If you’ve been paying attention to any diet news recently, you have probably heard stuff about the Paleo diet and gluten-free diets and all sorts of diets that fly in the face of the standard endurance athlete’s diet.

Some of the advice is great, but like much of the nutrition information you find online, a lot is garbage. One book I thought stood out from the rest is The Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson of the Mark’s Daily Apple blog.

Mark used to be a serious marathoner and triathlete and probably had a diet and lifestyle similar to yours. Today he has a “Primal” lifestyle, where he lives, eats, and exercises much, much differently! We’re talking a serious cut in cardio exercise and a diet rich in red meat and saturated fat, with almost no carbs.

If Mark didn’t have such a prevalent background in endurance sports, I wouldn’t take him seriously. I would have skipped over his book completely. But coupled with my past experiences with the endurance sports lifestyle, Mark’s insights really hit home with me, so I decided to read the book.

All you really have to do is read the introduction and you’ll agree with where Mark is coming from. I’m willing to bet that his experience as an endurance athlete is not far from yours. You know, tons of exercise, getting burnt out from overtraining, destroying your immune system and getting sick five times per year, etc.

After that, Mark gets into a “Conventional Wisdom vs The Primal Blueprint” discussion. It’s a comparison between what everyone does (even though is rarely works) and what he thinks should be done. It’s funny because they are the exact opposite!

That leads into the 10 Primal Laws. This is the basis of the book. These are ten general rules to live by, and although they are for everyone, a lot of the logic can be applied to your bike racing and nutrition. Not to mention your lifestyle outside of your training plan.

I was sold on the book at this point, as my diet and training have become more “Primal” over the last couple years without even knowing it, and my results have been undoubtedly different (in a good way.) I’m still an endurance athlete, but the way I do things has changed.

Anyway, back to the content of the book. You absolutely have to read the “Grok vs Korg” section, which is a humorous comparison between the way humans lived thousands of years ago compared to today. Unfortunately, all the statistics about long workdays, lack of sleep, lots of sitting in cars and at desks, and eating tons of processed junk foods are true!

That finishes up the first section of the book which is still mostly an introduction to the whole idea of The Primal Blueprint. Next, you get into real meat of the book.

This starts with a lot of information on your macronutrients – protein, fat, and carbs. This is great advice that’s easy to understand. It shows you why most carbs are generally bad and protein and fat are generally good. It’s a much better explanation than I’ve read anywhere else, and yes, it’s well cited!

Just to be clear, this book is NOT the Atkins diet or some other stupid “extremely low calorie, no carb” diet. And while the whole “Primal” idea may sound gimmicky, the book isn’t. It’s actually a lot of science that makes sense. Rather than saying typical ideas and science you may have heard is wrong, it’s more like putting an asterisk at the end of the statement.

You actually get the “why” behind the arguments and even more importantly, how every part of your diet works together. If you don’t know this, attempting a low-carb diet probably won’t help you.

Next, there is a chapter devoted to each of the ten Primal laws, where it goes into detail on each one.

Laws 1-3 are about eating healthy and avoiding poisonous things (mostly processed food.) This continues on with good diet advice similar to what was in the first part of the book. There’s not much to say other than it’s good advice that you need to read.

Laws 4-6 are the exercise laws. In general, it’s good information, and I’m pretty sure most normal people would be much better off if they followed this advice.

However, from an endurance athlete’s perspective, I’m not so sure I agree. For example, Mark says if you get “Primal fitness” from a weekly exercise routine of 2-5 hours walking, a couple strength training workouts, plus one 10-minute sprinting session, you’ll be able to complete a half-marathon or triathlon with very little additional training.

I think that is overstating things a bit. A half-marathon is no joke. Sure, technically you could walk a half-marathon and “complete” it, but I don’t consider that an accomplishment. However, I don’t think Mark is writing for professional athletes, so no need to nitpick each detail here.

Then you get into Heart Rate (HR) zones, just like you’d find in most any endurance sports training plan. You know, do most of your rides at an endurance pace (60-70% Max HR,) rather than spending lots of time at 80% MHR, where it’s hard but not hard enough to be really beneficial. For intensity, you sprint, which would be a max effort.

I think most endurance athletes have that down, assuming they have read something like Joe Friel’s The Cyclist’s Training Bible.

