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.

One of the hardest things to figure out is what to eat before a race. During a race, you’re probably eating energy bars and gels, but before and after the race, what do you do?

There are so many options, but only some of them are smart, healthy choices. To make things worse, everyone is different. So what works great for your friend could be horrible for you.

With that in mind, I want to give you an idea of what foods you should be eating before and after your rides. Exact foods will vary by personal preference and type of ride, but this will give you a good overview.

Think Before You Eat

Before making a choice, there are considerations. The right meal choice will depend on ride duration, time of day, and ride intensity.

For example, if I’m riding early in the morning, I will eat nothing beforehand. I’ll just go straight into my during-ride nutrition consisting of energy bars, gels, and drinks.

Since you should have eaten dinner the night before, and your body will hold about 2,000 calories worth of energy in its glycogen stores, you technically don’t need breakfast. As long as you do start eating while riding, you’ll be fine.

If the ride is late morning or afternoon, I will eat a meal 3-4 hours before the start of the ride. That way my body has time to digest the food beforehand.

During intense rides, you don’t want food in your stomach. (Well, unless you want to puke.)

With longer, slow rides, I worry less about timing because I can still digest food at the slow riding pace. I can literally eat as I walk out the door.

What To Eat Before a Ride

When I do eat a considerable meal 3-4 hours before a ride, I am looking for a balance of whole grain carbohydrates, healthy fat, and protein. The meal will be based on complex carbs (no steak and eggs,) but you don’t want to skimp on fat and protein.

This type of meal will take longer to digest than something based on simple carbs, but that’s fine, because you have 3-4 hours for that. Also, the protein and fat will supply longer-lasting energy and a feeling of satiety.

Just don’t consume too much fat, protein, or fiber immediately before or during the ride, because you need to focus on riding, not digesting!

Here are a few examples of what I might eat before a ride:

• Hearty oatmeal.
• Whole wheat toast + natural peanut butter.
• An apple.
• Hearty, natural granola (whole grains, almonds, etc.)
• Cheerios without milk. (If I need something quick while walking out the door.)

What I would not eat:

• Sugary cereal like Froot Loops, Cap’n Crunch, etc.
• Pancakes with syrup.
• White bread or bagels.
• Yogurt.
• Citrus fruits. (Acidic fruits could possibly disrupt digestion.)

You could also try to eat twice before a big ride. In this case you would have your big meal (i.e. oatmeal) four hours beforehand, then have a small snack (i.e. dry Cheerios or Nature Valley granola bar) at 45 minutes before heading out.

In this case my big meal would be roughly 800-1,000 calories, and my snack would be 90-200 calories.

What To Eat After a Ride

Immediately after a ride (ideally within 15 minutes of finishing,) I’m looking for a meal that will quickly replenish my energy but also rebuild my muscles. So I will go ahead and eat some simple carbs, but I want a little protein, too.

At this point, your body is most receptive to refueling, so the carbs will go towards replenishing muscle glycogen (instead of being stored as fat.)

Don’t forget protein though – you need to add some protein into this meal to aid in recovery, and a few studies have shown that you can actually absorb more nutrients with a carb:protein mixture.

Just be careful not to eat too much protein or fat just yet, since that could slow the absorption of carbs. (That’s good at other times of the day, like in the evening after the big ride, but not right now!)

Here is what I might eat immediately after a ride:

• Peanut butter banana smoothie.
• Toasted peanut butter banana sandwich.
• A banana.
• Whole wheat pasta with tomato sauce.
• Specialty recovery drink.
• A glass of Ovaltine.
• Baked potato.

Just make sure you get something that’s high on the Glycemic Index right after the ride. (If you must have something sugary, like pancakes and syrup, do it now!)

What I would not eat:

• A plate of bacon.
• A huge steak.

I’d still avoid white bread and sugary cereal because I cut those foods out of my diet, but if you were going to eat that stuff, now is the time to do it.

Later in the evening I might have a meal consisting of whole wheat pasta, chicken breast, and some steamed vegetables. Or you could have your steak and baked potato.

Those are just some ideas from my kitchen. To find the right meals for your needs, keep experimenting. It could take a few years but eventually you should figure out what works best!

Eating Tip: keep all of this information in your food log so you can determine what works best for you! And when you find the perfect pre- and post-ride meals, remember them!

For more nutrition advice, stay tuned for What to Eat During Your Ride.

Photo credits: eyeliam | terren in Virginia | mollypop

If I have a long day ahead of me, there’s only one option for breakfast – oatmeal. Oatmeal is quite simply the perfect breakfast for a long day.

