I’ve been trying to lose some weight while still being cognizant about fueling my rides. I typically eat a bigger breakfast beforehand (750-1000 cals of oatmeal, pancakes, etc) and then fig bars/bananas/Cliff bars periodically on the bike. Today’s ride was 3.5 hours in zone 2.
I’ve been aiming for 1 g protein/lb and I know I’m short of that.
Sometimes (like today) I have no appetite whatsoever afterward. Has anyone else run into this? Is it OK to have days like this once in a while or should I force some food down? Maybe it’s a good time for a donut
I struggle to eat after long hard rides, which is pretty much every Saturday. These rides are 3-4k Kj’s and often ~300+ tss. Not only am I not hungry, but the thought of food is pretty nauseating. I’ll put down a protein shake or some chocolate milk and lay down for a bit watching football and/or nap. Usually ready for a meal within a couple hours post ride. I try to fuel well while riding and I don’t typically ride on sundays, so I’m not too concerned about quick recovery for next day.
When you’re spending hours in Z2, a lot of your energy comes from fat stores. So if you fuel with carbs, you’re replenishing spent glycogen while still creating a sizable caloric deficit.
I aim to fuel 50% of what I expend. My appetite is “normal” after these Z2 rides anywhere from 4-6 hours.
Yeah, you’re definitely not alone there! I’m even worse after long runs, haha.
Not being super hungry after long rides is probably a good thing- generally means you’re in a good place with regard to eating before and during the ride, and you’re more likely to eat well if you’re not in “raid the fridge” mode post-ride.
With that said though, it’s probably worth keeping recovery at the forefront of your mind as post-ride nutrition can definitely have an impact on the rest of your week- if it’s a big ride in terms of TSS/KJ’s, or if you’re in a really big calorie deficit for the day, it might pay to eat/drink something small. Part of that is just exercising some discretion and noticing how your body responds- I personally find that it’s not as big a deal when I’m training less frequently, but higher-volume and two-a-days have definitely made me a bit more proactive when it comes to that sort of thing.