Moving on, I find it odd that in the “chronic cardio” section, Mark says people are doing their frequent 30-60 minute cardio sessions at like 90% MHR. Rarely do I ever spend an entire 30 minutes straight at 90% of my MHR. 20 minutes, maybe, but that’s still an infrequent training session or race.

I can’t imagine someone of average fitness being able to exercise at that rate for any substantial amount of time!

Anyway, this section says to me, “keep doing what you’re doing” when it relates to exercise. That’s not what I expected to read, but I guess that’s a good thing!

Lastly, Mark gives some advice on proper form for running and cycling (page 190.) But unless you’re new to this stuff and buying your cycling and running gear at Walmart, you should already know this.

Finally you finish the exercise section and get to the lifestyle advice. You have your basics like getting plenty of sleep, but it goes into great detail on how sleep works and how important it is to wake up naturally. You may already know this, but it’s good to read if you don’t.

I’ve followed the recommended sleep schedule, waking up without an alarm, at least 80% of the time since I can remember. Middle school maybe? It’s quite possible to do.

I have also been following the “Play” and “Get Adequate Sunlight” laws for as long as I can remember, and I must say, it works.

Finally, The Primal Blueprint laws include avoiding stupid mistakes and using your brain. I really need to work on this! I am always making stupid mistakes and getting hurt, typically when doing something mundane. Apparently I’m alert and can keep myself out of trouble during treacherous moments or sports, but walking around the house, I’m in trouble!

Well, that finishes up the Primal rules. Now on to some other topics to round out the book…

This is a big one – the Primal Approach to Weight Loss, which covers how to lose 1-2lb body fat per week.

This is just some more details on using the Primal lifestyle for fat loss. It’s also the section where Mark admits it’s not all “effortless” like it says on the title.

A very brief section on intermittent fasting is included, although it doesn’t go very deep in the “why” it works department. I find IF very interesting and thought if he would recommend it in the book, he’d provide more details. Oh well, there is plenty of info out there if you look it up. [I will be trying this out to see how it works! Stay tuned for my Primal fat loss results.]

Finally, the conclusion. To finish up, Mark talks about how the typical lifestyle today sucks compared to Grok and how to change it, with some specific steps for taking action.

Then the rest of the book is appendices. My favorite is a three-day journal in the life of Mark Sisson, which includes diet and exercise and a general timeline.

Lastly, the “Primal Approved” and “Primal Avoid” pages which are great. It’s like a quick reference of what you can and can’t eat, drink, etc. along with what workouts are good and bad.

Usually I don’t learn a whole lot of practical information from a regular hardcover book like this, but I learned a lot and was left with a feeling of satisfaction after reading it! So it was both fun to read and useful!

My final verdict is…

Primal Blueprint is worth the read, even if you don’t believe any of the “Grok lifestyle” or “Paleo” or “live like a caveman” kind of stuff you hear.

The athletic stuff isn’t very useful because if you already have a well-designed plan that follows basic training principles, you’re right on track.

But I think the Primal lifestyle is great. And Primal eating, in addition to the basics of Precision Nutrition, makes for a solid nutrition and wellness plan. I would buy this book just to read the sections about nutrition!

Official website: www.PrimalBlueprint.com

Buy online: www.Amazon.com*

*The book is $26.99 at the official site, but more like $14.92 at Amazon.com.

Energy gels are expensive – at least $0.99 each. And they’re really just sugar.

Yeah, I like gels for racing because of the convenience factor, but on normal rides, it’s not really necessary. (Unless you’re bonking, then they’re pretty nice since the sugar hits your bloodstream so quickly.)

In most cases, I recommend looking at these energy gel alternatives:

1. Fig Newtons

Fig Newtons give you tons of carbs, and they won’t melt or freeze. They do require some chewing, but aren’t too far off from an energy gel (somewhere between a bar and a gel, I’d say.)

2. Honey

Grab some honey at the health food store (or Wal-mart if you have to,) and you have a cheaper version of energy gel that is basically the same thing.

You can either carry the honey around in a small honey squeeze bottle or put it in a gel flask.

3. Dates

Dates are fruit that tastes good and provides lots of sugar, kind of like the fig filling in Fig Newtons.

Dates are moist and taste very sweet, so they are easy to eat while riding. You can carry whole dates in a little plastic sandwich bag stuffed in your jersey pocket.