With a big bowl of oatmeal, such as my cinnamon raisin oatmeal, I can go all day.

Here’s why it’s so great:

1) Oatmeal is natural and nearly unprocessed.

Oatmeal is healthy and natural for one basic reason – it’s made almost entirely of oats, which are very healthy grains. And even better, the oats are nearly unprocessed. That’s what really sets oatmeal apart from cereals that come out of a box.

(Those cereals are usually just white flour plus some added nutrients to make it appear healthy, when in actuality most nutrients were already stripped out of the ingredients during the processing.)

2) Oatmeal keeps you full.

Oatmeal keeps you full longer than most other foods. Since the oats are whole grain, there’s plenty of fiber, which helps you feel satiated. Oatmeal “sticks to your gut” as they say.

So if breakfast could end up being your only real meal of the day, choose oatmeal!

3) You can get 1,000 high-energy calories in one bowl.

You can get 1,000 calories in one bowl (if the bowl is big enough.) If you need to fuel for, or refuel from, a huge ride, this is the ticket. And a lot the calories are from carbs, so you should get tons of energy and feel great on your next ride.

4) Oatmeal is packed with protein, fiber, and tons of good nutrients.

While there are lots of carbs, oatmeal also contains protein, fiber, and other important nutrients. Among others, one beneficial nutrient is that soluble fiber which may reduce LDL cholesterol (the bad one) without lowering HDL cholesterol (the good one.)

To learn about more nutrients packed in oatmeal, just see the oatmeal page at World’s Healthiest Foods.

5) Oatmeal makes a great conduit for fruit.

Besides oatmeal, fruit is also great for breakfast. And oatmeal just happens to taste great with fruit mixed in!

Flavor your oatmeal with blueberries, strawberries, bananas, or peaches for a great breakfast where you also get potent antioxidants and nutrients from the fruit.

So what are you waiting for, go have some oatmeal!

Photo credit: nate steiner

I love oatmeal. I cook it myself almost every single day. (The pre-made packets are alright, but they usually contain too much extra sugar.)

Nevertheless, oatmeal is a great breakfast. It’s full of healthy, hearty grains, and fills you up – it “sticks to your gut” as they say. In other words, it keeps you feeling satisfied for hours.

I typically go with a cinnamon raisin flavor. I enjoy it, and it never gets old. Roughly speaking, here are the ingredients:

• Large bowl
• 1 1/2 cups Rolled Oats
• 2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Organic Cane Sugar (optional, to taste)
• 1/2 cup Raisins
• 1 1/2 cups Milk

And here is how to put it all together:

Step 1: Rolled Oats

Dump about 1 1/2 cups of rolled oats into your large bowl. I usually use the quick oats (which are ground a bit more and make for easier cooking,) but some people swear by steel cut oats. Use whatever you prefer.

Step 2: Cinnamon

Now pour in the cinnamon! Cinnamon is extremely healthy, so I just dump it on. I’d say I use about 2 tsp, although you only need about 1/4 tsp to get great health benefits.

Step 3: Sugar

I usually do my oatmeal without any sugar, but every so often I treat myself and put a little bit of organic cane sugar in, too. 1 tsp is usually plenty, even for a big bowl.

Step 4: Stir

Now that all the dry ingredients are in, stir them up with your spoon.

Step 5: Raisins

Add in 1/2 cup raisins. (This is where the real sweetness comes from.)

Step 6: Stir again

Now stir the raisins in so all the ingredients are mixed nicely.

Step 7: Milk

Add milk. I add enough to cover the oatmeal and saturate it. In a big bowl like this, that is about 1 1/2 cups. (With more milk, the oatmeal will be thin and soupy. With less milk, the oatmeal is thick and sticky.)

You can use skim or 1% milk; both are good for creating a creamy texture. You could also use water, but I hate oatmeal made with water, since it tends to be thin, clumpy, and flavorless.

Step 8: Microwave

Now put the bowl in the microwave to cook. I usually put the bowl in for a minute, then take it out and stir it, and then microwave again for about 35 seconds. This keeps it from clumping up.

Cooking time will vary by microwave and by size of bowl. (My huge serving size requires extra cooking time!)

Step 9: Eat

Sit back, relax, and enjoy eating your bowl of oatmeal!

* My bowl of oatmeal is pretty darn big. If for some reason you’d rather not have a 1,000 calorie bowl of oatmeal, you can scale back the portion sizes as you prefer. But I usually eat at least 3,000 calories per day, so my breakfast is usually this size.