Today’s question about eating before and after a workout is a follow up to this question about proper nutrition for riding and racing.

When you say a big meal before hand, does that mean like pasta, chicken, potatoes, etc? I imagine you eat the oatmeal and PB&J sandwich like 1 hour before training/riding. On Saturday and Saturdays are my most intense days. 2 hour of spin, ab work and yoga, and then like 40 minutes of weights. Pretty much all day at the gym.

I am absolutely starving at the end and just want to pig out and usally eat things when I get home that arent good like Oreos and other nasty stuff because I don’t know what to make. Should I eat a huge breakfast on these days, or should I sort of carbo load for dinner the night before. Usually my coach doesn’t let us eat during practice for some strange reason. So, is there any good, filling food I should load up on for breakfast/dinner night before. I have tried the PB and toasted Banana sandwich (Very tasty ) but that alone doesn’t fill me up for long.

Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions!!
-Nutritious Nick

Hi again Nick,

Typically I’d go for 800-1000 calories if I’m eating 3-4 hours before the workout, with an emphasis on complex carbs, protein, and fat. A very large bowl of oatmeal or two sandwiches (big, dense slices of bread, thick banana slices, thick layer of peanut butter) work for me. Then I might grab something like a Nature Valley or Kashi granola bar 1 hour beforehand.

You could do the same thing with a couple plates of whole wheat pasta or wild rice and chicken, though. I have found a lot of people eat much less than I do, so it’s really just a personal thing. Perhaps you need a little more protein and fat in your meal, who knows.

The best thing you can do is try different foods in different amounts until you find the perfect combo. It’s worth it!

I don’t think I have the recipe for this up yet, but I like to make banana smoothies post workout. I put 1-2 sliced frozen bananas, 1-2 whole eggs, a splash of orange juice, and 1-2 cups milk together and blend. It’s quick to make and filling. (Usually I end up with around 36oz of smoothie!)

As for “no eating during practice,” I’ve had coaches with similar philosophies, such as “water makes you weak.” If you can’t eat during the workout, try sneaking in calories by drinking Accelerade or Hammer Perpetuem, which could get you 240-500 calories in one water bottle if mixed strong enough. The extra protein, plus the sheer number of calories, should help out. (It’s basically liquid food.)

Although, if you’re eating that much food and you’re still hungry, maybe it’s time to totally rethink your strategy. You might even want to go without any breakfast! It sounds crazy, but some people are having great luck with that strategy. (But going sans breakfast requires you to start drinking and/or eating during the ride.)

You could also try eating a 3,000 calorie breakfast (sort of like Michael Phelps’ super high calorie diet,) but it’s hard to digest and absorb all that food right before a ride, and I would expect that to do more harm than good.

But like I said, test all the scenarios and see how each one works.

Questions concerning nutrition plans are second only to training plans…

Hi, I was curious as to what specific foods you recommend eating before training and races. I am 17 and race Cat 5 due to me just starting road racing (mostly raced XC MTB). My coach said to eat carbs and water. However, I find that I am “bonking” half way through the 90 minute spinning class and 30 minutes of yoga 4 times a week. I defiantly don’t want to bonk during a race.

So, what specific food do you recommend I eat before training/racing? Any recipes?

Also, what sports drink do you recommend when road racing/training? Recently I have been using orange flavored Cytomax. It works well, but I was just wondering if you reccomend anything else???

Thanks,
Nutritious Nick

Hi Nick,

Thanks for the questions. This aspect of nutrition is very important for training and racing, and nailing down the perfect strategy takes some trial and error.

I have a couple articles outlining different eating/drinking plans for specific scenarios (see “What to Eat During a Ride” and “What to Eat Pre- and Post-Ride”,) but I’ll try to tackle your specifics here.

It sounds like you’re not eating enough either during or before the workout. For a 90 minute spinning class, I’d definitely recommend carrying a 24 or 32oz bottle of sports drink, considering how much you might sweat in the hot, stale environment. Something like Cytomax, Hammer Heed, Powerbar Endurance, etc. They are all practically the same so I wouldn’t worry too much about that choice, as long as you’re getting 50-100 calories per 8oz serving and you like the flavor.

I would imagine your 90 minute spin session is pretty intense, so I highly recommend eating a good meal about 3-4 hours beforehand. (Unless it’s at 5:30 am, in which case last night’s dinner would be the meal.)

Two of my favorite pre-ride meals are whole wheat toast with natural peanut butter, and oatmeal.

Those two meals contain a mix of complex carbs, protein, and fat which should make you feel better, longer. A good meal plus sports drink should give you the energy to get through that length of a workout, but you could also try a Powerbar or GU gel during the class, if absolutely necessary.