4. Raisins

Raisins are high in sugar and potassium, so they are similar to energy gels (carbs and electrolytes.) Carry them like dates. Since they are very low in water content, you can carry quite a few calories in a small space.

5. Gummy bears

Gummy bears are pure sugar, fun to eat, and you can easily carry them in your jersey pocket. Some brands are kind of sticky, but most are dry, so there is no mess in your pocket or on your fingers.

6. Jelly

Look for the single-serving packets at restaurants – you can usually find grape jelly, strawberry jam, and orange marmelade on your table. Take a few with you next time and try them on a ride.

It can be messy to lick the jelly right out of the container, but it’s doable.

7. Honey on bread.

For a more substantial snack that is still very easy to digest, take a slice of Italian bread, spread honey on it, and fold it over. Then put it in a baggie or aluminum foil and you’re good to go.

In a short time, the honey will soften the bread even more and be very easy to eat. And tasty!

8. Dried fruit

There are many dried fruits that are tasty and easy to carry on a ride. My personal favorites are apricots, papaya, and pineapple. You can also get kiwi, coconut, mango, and probably others.

9. Banana chips

Like dried fruit but slightly different, you have banana chips. Banana chips are crunchy, unlike most dried fruits, so it gives you a change of pace. They are cheap, too.

10. Rice Krispie squares

You can make these at home with some cereal, marshmallows, and a microwave. Cut into squares and packed in aluminum foil, they give you some sugary goodness! They’re sticky, though!

11. Banana

If it doesn’t get squished in your jersey pocket, a banana makes for a cheap, natural energy boost.

12. Pretzels

Get some mini pretzels or pretzel nuggets and stash a handful in your jersey pocket. You’ll get carbs and salt.

13. Pudding

These days, you can get pudding in tubes that don’t require refrigeration. I’ve never tried it, but maybe you’ll enjoy it.

14. Homemade gel

There are many ways to make a homemade energy gel which you can carry in a gel flask.

Start with a base like organic brown rice syrup, add sea salt and some sort of flavoring, and mix it up.

15. Fruit roll-ups

Standard kids food that can double as an energy gel replacement. As with gummy bears, these are pure sugar.

Even if you get the healthier ones made with real fruit, they’re still not as expensive as gels.

16. Maltodextrin

Add lots of this complex carbohydrate powder to your favorite juice and you’ll end up with a gel-like substance to stick in your gel flask.

17. Agave nectar

I’m not a big fan of agave nectar when it’s used in supposed “health” foods, since it’s still sugar. However, it would make a good energy gel replacement. It’s like honey except ranks lower on the Glycemic Index.

*I didn’t say all of these are healthy alternatives. Some are healthier and more natural, while others are still refined and processed, but cheaper than an energy gel packet.

Cycling jerseys are great inventions. It’s so convenient to fill the back pockets with food, bike tools, CO2 pump, etc.

Then there are triathlon jerseys, with maybe one small pocket in the back. You can’t carry much other than a gel packet.

So how do you carry stuff if you’re out there riding a triathlon on your own? You might be riding up to 112 miles, which usually requires gear!

Here’s how I would carry the essentials for a triathlon:

Carrying Water

On bike:

For a shorter triathlon, my ideal water bottle would be one of those aero bottles that hangs down from your aero bars. These bottles come with a straw, allowing you to drink without leaving the aero position.

If you will need more water, you could carry a regular or aerodynamic water bottle on the seat tube of your bicycle.

If you need more water than that, you could get a water bottle holder that goes behind your seat and holds two bottles.

If you need lots of water and have money to spend, consider a system such as the NeverReach (www.NeverReach.com.) This holds plenty of water and lets you drink from the aero position! A slightly cheaper alternative to the NeverReach is the SipAway (www.SipAway.com.)

What I would not do is get a hydration pack for a triathlon. Those take a while to refill and are not comfortable in the aero position.

On run:

A Fuel Belt (www.FuelBelt.com) is my personal choice for carrying water with me while running. They have a variety of options to suit your personal needs.

Similar hydration belts can be found from Amphipod (www.Amphipod.com.)

Another company is Nathan Sports (www.NathanSports.com,) which makes hydration belts and other goodies, such as a device to hold a 20oz water bottle in your hand without using your grip strength.

Carrying a standard water bottle in your hand for the whole run is a pain in the butt and outdated strategy!

