road cycling guide

Road Racing Nutrition

We developed the HIGH5 Advanced Nutrition Guides so you can use sports nutrition correctly and perform at your best. They are sports specific and cover every major event distance. Below is our step-by step guide to Road Racing Nutrition.

Breakfast before

Breakfast should be light and high in carbohydrate. There are a number of options for a 'good' breakfast. Porridge, peanut butter toast and pancakes are popular choices that give you carbs without being too heavy.

To start your caffeine loading program, drink one 750ml bottle of Energy Drink Caffeine Hit, in the period 60 to 90 minutes before the start of you ride. At the same time take the following Energy Gel Caffeine which contain a moderate caffeine content.

Your body weight:
50kg to 60kg: 1 x Energy Gel Caffeine
60kg to 70kg: 2 x Energy Gel Caffeine
70kg to 90kg: 3 x Energy Gel Caffeine

Carbohydrate and fluids during

How much you are able to drink during your ride will depend on the weather conditions and your sweat rate. The special 2:1 formulation in Energy Drink means that in hot conditions you can drink in excess of 1000ml per hour without upsetting your stomach. If the weather is cold and you drink less than 800ml per hour, you need to increase your carbohydrate intake, by taking Energy Gel. If you drink the following amounts of Energy Drink each hour, you should take the number of gels shown:

800ml or more: no gel
750ml: 1x Gel
500ml: 2x Gel
250ml: 3x Gel

Your first gel each hour should be Energy Gel Caffeine (contains caffeine) to keep the caffeine level in your body topped up during longer events. Any remaining gels taken in that hour should be standard Energy Gel (no caffeine) otherwise your overall caffeine intake will be too high. You will not need to eat or drink anything else even during a longer event.

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.

After

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. When mixed with milk, Recovery Drink is absorbed more slowly and provides a long lasting feed while you sleep.

Good Luck!

Notes:

Substitute Energy Gel Aqua for Energy Gel if you wish.
These road racing nutrition guidelines should provide your body with the maximum amount of carbohydrate it can absorb. Do not eat or drink anything else. You will not need it.
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.

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