If none of that helps, you might be pushing yourself too hard. Four rides per week isn’t a problem, but four intense rides could be, especially if you don’t have many high-mileage years of riding already in your legs.

So if you’re still bonking even with an increased caloric intake, it might be worth switching to two intense spin classes and two steady, endurance rides per week. Six hours of spinning per week is quite a bit. (I would have tried the same thing at your age, of course, but I don’t think I’d recommend that sort of winter training unless your most important races of the season are in March.)

Alas, good luck and let me know how it goes!

Did you just buy your first mountain bike so you can get into XC racing?

Chances are you bought something like the Trek 6700, Giant XTC 1, Cannondale F4, or Specialized Rockhopper Expert. These are roughly $1100-1300 bikes, which is not cheap, but you still might want to upgrade some parts and add accessories to decrease the weight and improve the performance.

Here is what I would do to make your bike race-ready without spending too much money:

Day of Purchase

The first upgrade you need to make is going to clipless pedals. You should do this immediately, because it’s a huge performance upgrade!

Most bikes in this price range either have flat pedals, no pedals at all, or maybe the basic Shimano SPD pedals. (If they do come with a pedal like the Shimano M520, you can use that to start, but be prepared to upgrade eventually, as these pedals don’t always work well.)

If the bike comes without clipless pedals, I would recommend looking at nicer pedals from Shimano, Time, and Crank Brothers. Popular models are the Shimano M770, Time ATAC XS Carbon, Crank Bros Eggbeater SL, and Crank Bros Candy SL.

You will also need special shoes to go with the clipless pedals. Take a look at models from Shimano, Sidi, Northwave, Specialized, Bontrager, Diadora, and Pearl Izumi. (Consider some more cycling clothing while you’re at it.)

Next, look at the saddle. There’s a chance you’ll like the saddle that comes on the bike. If so, great.

You won’t be doing too many long rides where you sit the whole time (unlike on a road bike,) so the saddle won’t be as big of a deal. But if you hate the saddle, switch it! I’m a big fan of Fizik and WTB saddles for mountain bike use.

After A Few Rides

After a few rides, consider getting some new rubber. AKA, grips and tires.

If the stock grips are comfy, go ahead and stick with them. But if they suck (as a lot of grips do,) upgrade them. I think the Oury grips and ESI grips are good, but also try out the Ergon grips if you have had any hand discomfort with regular grips.

Next, tires. Even if you got decent tires on your bike, mountain bike racing calls for more than one pair of tires. That’s because you need at least two sets of tires – one for dry conditions and one for wet, muddy conditions.

Some tires I like include the IRC Serac XC, Maxxis Crossmark, Maxxis Monorail, Hutchinson Python, and Kenda Nevegal. But there are many tires out there, and you need the ones that match your typical riding conditions. (Someone in the Arizona desert needs different tires than someone riding technical East Coast singletrack.)

Ask the local bike shop or your fellow racers for tire recommendations for your area.

New Wheels, Go Tubeless

As you start thinking about new tires, also think about going tubeless. Switching to tubeless tires is a huge performance upgrade! (First priority for performance is clipless pedals and shoes, but a close second is tubeless tires.)

There are two ways to accomplish this – buy UST wheels, or use a Stan’s NoTubes conversion kit.

On a budget:

If you’re on a budget, go for the Stans NoTubes conversion, which will convert your existing wheels and tires to tubeless for just about $55.

Also, if your standard wheels are good quality and you don’t want to spend $650 on new ones, the Stan’s conversion kit is for you.

With a little work, you’ll turn your regular wheels into a sweet set of tubeless wheels! It is so worth it! (It takes some work though, so don’t expect it to be easy.)

If you can afford new wheels:

If you have the money, spring for some new wheels. These are typically called UST tubeless wheels, and two popular options are Mavic Crossmax SL and Stan’s Olympic Disc wheels.

Both wheelsets are fairly expensive (around $650-900,) but they are lightweight and don’t require fussing around to get them working without tubes.

Important Components to Upgrade

Here are some good ideas if you still have more money than you know what to do with:

Brakes

Your brakes get a lot of use when mountain biking! These days, bikes in this price range come equipped with decent hydraulic disc brakes. These should work great for years to come, so don’t be in a hurry to upgrade.

On the other hand, if you have V-brakes, I’d swap those out ASAP. Disc brakes work so much better, especially in wet conditions, so it’s worth the investment.

But let’s say you have some basic hydraulic discs like the Avid Juicy 3 or Shimano Deore. They’re alright, but if you want better performance (nicer levers, better modulation, more power, etc.), you can upgrade your brakes because they are so important.