Carrying Food

On bike:

The gold standard for carrying food on your bike is a Bento box (seen here.) This is a small pack that velcros around your bicycle frame and sits on your top tube, near the stem. That makes it easy to access while riding.

You could carry energy bars, energy gels, cookies, etc. in a Bento box.

If you just want to carry energy gels, there are a few other options:

The cheapest solution is to tape the gel packs to your stem and/or top tube. You tape the pull-off tab down so you can easily rip the good part of the gel off and consume.

If you don’t want the mess, look at this interesting invention called the Gel-rilla grip (seen here.) It attaches to your bike and then clamps the gels down so you don’t have to mess with sticky tape.

Also fairly inexpensive is getting a gel flask for $5-6 and getting a stem mount for it.

Another option is to get a Gel-Bot bottle, which stores gel in your water bottle.

To get your electrolytes, try the SaltStick (www.SaltStick.com.) This little device will actually sit inside your aero bars or clip anywhere on your bike, allowing you to carry a sort of salt tablet anywhere you want.

Or, to avoid solid food, try drinks like Hammer Perpetuem or Sustained Energy, which provide hydration and are very high in calories.

On run:

I would make use of my Fuel Belt again. You could either carry a gel flask in it or pin energy gels to the belt.

Normally I’d do gels safety pinned to shorts, but that wouldn’t work so well with tri shorts that you’ve been wearing for the swim and bike already.

Carrying Accessories

On bike:

If you are racing self-supported, your best option is to carry your spare tube and tools in a seat bag.

Today we’ll look at the problems with eating too much or too little, as well as eating the right food…

is it normal to be totally starving after a ride? I was so hungry after a 2 hour intense training ride of the spinner that I felt really light headed and bad. I had to stop and get a piece of pizza.

I need to eat more I guess not sure what types of food. Is there a diet plan you have/reccomend so I won’t bonk anymore?????

Thanks,
Starving Steven

Hi Starving,

First off, it’s definitely not unusual to be starving after a long, intense ride. You could easily burn 2,000+ calories on a ride like that, so your body is going to tell you it needs food to replenish what it just lost. (It’s also not unusual to want to throw up after a long, intense ride, depending on the circumstances…)

The trick is to eat the right amount of the right foods before, during, and after riding so that you don’t get to the point where you’re starving. You might be eating too little, you might not be getting enough fat and protein, or it could deal with a rapid insulin response to carbs. Or maybe something else.

The light-headedness does make it sound like you’re running low on blood sugar during the ride. Either that or you’re pushing yourself insanely hard in a hot, indoor environment with stale air.

The best thing I can do is point you toward a few links that might help you figure out the right plan for your needs:

First, check my articles:

“What to Eat During a Ride or Race” and “What to Eat Pre- and Post-Ride”

Those articles give you ideas of what to eat before, during, and after a ride.

Next, if you want more ideas of good foods to eat as part of your daily diet, here are a few ideas:

Dr. Mercola’s Nutrition Plan
This sugar-free meal planning resource might not be perfect for cyclists, but it’s useful and free. Check it out for some ideas of wholesome meals.

How to Lose 20 lb Fat in 30 Days
I like reading articles from Tim Ferriss, and this is no exception. You might not be looking to drop 20 lb, but there are a few ideas for meals consisting of mainly meat/protein and vegetables.

The Pre-Race Meal
This article comes from Hammer Nutrition, so it will be biased toward their products, but the meat of the article is about meal type and timing. It’s very thorough (not to mention, correct.)

Healthiest Meals on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth About What Meals to Eat and Why
If you’re still having trouble, you might want to buy a book full of healthy meal ideas. This is a great book from one of my favorite authors, Dr. Jonny Bowden.

Shape Up!: The 8-week Program To Transform Your Body, Your Health, And Your Life
Another book from Jonny Bowden, this one might not be that useful to you, but it does cover some basics about getting the right food in your diet.

And last but not least, the Precision Nutrition system will help you organize your diet and time your nutrients properly. In your case, that means eating strategically to get the most benefit from what you eat, with less possibility of gaining weight (fat) from your post-ride binges.

Keep working at it and eventually you’ll nail down your nutrition strategy!

Just as important as eating before and after a ride is eating during a ride. You need to eat and drink during rides to make sure your body is hydrated and has a steady supply of energy. If not, you could bonk, and that’s no fun!

Here is what I would eat during a ride or race, depending on ride duration and intensity:

Short Rides

Here is what I eat during short rides of various intensities.

