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Exercise & Recovery

Nutrition for cyclists: a detailed guide

20/05/20241 min read

Written byLaura Harcourt

It's important to fuel your body with the right nutrition when cycling. Find out what to eat before, during and after your bike rides, here in our detailed guide

Summary

1What to eat before a bike ride

Whatever type of endurance exercise you do, carbohydrates are your best friend. This is because carbs are your body's main source of energy...

Jump to details below

2What to eat during a bike ride

If you’re on a long ride, or taking part in an event, you’ll need to top up your energy with a hit of carbohydrates to keep your legs pumping...

Jump to details below

3What to eat after a bike ride

Post-ride, your nutrition should focus on supporting your recovery. Restoring energy levels with carbohydrates and helping your muscles to repair...

Jump to details below

Jump to section

What is a good diet for cyclists?
What to eat before a bike ride
What to eat during a bike ride
What to eat after a bike ride
What to drink while cycling
What should cyclists avoid eating?
The final say
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Exercise & Recovery

Whether you pedal to work, take your tyres up mountains or race competitively, getting the right nutrients at the right time can make a world of difference to how you feel and perform when you cycle.

We’re sharing our top tips and advice on what you can eat before, during and after you go cycling – helping you get set up to ride, improve your overall performance and support your recovery.

What is a good diet for cyclists?

As with all forms of endurance exercise, your body needs the right foods to give it the power and energy to get you from point A to point B when you get on your bike.

To help you enjoy (and not just endure!) cycling, you need to nourish your body with a healthy and balanced diet. This should consist of a mix of the six essential nutrients for health: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and water.^1,2

These can be broadly split into macronutrients and micronutrients. We need macronutrients, such as fat, protein and carbohydrates, in larger quantities to provide us with energy. Micronutrients, like vitamins and minerals, are equally important – they don’t contain calories but are consumed in very small amounts and help support optimal health.^1,2

But to know what to eat as a cyclist, it first helps to understand the roles that each of these nutrients play:2-5

carbohydrates are crucial for providing the body with energy and play a key role in gut health and immune function
proteins provide energy and are essential for growth and repair, especially for muscles
fats are the main source of stored energy in the body and can aid the absorption of vitamins A, D, E and K
vitamins regulate body processes and support the normal function of your body’s systems
minerals also regulate body processes and help your body to function in a normal way
water transports essential nutrients to all parts of your body, maintains body temperature and carries waste products to be disposed of

Now that you know more about which nutrients you should be getting, and what they all do, let’s take a closer look at what you can eat to support your body before, during and after each cycling session.

Senior couple bikers putting on cycling helmet and gloves outdoors in forest in autumn day.

What to eat before a bike ride

Whatever type of endurance exercise you do, carbohydrates are your best friend.⁶

This is because carbs are your body's main source of energy. The amount you need, however, depends on the intensity and duration of your exercise, and what you’re looking to achieve with it.^2,6

If you cycle just a few miles a day, eating a normal, well-balanced diet should provide you with all the carbs and energy you need. If your energy levels are flagging, however, topping up with a light carb-based snack can help see you through. A banana, a few crackers or a low-sugar granola bar are some great potential options to choose between.^7,8

If you’re going on a long-distance ride or are in training for an event, a larger meal with a decent portion of carbs is what your body needs in order to have enough energy to perform.⁶

For gradual energy release, try to eat regular meals throughout the day and have a low-fat, carb-heavy snack or meal around two to three hours before you start.⁶

Build your pre-cycle meals around carb-heavy foods like:^6–8

wholemeal bread
wholegrain cereal
oatmeal
Greek yoghurt
fresh fruit and vegetables
pulses, like beans, peas and lentils
brown pasta, rice, noodles
potatoes

Not all carbs are created equal. Visit our guide on everything you need to know about carbohydrates to find out more about the difference between simple carbs (which are easier to digest and provide quick energy) and complex carbs (which take longer to digest and help supply steady energy over several hours).⁹

A female cyclist enjoying a beautiful seaside view during sunset amidst her training.Woman cyclist wearing pink cycling kit and white helmet on a gravel bike.Calp,Alicante,Spain

What to eat during a bike ride

If you’re on a long ride, or taking part in an event, you’ll need to top up your energy with a hit of carbohydrates to keep your legs pumping.

When doing this, it’s a good idea to eat little and often, aiming to get between 30 to 60g of carbohydrates per hour while cycling.⁹

If you’re able to stop for a snack, things like a low-fat muesli bar, oat flapjack or white-bread sandwich are great options.¹⁰

However, if you want to keep going while you refuel, energy boosters that you can carry with you like sports drinks, sports gels or low-sugar protein bars are quick and easy to get down without needing to stop.^11,12

Winner of mtb race. Victory moment. Young female cyclist in protective helmet crossing the finish line breaking the tape. Victory triumph in sportive competition, wins the cycling race. Bicycle sport.

What to eat after a bike ride

Post-ride, your nutrition should focus on supporting your recovery.

This means restoring energy levels with carbohydrates and helping your muscles to repair with protein.¹¹

If you’ve just completed a big ride, refuelling with carbohydrates can help your body to start replenishing energy stores. Adding a small amount of protein can also help stimulate muscle repair and rebuilding. This could be something like a tuna sandwich, jacket potato and cheese, or some rice and beans.^7,11

It’s important to get enough protein both after you cycle and throughout the day in order to help your muscles recover and repair. This will ensure its full absorption and fuel the muscles over several hours. As a general rule, you should try to consume 1.5 to 2g of protein per kg of body weight every day. ^7,11

Some of the best high-protein foods to prioritise include:¹¹

a three-egg omelette = 18g
100g of sirloin steak = 25g
a tuna sandwich (1 drained can) = 27g
two turkey breast steaks = 43g
500ml of whole milk = 16g
half a cup of cottage cheese = 18g
half a tin of baked beans = 10g

If you’re struggling to get enough protein through your meals alone, you may find topping up with a protein shake helpful.

