Fueling Workouts

[Dr_Alex_Harrison]

@anon13702412

You got more than enough energy on board to do that kind of workout straight out of bed.

You’re right.

@anon13702412

Especially because fueling isn’t needed for those rides.

Needed ≠ Optimal.

@anon13702412

It’s ridiculous, fueling an easy endurance ride hardly above active recovery (0.6 IF!)!

It may actually be quite reasonable. Especially in the context of seeking either of the following:

1. Maximizing performance at threshold workouts or above. Reason: chronic presence of high glycogen content tends to promote the creation of glycolytic cellular machinery. Essentially you get better at burning carbs at a higher rate, which supports higher work rates (power outputs).
2. Improving body composition. Nighttime overeating, especially on high-fat, or calorie dense foods, tends to be strongly promoted by earlier hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia is a common result, even if mild, of training without intra-workout fuel.

You are absolutely right though, that excess worry about carb consumption for quite easy workouts is very misplaced. But it’s probably worth at least some thought.

@KlemenSj

“You have to earn your carbohydrates”

Yikes!

@Alex_Fastfitnesstips

if your workout is an hour then you are probably overfueling because your body has remarkable blood, muscle and liver glycogen stores.

Yes, but, exceeding burned carbohydrate with consumption is actually a great idea. 2 reasons:

1. Increased blood glucose during training results in reduced RPE and less fatigue from identical lower-intensity stimuli, with potentially enhanced adaptations due to higher glycogen content post-ride.
2. z1 and z2 rides are great opportunities to stockpile glycogen with higher-carb feedings so that future trainings sessions can be of the highest quality and with the lowest fatigue at onset of training.

@TwoWheels

I think Im going to stick with carbing during the ride and try to moderate my intake off the bike, more greens, less starches. I think I’ll carry on through SSB 2 Mid Volume with this approach

Sounds like a great idea.

@Captain_Doughnutman

image1200×755 121 KB

This may actually be still too low for the hardest of 4-5hr ride days. My wife routinely consumes 10g/kg ON THE BIKE during a 5-hr ride. (600g carbs, 5 hrs). She also eats another 250-400g carbs off the bike on a day like that, quite easily. (13-15g/kg/day is quite common). She might average 180-200W for such a ride, at 63kg.

@TwoWheels

I had always heard the no carbs for an hour or less in gym class and bro science, but is that for something as focused and difficult as a TR workout? How can I reconcile this with the heavy carbs approach from the podcast guys?

This might help: Table of Intra-workout Carb Needs Per Hour of Training

@TwoWheels

Have I got this right or am I overfueling?

I have coached several hundred clients in endurance sport nutrition. Never once have I thought to myself: “oh that’s over-fueling.” The only sign of over-fueling is gut distress, unless we’re talking about someone who is literally capable of consuming more during their ride/run than they’re capable of burning. Very hard to do for anything but a glass cranks ride.

@TwoWheels

So if I eat 1 gel before starting (100 cal), and drink 2 bottles of mix with 120 cal each, and finish up with a chocolate milk of 140 cal and a granola bar of 190 then that totals 690 calories, which is pretty close to the calories burned.

@TwoWheels I think your approach laid out here is great.

Your weight gain may have been intra-muscular carb weight + water + gut contents. Could have also been fat tissue if you consumed off-the-bike as you typically had been doing without proper intra-workout fueling. Probably a bit of both. I’d recommend continuing your higher-carb fueling strategy and just reducing off-the-bike kcal slightly if weight drifts up. Performance will be better without a doubt.