For a recovery ride:

My recovery rides are typically about 30 minutes. For these short rides, I don’t take food or water.

For a short, easy ride:

For easy rides of 45-60 minutes, I’ll usually take a 16oz bottle of water. If it’s early in the morning before breakfast, I may use a sports drink instead of water to make sure that I’m getting some much-needed sugar to get my brain and body moving.

If I’m not in the mood for plain water but don’t want sugar either, I’ll put a Nuun tablet in my bottle. That gives me some flavor, a few electrolytes, and virtually no calories. (I’m just looking for flavor because sometimes plain water doesn’t go well with an empty stomach.)

Note: I probably wouldn’t even drink the whole bottle unless it’s a hot day.

For a short, intense ride:

If the ride will be fairly short, say 60-90 minutes, but intense, I will do things slightly differently.

I would want to carry at least a 24oz bottle of sports drink, if not one bottle sports drink in addition to one bottle of water. It’s not that I’d need a ton of extra calories, but I do like the refreshing taste, at least for a mental pick-me-up. (Nuun tablets would also be alright in this case.)

To go along with that, I’ll carry an energy gel in case I need a boost between sets of intervals or if the ride goes longer than planned.

For a short, intense race:

For a short, intense race, things change once again. For something like a Short Track XC race or Cyclo-Cross (CX) race, you probably won’t eat anything. You might not even carry water. That’s partly because the race is short, but also because it’s not easy to eat while keeping a fast pace and dealing with obstacles.

All you really need for these 30-60 minute efforts is a quick drink when passing through the feed zone. Just be sure you are properly hydrated before the race.

Longer Rides and Races

Here is what I eat during longer rides and races of various intensities.

For a moderate ride:

For a moderately paced ride around two hours long, I switch from water to sports drink. I will take two bottles of sports drink if the ride will be a little over two hours; one bottle water and one bottle sports drink for rides a little under two hours.

In this case, I also carry an energy bar or gel. I might not eat it, but for any ride over an hour, I like to have some food on hand just in case.

If the ride is pushing over two hours, I’ll definitely eat the food. I could finish the ride without it, but then I am so ravished that I binge afterward (in which case I eat too much and get sick.)

For a mountain bike race:

Mountain bike races vary in length, anywhere from 1 to 24 hours (a typical XC race will last 1-3 hours,) but they have one thing in common – rough trails and intensity.

So the key difference here is that you’ll need to focus on high-calorie sports drinks and energy gels, because you’ll need to keep your hands on the bars the majority of the time.

Whether you do it with a bottle of Hammer Perpetuem or you take quick shots of GU gel, you want to ingest your calories quickly and easily so you can concentrate on the trail.

(That’s how I get my calories during a mountain bike race. As for the number of calories I consume, that depends on the length of the race and follows the same set of guidelines listed in the rest of this article. )

For a long endurance ride:

For an easy to moderate pace ride that is 3-6 hours in length, I will be pounding down the sports drinks and energy bars.

At three hours, I usually stick with Powerbar Endurance or Hammer Heed. Any longer and I definitely consume a higher-calorie drink like Accelerade or Hammer Perpetuem. I’ll drink at least one bottle per hour (depending on the heat) to make sure I’m hydrated the entire ride.

I’ll also fill my jersey pockets with energy bars and snacks.

Overall you want to consume about 250-300 calories per hour. You could get that with an energy bar plus sports drink, two gels plus sports drink, or maybe three gels plus water.

The key is to start eating early. Even though you might not eat at all on a two hour ride, if you’re riding four hours, you should start eating 30 minutes into the ride!

(Whereas I might not eat at all on a two hour ride, I’ll have consumed 400-500 calories of solid food within the first two hours of a six hour ride! It’s very important to make sure you constantly replenish your glycogen stores, because this food will fuel you at hour six.)

Continue drinking every 15 minutes and eating every 30 minutes for the duration of the ride. That is either half an energy bar or one gel every 30 minutes.

Last tip: This list was what I would eat during a ride. As for what to carry during a ride, always carry more food than you think you need. The weight of a spare energy gel is minimal, but it could save your life. (You never know if you’ll get hungry, face an unexpected headwind, take a wrong turn, or something similar that will extend your ride time.)

Plus, you never know when you’ll have to boot a tire!

Happy riding, and happy eating!

Photo credit: ianmalcm