If you empty your carbohydrate reserves in one day’s riding, it’s almost impossible to fully re-fuel by the next day and you will start with a part-empty tank. You must make a major effort to focus on fuelling your carbohydrate reserves during and after each day’s riding. This is critical to consistent performance in multi day events.
Breakfast before
Breakfast should be light and high in carbohydrate, cereals, toast and porridge are good examples. To start your caffeine loading program, drink the following amounts of Energy Drink Caffeine Hit, in the period 60 to 90 minutes before the start of you ride, according to your bodyweight.
40kg: 425ml
50kg: 550ml
60kg: 650ml
70kg: 750ml
80kg: 750ml + 1 Energy Gel Caffeine/Energy Gel Aqua Caffeine
90kg: 750ml + 2 Energy Gel Caffeine/Energy Gel Aqua Caffeine
During your event
Focus on drinking as much as possible. The recommended intake for new generation Energy Drink with 2:1 fructose is up to 90g per hour. Depending on how much you are able to drink, you may need to take gel to further boost your carbohydrate intake. If you drink the following amounts of Energy Drink each hour, also take the number of gels shown:
800ml or more: No Gel
750ml: 1 x Energy Gel/Energy Gel Aqua
400ml: 2 x Energy Gel/Energy Gel Aqua
The first gel each hour should be Energy Gel Caffeine. Any remaining gels taken in that hour should be standard Energy Gel (no caffeine).
Sensitive To Caffeine?
If you have a medical condition or do not wish to use caffeine for another reason, then simply switch each of the products detailed above with the non-caffeine equivalent from HIGH5 and ignore the section on caffeine loading before your event.
Anti-cramp strategy
The American College of Sports Nutrition states that:
“Muscle cramps are associated with dehydration and electrolyte deficits and muscle fatigue.”
Adding ZERO Neutral Tabs to your drink boosts the electrolyte content and provides magnesium. This might be particularly useful in hot conditions.
Understanding your body's needs and preparing accordingly can significantly reduce the risk of uncomfortable cramps. For athletes looking to extend their endurance activities beyond cycling and into running, managing nutrition and hydration is equally crucial. Read our comprehensive strategies to avoid stomach cramps while running. This will enhance your overall performance across different sports.
After each day’s ride
Drink 400ml Recovery Drink as soon as you finish. Eat a balanced meal one to two hours later. In the late evening drink 400ml Recovery Drink mixed with milk. When mixed with milk, Recovery Drink is absorbed more slowly and can provide a longer-lasting feed while you sleep.
Energy Drink with Protein
HIGH5 Energy Drink with Protein is virtually identical to Energy Drink except that it contains protein in a ratio of 4 parts carbohydrate to 1 part whey protein isolate. Many Pro athletes use 4:1 instead of normal Energy Drink with Protein DURING multi-day events or periods of hard back-to-back training.
The addition of protein offers considerable benefits over normal Energy Drink.
Notes:
- Substitute Energy Gel Aqua for Energy Gel if you wish.
- These guidelines should provide your body with the maximum amount of carbohydrate it can absorb. Try not to eat anything else, as normal solid food will slow the absorption of the 2:1 Fructose formulation. If you do feel the urge to eat solid food, then stick to rapidly absorbed carbohydrate such as white bread (with just a smear of spread to help it go down), pasta or high carbohydrate energy bars. Try to stay away from meat and high fat items such as chocolate.
- Carbo-loading before an event can increase the amount of carbohydrate you have stored by 30%.
- A few of the riders that suffer from cramps, may also find that caffeine can make them worse, so you may wish to substitute the caffeine products listed with their non-caffeine equivalents.