A popular option is the Avid Juicy Ultimate, but there are also nice brakes from Shimano XTR, Hayes, Hope, and Magura.

Suspension fork

Another expensive upgrade, a nice fork could cost more than your wheels. (I feel wheels are much more important, and brakes a little more important than this upgrade, but a good fork is nice to have.)

The real key is to have a fork with a lockout. These days, virtually every fork is going to have a lockout, so your current fork is probably fine.

But you can save some serious weight and get a better feel with a nicer fork. The RockShox SID and Fox F100 forks are popular options.

The Drivetrain

A good drivetrain is essential to performance, but a basic drivetrain consisting of Shimano Deore and/or SLX parts (or SRAM X.7 or X.9 components) should deliver solid performance. (If your drivetrain isn’t performing well, consider adjusting it properly or working on your shifting technique.)

Considering the likelihood of damaging derailleurs while riding, I would just wait and replace them when necessary. (If you must upgrade, I’d stick with Shimano XT, as XTR is super expensive.)

As for the rest of the drivetrain, just replace it as necessary. When they need replacement, a good chain and cassette will improve performance and save weight. Your bike probably came with a cheap, heavy cassette. (That’s the #1 priority for upgrading if you upgrade anything in the drivetrain.)

Just remember that you’ll go through at least a couple chains each year, and the cassette will need changed every so often.

Other Bicycle Components

If you’ve made it this far, your bike is probably very nice. There’s not much left to upgrade, but here are a couple ideas:

To save weight, consider a carbon seatpost. You could also choose a carbon handlebar to save more weight and possibly increase your comfort.

But the seatpost, stem, and handlebar are probably the last parts I’d upgrade.

Final Thoughts on Upgrading Components

Upgrading components can be fun and exciting, but buying purely on emotion will burn through your money real fast. You should first upgrade the parts that will give you the most bang for your buck, and then move on to the other parts. And don’t forget that many parts will wear out and need replaced, so you want to have some money saved for that!

In any case, it’s your bike, so have fun with it!

So you just picked up a new road bike to take advantage of the beautiful sunny weather. It’s a great bike that cost about $1200-1400. That got you some pretty good parts, like a full Shimano 105 drivetrain and a decent wheelset.

Some bikes that fall into this category are: Trek 2.1, Giant Defy 1, Specialized Allez Sport, and Cannondale CAAD9 5. These bikes all fall into the price range, although each one has slightly different parts.

Despite it being a new bike, you probably want to upgrade some components now or in the near future. Here is how I would do it:

Day of Purchase

The same day you purchase your bike, you should make a few changes or upgrades.

First, make sure you’re getting a comfortable saddle. Some shops have loaners that you can borrow for test rides so you know which one works for you, before plunking down $100+ for one that looks neat but is totally uncomfortable. (The Selle Italia Flite, Fizik Arione, and Fizik Aliante are popular choices, but what matters is getting the one that fits your behind.)

Next, you most certainly want clipless pedals and shoes. Going to a clipless pedal system (instead of platform pedals) will totally transform your riding experience for the better. This could cost anywhere from $100-450 or even more, but it’s worth it.

I’d also get some bike-specific clothing at this point, if you don’t have any yet.

The First, Most Important Upgrade

If you have some extra money and you’re just itching to get some new bike parts, there is one upgrade you can make that will make more of a difference than all others combined.

And that upgrade is new wheels and tires. Lighter, stiffer, smoother, and/or more aerodynamic wheels will noticeably increase your performance and make the bike more fun to ride.

Some of the nicer wheelsets include Mavic Ksyrium SL, Williams s19, Williams s30, Neuvation R28, Reynolds Solitude, Shimano Dura-Ace, and Zipp 404. The Williams and Neuvation wheels are great values at $300-500, with other high-end wheels costing $800 or more.

To go with the new wheels, you definitely want new tires. Heck, even if you can’t afford new wheels, getting new tires will still make a huge difference in your bike’s ride.

I’m a fan of Michelin tires – I love the Krylion Carbon as well as the Pro 3 Race. Other popular tires are the Continental Grand Prix 4000, Vittoria Open Corsa, and Hutchinson Fusion. These top-of-the-line tires will cost about $35-65 each.

(If you’re low on cash, a tire upgrade is going to make a huge difference and is definitely the most bang for your buck.)

Upgrading Other Bike Parts

Once you have upgraded the wheels and tires, your bike should feel great. If so, you’re all set. But if you want to keep going, here are some more ideas…

If the bike came with carbon seatpost, great. If not, get a carbon seatpost. That will add comfort and save some weight at the same time.

You could also go to a carbon handlebar for more comfort for your hands and arms. It’s not super important, but if you have any sort of hand discomfort, an anatomically shaped carbon bar could help.