What to drink while cycling

As well as nailing your nutrition, it’s important to stay hydrated, before, during and after your rides.

In the two to four hours leading up to a big cycle, try to drink around 500ml of fluid to help your body get the nutrients it needs from your carby meal.¹²

Keep drinking little and often throughout your cycle too, especially on longer rides. This not only helps you stay hydrated but also allows the nutrients from your energy top-ups to be absorbed properly.^7,10

Depending on how hot it is, you should aim to drink somewhere between 400 and 700ml of fluid per hour. But, to avoid bloating, this should be taken in small sips every 15 to 20 minutes.^11,13 Popping a dissolvable electrolyte tablet in your water bottle can also help you keep hydrated.^13,14

Once you’ve finished your ride, it’s important to rehydrate with plenty of fluids after your workout as well, to make your carb and protein refuel as effective as possible. So consuming plenty of water and sports drinks should help do the trick.⁷ Speaking of which…

The benefits of cycling gels

While real food is always best when it comes to nutrition, energy gels can offer a quick, convenient and efficient way of getting the energy boost you need while keeping your wheels turning. ¹⁵

So if you’re going for a long ride, simply pop a few gels in a zipped pocket beforehand to get a fast energy hit whenever you need it most. ¹¹

What should cyclists avoid eating?

Certain foods can affect your performance, so are best avoided if possible.

For example, you should try to steer clear of high-fat foods, as these can slow digestion, and aim to eat low-moderate amounts of fibre before you set out.¹⁰

If you’re not used to certain foods or spicy foods, try to avoid these too as they may cause some tummy troubles that could affect your ride.^11,16

The final say

When it comes to optimising your cycling nutrition, carbs, protein and water are your best friends.^6,10,11

By staying hydrated, replenishing your energy levels and helping your body to recover, you should be able to better prepare and perform at your best whenever you’re next out exploring the world on your bike.^6,10,11

British Heart Foundation. What are macronutrients? [Internet]. 2022. [cited 2024 April 18]. Available from: https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters- magazine/nutrition/ask-the-expert/macronutrients.
Morris AL, et al. Biochemistry, nutrients. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 [cited 2024 Apr 18]. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK554545/.
British Nutrition Foundation. Protein [Internet]. 2023. [cited 2024 April 18]. Available from: https://www.nutrition.org.uk/nutritional-information/protein/
British Nutrition Foundation. Fat [Internet]. 2023. [cited 2024 April 18]. Available from: https://www.nutrition.org.uk/nutritional-information/fat/.
British Nutrition Foundation. Vitamins and Minerals [Internet]. 2023. [cited 2024 April 18]. Available from: https://www.nutrition.org.uk/nutritional-information/vitamins-and- minerals/.
The Association of UK Dieticians. Sport and Exercise [Internet]. [cited 2024 April 18]. Available from: https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/sport-exercise-nutrition.html.
José Joaquín Muros, Cristóbal Sánchez-Muñoz, Campos D, Hinojosa-Nogueira D, José Ángel Rufián-Henares, Mateo-March M, et al. Nutritional Habits of Professional Cyclists during Pre-Season. Nutrients [Internet]. 2022 Sep 7 [cited 2024 Jun 18];14(18):3695–5. Available from: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/18/3695
British Heart Foundation. Food for fitness: what should I eat before a workout? [Internet]. 2021. [cited 2024 April 18]. Available from: https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/nutrition/food-for- fitness.
Counting Carbs. Counting Carbs? [Internet]. NIH News in Health. 2017 [cited 2024 Jun 18]. Available from: https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2012/12/counting-carbs
Chlíbková D, Beat Knechtle, Rosemann T, Tomášková I, Vlastimil Chadim, Shortall M. Nutrition habits in 24-hour mountain bike racers. SpringerPlus [Internet]. 2014 Dec 1 [cited 2024 Jun 18];3(1). Available from: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/2193- 1801-3-715
British Cycling. Nutrition Guide [Internet]. [cited 2024 April 18]. Available from: https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/zuvvi/media/bc_files/membership/Book_Final.pdf.
Better Health Channel. Sporting performance and food [Internet]. 2024. [cited 2024 April 18]. Available from: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/sporting- performance-and-food.
Marie Curie. Cycling nutrition guide: fuel your engine [Internet]. [cited 2024 April 18]. Available from: https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/get-involved/charity- events/cycling/cycling/cycling-nutrition-guide.
Sparks IM, Rensburg van, Fletcher L, Rensburg van. A cross-sectional study of 2550 amateur cyclists shows lack of knowledge regarding relevant sports nutrition guidelines. South African Journal of Sports Medicine [Internet]. 2018 [cited 2024 Jun 18];30(1). Available from: https://www.ajol.info/index.php/sasma/article/view/170610
Effects of pre-exercise ingestion of a carbohydrate-electrolyte gel on cycling performance [Internet]. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2022 [cited 2024 Jun 18]. Available from: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1186/1550- 2783-8-S1-P28
Gaia Giuriato, Venturelli M, Matias A, Soares K, Gaetgens J, Frederick KA, et al. Capsaicin and Its Effect on Exercise Performance, Fatigue and Inflammation after Exercise. Nutrients [Internet]. 2022 Jan 6 [cited 2024 Jun 18];14(2):232–2. Available from: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/2/232

Disclaimer

While we strive for accuracy and balance, please be aware that this article may discuss products available for purchase through Holland & Barrett. Consult a healthcare professional before making any health-related decisions.