Biking Nutrition: Tips for What & How Much to Eat

Disclosure:  This post about biking nutrition is sponsored by Shine Organics, but as always all opinions are my own.

Now that the weather is cooling off a bit, I’m really kicking myself for not getting in more outdoor bike rides this summer.  I did a lot of sessions on the spin bike or trainer in preparation for my summer triathlons, simply because it was easier to fit those in with my son (hello, YMCA childcare!).  But before it gets too cold, I’m determined to get at least a few nice, long outdoor rides in and really enjoy the upcoming fall foliage.

For any cyclist – myself included – biking nutrition can make or break those long rides.  If you structure your fueling plan correctly, you can find yourself with great energy, a comfortable stomach, and an awesome few hours in the saddle.  If you structure it wrong, you might find yourself feeling fatigued too early or struggling with GI upset.

Here are some tips to help you with your biking nutrition, and a sneak peek at one of my favorite new real food products to use on the bike!

How Much to Eat:

If you’re riding for more than an hour and fifteen minutes, that’s when you want to start thinking about fuel choices.  Your body has enough energy stored in the muscles to support shorter rides, so you don’t need to worry about eating anything on a quick 30 minute ride around town.  

For the longer rides, though, you’ll want to take in some carbohydrate to help fuel your muscles.  The standard recommendation is 30-60 grams of carbohydrate per hour.  It’s easy to figure out how many grams a product has just by looking at its food label, or doing a quick glance at an online nutrition database.

You generally don’t want to go too far over the 60 grams per hour recommendation (though some athletes can tolerate up to 90 grams for very long rides) because the digestive system can only process so much carbohydrate at one time.

What to Eat:

You can choose anything you’d like that sits well in your stomach and supplies your muscles with the energy you need.  Most of the time people think only of the engineered sports nutrition products – which are all fine of course – but I like to remind people that real food can fit your needs too.  And there are a lot of whole food carbohydrate sources out there.

The nice thing about cycling, as opposed to running, is that most people can generally tolerate a wider variety of foods.  The body is more stationary and you don’t experience the jostling of the stomach that often accompanies running.

That said, the longer the ride, the more people sometimes start to struggle with digestion and stomach upset at the end.  Because of this, you may have a greater tolerance for certain types of foods at the beginning, but might need to switch to very easily digestible items towards the end of the ride.

Regardless of what fuel choice you decide to use for biking nutrition, you of course want to practice with them before any big events.  Your first triathlon or your next century ride is probably not the time to test out a new product; instead try new things during training to perfect your race-day plans in advance.

Shine Organics Pouches for Biking Nutrition!

Alright, so here’s where I get to share what I’ve been snacking on lately while riding – Shine Organics pouches!  They’re 90-130 calories each, and contain 19-23 grams of carbohydrates.  That means one of these every 30-45 minutes will meet your carbohydrate needs for your long rides.  They also have a much better texture (in my opinion) then gels.  

Since the pouches themselves are low in sodium (which is great for everyday nutrition, but something we do want to replenish on a ride), I combine these pouches with an electrolyte drink for my rides.

Plus, here are some additional things I like about these Shine Organics pouches for active ladies (and guys!):

–> The pouches contain real food ingredients. A lot of the pouches out there that are marketed towards fitness folks may not be as whole-food based as you’d like.  But the Shine Organics pouches are full of nutritious, easy to recognize ingredients.

–> All the ingredients are organic and non-GMO. Now, I don’t necessarily ensure that everything I buy fits these criteria – it’s a complicated subject.  But I do like that there are these options out there for those who feel passionate about those standards.

–> I feel good about giving them to my whole family. Let’s be real, moms, you know as soon as you grab these from your closet to pack in your cycling jersey, your toddler will decide they want the exact same thing to snack on right.this.second.  {Is this just at my house?!}  Even though these are pouches designed for grown-ups, they’re still fine to share with the kiddos.  If my son happens to snag one, I’m confident that he’s eating a nutritious snack and getting some extra fruits & veggies in his day!  

–> These pouches can be great for any activity, not just biking. You can pack them for a snack to help you fuel your next hike, or a quick energy boost before your evening yoga class (hence, the pics below!).  I like products that have multiple uses, and these are definitely one of them.

Want to grab some for your next cycling ride – or just to snack on during the day? 

Good news – they’re available at Target!  Aka, the 30-something-year-old lady’s home base.  No need to go to a specialty store or make a separate online order; you can pick ‘em up at the same time you grab your milk, end table, and that cute workout tank 😉  {Side note, if there are any single guys reading this – you need to skip the clubs and go to Target!  Beautiful, smart women galore up in there.}

PS – remember when I mentioned about your toddler wanting to steal your snacks the minute you take them out.  YEP…

I’ve even got a coupon for you so you can save a little money on these the next time you head to Target – just print it off here and you’ll save a dollar off a four pack.

I hope this post was helpful for thinking about your own biking nutrition, as well as giving you a new fuel idea with the Shine Organics pouches!

Share with me:  What is your favorite snack to eat while cycling?  Have you ever tried these Shine Organics pouches?  What activity would you use these to help fuel (biking, yoga, running, etc)?

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Chrissy Carroll

Chrissy Carroll is a Registered Dietitian, RRCA Running Coach, and USAT Level I Triathlon Coach. She specializes in sharing training tips, sports nutrition information, and healthy recipes for runners, triathletes, and active women.Chrissy holds a Bachelor's Degree in Nutrition, a Masters Degree in Public Health, and is also an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer.

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