The other parts to consider are brakes. Most brakes on bikes in this price range are cheap, no-name brakes without a lot of stopping power. If your brakes work alright, but lack a little stopping power, the first upgrade is actually new brake pads.

Sometimes the small switch to high-quality brake pads will make a huge difference in stopping power.

Now, if the brakes are bad enough that they don’t work well at all, it’s time to replace them! Maybe you ride in hilly areas and your brakes feel weak and spongy on the downhills. New brakes, perhaps Shimano 105 or SRAM Rival, will give you greater safety and confidence, since you know the brakes will stop you if necessary.

Upgrading the Drivetrain

The natural instinct is to upgrade the bike’s drivetrain, so you might be wondering why it’s so far down the list. But believe it or not, your Shimano 105 drivetrain is going to work nearly as well as Dura Ace.* It might not be quite as stiff or shiny, but it’s close enough.

What you’re really paying for with the upgrades is weight savings, and there are much better places to save weight on bikes in this price range.

* If you have shifting issues, most likely the drivetrain needs adjusted. If it is setup properly, it should shift flawlessly. (Also, a double chainring setup will shift much better than a triple, so keep that in mind if your triple setup is a little rough.)

Performance-wise, the best drivetrain upgrade would be shifters. That’s where you really feel the difference. (Since the shifters control the derailleurs, it’s likely that upgrading the derailleurs and not the shifters, everything will still feel the same.)

Weight-wise, upgrading the cassette should give you a pretty good weight savings. Sometimes the cassette will be a super cheap one that weighs a ton, since the casual observer won’t notice it. (As opposed to the rear derailleur, which “screams” its name thanks to the big logo on it.)

But before plunking down money for upgraded parts, be sure you can afford your regular replacement parts! The cassette, chain, and chainrings will wear out from normal use, and they’ll need replaced.

** Another thing to consider is, in this price range, you won’t always get a full Shimano 105 drivetrain. You might see some Tiagra and Sora parts. Tiagra parts are alright, but not as good as 105. Sora parts, well, they are worth upgrading!

Don’t Forget, You’ll Need Replacement Parts

Before spending money willy nilly, be sure you can afford to replace the parts that will wear out.

Drivetrain parts need replaced on occasion. The chain will need replaced 2-3 times per year, the cassette once per year, and chainrings may last 1.5-2 years. (Of course, this varies by mileage and your maintenance schedule.)

Cables and housing should also be replaced periodically. Once per year is more than enough, unless your cables get covered in gunk from wet and muddy rides, or if you see the cable fraying. (If the cables aren’t moving smoothly or if there’s rust or fraying, it needs replaced.)

The handlebar tape will need replaced too. This is a fun upgrade because you can change the color to give your bike a new look.

Lastly, the cleats for your clipless pedals will wear out. Plastic cleats could need replaced as often as once every 3-6 months.

Final Thoughts on Upgrading Components

Upgrading components can be fun and exciting, but buying purely on emotion will burn through your money real fast. You should first upgrade the parts that will give you the most bang for your buck, and then move on to the other parts. And don’t forget that many parts will wear out and need replaced, so you want to have some money saved for that!

In any case, it’s your bike, so have fun with it!

If you have sore legs but need them fresh for a race…

My legs have been really sore lately. For example, today during my team ride, my legs felt terrible. I was getting passed by 6 year olds. I didn’t feel tired at all and I wasn’t bonking, but my legs just wouldn’t work since they were so sore. There not injured just really sore. I have a race this weekend, and need the best legs possible. Any tips on quad/calve recovery?? I heard ice bath??????

Thanks,
Recovering Reggie

Hi Reggie,

This is a very easy question to answer, although you might not like what I have to say…

There is one simple thing you can do to speed your recovery – rest.

That’s the real key to recovery for sore muscles. They need rest so they can repair themselves after the strenuous training you have done preparing for the races.

This is the hardest concept to grasp for all recreational cyclists and new racers looking to improve fast. People train too much and rest too little!

But once you can convince yourself to try training less and resting more, you’ll realize it works!

Now, as far as ice baths, heat, massage, etc. go, they are all interesting ideas and they may make you feel good, but there’s no scientific evidence they do anything to speed recovery.

Such activities certainly have a place during a recovery period, of course, but don’t expect a miracle cure at the last minute. Even with fish oil and Omega-3 supplements which I have found to be awesome, it still takes time to reap the rewards.

What you need to focus on is living a low-stress lifestyle and eating a healthy diet, and making rest/recovery activities a part of each day.

Without that healthy lifestyle, recovery will be hampered. But no matter how healthy you are, there’s no substitute for rest.