
Carbohydrates are sometimes warned to have adverse effects, but if given at the right time when you ride your bike, they can greatly improve your performance. In the article below, let’s learn about the best carbon-rich foods for the body when riding!
The latest research has shed the most light on the conversion of energy from carbohydrates and the optimal ways to be able to create them, as well as being able to taste sweet things during the process.
1. Distinguish good carbs from bad carbs
The wide variety of energy drinks, gels and energy bars on the market can be confusing. You should see which works best, as well as the benefits of being able to look at the energy hierarchy and how we get it from our food. The way the body converts food into glucose (blood sugar) can therefore fuel the body’s energy.

The mechanism and the process of making energy from carbs is also influenced by the type of carbs you are consuming. By looking at foods you digested every day you can control your energy levels by eating certain carbohydrates.
Most energy-containing foods are classified according to their position on the glycemic index (GI). This is a review of foods that help give its effects on the body’s glucose level when it is digested over a period of two hours.
“The higher the GI, the higher the blood sugar,” said Mayur Ranchordas, senior lecturer in sports science and nutrition at Sheffield Hallam University. The carbs are digested quickly so that their glucose is quickly released into the bloodstream with the highest glycemic index (high GI index above 70).
“Carbohydrates break down glucose slowly as food drips slowly into the bloodstream,” Ranchordas says. They have a low glycemic index (GI below 55). Moderate GI foods do not drip food nor provide a sugar fever.
2.Eat what and when
When you consume carbohydrates and they can affect your performance. High-carbohydrate foods like pasta and bread can’t be eaten during a race because they are not digested fast enough to be turned into energy in the time you need it.
“The ideal time to eat low to medium GI foods is from low to two to three hours before driving,” Ranchordas says. During the trip you want a high GI that will quickly provide a boost of carbs right after the event. Then, get back to low or medium GI to low to medium average ha two to three hours before the ride. “During the trip you want a high GI, quick to deliver carbs – right after the event. Then come back to low / medium GI two to three hours later. “
For an athlete they can boost digestion with quick energy often consuming some low-sugar snacks with a high GI but not too high in quick-delivery ingredients.
“Jelly babies, Jaffas and jam-rich white bread have a very high glycemic index,” explains Ruth McLean, a nutrition scientist at SportScotland, but they aren’t as good as energy drinks. requires hydration. “
The muscles can store up to the maximum amount of glucose with 120 minutes of intense exercise. Energy drink contains fast-soluble carbohydrates that rapidly digests Fructose and Dextrose. When mixed with water, it can easily pass through the digestive tract into the bloodstream.

“To maintain refueling athletes need to do these things through race – that’s why liquid glucose is a better energy than bulk glucose,” says Ranchordas.
Increasingly, energy drinks may offer more complex solutions that include sodium and protein in their composition. Some studies show that sodium helps to stimulate thirst and increase the amount of fluid consumed by athletes, while also helping to replace minerals lost through sweat.

Protein also plays a role in energy drinks with studies showing that a drink after drinking or a gel or energy bar has a 4: 1 gram ratio of energy to protein is the ideal balance for can repair muscles, restore energy and build glycogen stores.
3. How carbs are converted into fuel
Digestive enzymes in your stomach start to convert food into fuel in your body that can break down proteins into amino acids, carbs into glucose and fats into fatty acids or glycerol.
As your digestive juices break down the carbs you’ve eaten, the pancreas also releases a hormone that helps transport glucose to your cells where it is burned through a chemical mixture with oxygen. to fuel muscles as well as nerves. The glycerol is then transported to the liver where it is stored or released as required so it can become glucose.
Studies show that muscles can also store enough sugar during 120 minutes of intense training – then reducing the amount of available fuel leads to an end-to-end performance decrease.
4. Carbs loading plan
Time |
Amount of Carbs |
2-3 hours before the trip |
Eat foods in quantity such as: porridge, barley mi bread, toast or omelet. |
30 minutes before the trip |
Moderate snacks like a banana |
During the trip |
Quickly eat high-GI energy drinks, energy gels and dried fruits like raisins are best |
After the trip |
For quick recovery, eat cornflakes or crispy rice cakes with milk (for protein for muscle recovery) |
2-3 hours after the trip |
Low GI: Grilled salmon with steamed broccoli and mashed potatoes (low / medium GI carbs) is ideal. |
The above are the most useful tips from leading cycling experts. If you want a better ride, check out more from longtime riders!
>> Maybe you are interested: 10 super foods that energize your trip
Source content: Best Carbs Foods for Cyclists
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