother with food at all. In the past, i used to make and carry energy-gels with date-paste, almond butter (much better taste/consistency then peanut butter) sprinkled with lemon juice/coconut oil.

[mvcap]

Thanks Tapeworm and helldiver...
Do you wait long after eating before starting your ride?

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[helldiver]

I usually aim for at least 1 hour between proper big breakfast and start of my ride/training.

[jmechy]

Virtually any ride I do gets either steel cut oats with raisins/walnuts/maple syrup, or a bagel with almond butter. That's enough for at least two hours of fuel, anything longer than that and I'll pack some bars.

[Tapeworm]

Eating timing is all dependant on duration and intensity. For example: long and easy, will eat just before rolling out the door. Long and hard, minimum an hour. Once on the bike usually 30mins in or so, again depending on intensity.

[sanrensho]

2-3 hours before a ride I have a _big_ bowl of muesli with dried fruit (raisins) and toppings (nuts, hemp seeds, ground flax), with soy milk.

And coffee, of course. For riding nutrition:

~1 hour: Water
1-2 hours: Bottle of Skratch or similar drink mix, All-Bran Breakfast Bar (if I start the ride hungry)
2+ hours: More drink mix, breakfast bars

The All-Bran Breakfast Bars have a nice crisp texture that I find easy and pleasant to eat, compared with typically chewy/soft energy bars. Not expensive either.

[mvcap]

Much appreciated helldiver, jmechy, Tapeworm and sanrensho, great ideas and thank you for the input

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[borist]

I'm a vegetarian, but thought it was worth sharing.

Before the ride.
< 2 hours = nothing
> 2 hours = 1 or 2 bananas about 15 mins before I leave

On the bike.
< 2 hours = plain water
> 2 hours = 1 energy bar every hour (SIS or Wiggle ones, but they are not certified vegan... just vegetarian)

After.
Oats with a banana, pear or apple, berries, chia seeds and almond milk.
On weekends I might have toast and avocado + salad.

Hope this helps.

[mvcap]

Thank you borist!

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[jamesbass]

Wondering if there are any vegans on here willing to discuss pre-ride meal/nutrition routine?

Sure.

Depends on the ride and when during the day.

Generally though, most riding you do is fueled from yesterday's carbohydrates unless it's the evening. If it's a morning ride, you may be better off only having a small amount of fruit or something light like a cereal bar, then topping up gradually on the ride if it's over 90 mins.

Ask yourself why you're eating: is it to fuel up, or to satisfy hunger? If I must eat before an intense session/race, purely to keep the hunger away, I have dates with some water. This isn't too heavy but is very satisfying and higher in potassium that bananas (good for muscle contraction but it gets sweat out rapidly). If it's to fuel up a couple of hours prior, fruit smoothies are the best but the hunger soon returns because they are digested so efficiently. The antioxidant boost you get is also helpful.

Two things to avoid while riding: fat and salt (sodium). Fat makes the red blood cells stick together within 20-30 minutes of eating among other issues and salt will stiffen your arteries within minutes! Both are very bad for oxygen delivery! Some energy bars contain both in high quantities and unfortunately lots of sports drinks powders are full of sodium!

Any grains like oats, rice, etc should be eaten only when you're fully hydrated and peeing clear. Otherwise you can get that drowsy feeling afterwards where you just want to sleep. It partially comes from dehydration (Muscle glycogen stored with water) but also because you tend to eat at a faster pace when dehydrated and it's easy to stuff yourself too much too soon. They are incredible fuel sources but take a little longer to get digested and broken down. In other words, save this stuff for 3-4 hours before the event or the day before.

[latsride]

1-3 hours, nothing. Maybe coffee.

3+hrs, banana and peanut butter or avo toast.

[Sacke]

Wondering if there are any vegans on here willing to discuss pre-ride meal/nutrition routine?

Two things to avoid while riding: fat and salt (sodium). Fat makes the red blood cells stick together within 20-30 minutes of eating among other issues and salt will stiffen your arteries within minutes! Both are very bad for oxygen delivery! Some energy bars contain both in high quantities and unfortunately lots of sports drinks powders are full of sodium!

I didn't know that... What is the reason for fat to make red blood cells stick together, and why is it detrimental to performance?

Regarding the salt, what is worse, "stiff" arteries, or salt depletion?

I was under the impression that sodium was important, but would it be better to just leave it out?

[jamesbass]

What is the reason for fat to make red blood cells stick together, and why is it detrimental to performance?

Technical explanation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rouleaux
Basic explanation: Red blood cells transport oxygen to the muscles and need to flow smoothly like water. Adding fat turns it into syrup.
Cyclists blood-dope/alter plasma to increase RBC count & efficiency. High-fat meals run counter to that.

Interesting video here: http://nutritionfacts.org/video/fatty-m ... -function/
Skip to 0:40 - check that chart! Lactescence is proportional to blood-fat content/stickyness.

Also here: http://nutritionfacts.org/video/low-car ... lood-flow/
Skip to 1:03 (I know it's talking about low-carb, but this refers to "high-fat")

Regarding the salt, what is worse, "stiff" arteries, or salt depletion?

Stiff arteries. Sodium deficiency is seriously difficult to induce. You would have to be eating less than 500mg daily for ages, which is extremely difficult. Most people get enough salt even on unprocessed foods.

Stiffer arteries mean less blood flow to the working muscles, like stepping on a hose pipe. This isn't just bad for cycling but bad for recovery too!

Here's an excellent video. http://nutritionfacts.org/video/sodium- ... dothelium/
Points of interest at 0:46, chart at 3:38 and also 4:13

I was under the impression that sodium was important, but would it be better to just leave it out?

Yes. Again, sodium is in most foods already.

There's actually a lot more research published on these topics but I'm at work right now so can't respond properly. Hope the above helps.