Beginner Bike Rider Over 60: How To Fuel For A Ride?

If you’re new to cycling, it’s important to know the best way to fuel your body for the ride.  It ensures that you have the energy and stamina to finish your ride.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner bike rider just getting off the couch to start riding or if you’ve been on a fitness journey for a while and you have decided to add bicycling to your program – you need to take the time to learn how to fuel your body correctly.

As a cyclist myself, I’ve learned that proper nutrition is just as important as training for your ride.

Hydration is also important for cyclists of all levels.  Dehydration can lead to fatigue, cramping, and other problems that can affect your performance.

In this article, I’ll share some tips on how to fuel for your bike ride, so you can perform your best and enjoy every minute of your ride.

Understanding Your Fuel Needs on Your Bike

When it comes to fueling for a bike ride, it’s not just about what you eat or drink during the ride. You also need to look at your diet before and after the ride.

The amount of fuel you need will depend on several different factors, such as your body weight, the intensity of your ride, and the length of your ride.

One of the most important things to consider when fueling for a bike ride is how much and what type of carbohydrates to consume. Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy for your muscles, and they are essential for endurance activities like cycling.

It’s also important to pay attention to your hydration needs. Dehydration can lead to decreased performance and even heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

As a general rule, aim to drink around 500ml of fluid per hour of riding.  You may need to adjust this depending on things such as temperature, humidity, and your own sweat rate.

You may want to consider tracking your food intake with a smartphone app or food diary.  You can then adjust your fueling strategy based on what works best for you.

By paying attention to your food intake and hydration needs, you can ensure that you have the energy you need to keep going and enjoy your ride.

What Should You Eat Before a Bike Ride

As someone who loves to bike, I know how important it is to properly fuel my body before a ride.

Here are some tips on how to fuel before your next ride.

Meal Timing

Timing is everything when it comes to fueling for a bike ride.

I find it best to eat a meal about 2-3 hours before a ride. This gives my body enough time to digest the food and change it into energy for my ride. If I’m short on time, I’ll opt for a smaller snack about 30 minutes before my ride.

When it comes to what to eat before a bike ride, you should focus on carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred source of fuel and are essential for all endurance activities like biking.

I like to aim for a meal that is high in carbohydrates and moderate in protein and fat.

Here are some examples of meals that I like to eat before a ride:

• Oatmeal with fruit and nuts
• Toast with peanut butter and banana
• Greek yogurt with granola and berries
• Bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon

It’s important to listen to your body and find what works best for you. Experiment with different meals and snacks to see what gives you the most energy for your ride.

Remember to stay hydrated before your ride as well. Drink plenty of water throughout the day leading up to your ride to ensure that you are properly hydrated.

By properly fueling before your ride, you’ll have the energy you need to tackle any route.

Should You Eat Before an Early Morning Bike Ride?

Do you prefer the early morning rides like me?  If so, I’m sure that you have wondered if you should ride on an empty stomach or after eating something?

It’s a question many cyclists have.

Some research suggests that riding on an empty stomach can help burn belly fat faster during shorter rides. On the other hand, some experts recommend fueling up on carbohydrates after fasting all night before your ride.

I decided to try both approaches. When I was just starting out with shorter rides, fasting seemed fine. But as I increased my ride time and intensity, I found myself feeling sluggish and craving food.

If you’re a beginner bike rider planning to ride for an hour or less, fasting may work for you too. However, it’s always a good idea to have a small snack like almonds or a banana with you in case you start to crash.

If your stomach is growling or you feel nauseous without breakfast, grab a quick bite before you hit the road. Options like almonds, almond or peanut butter, or a banana can provide a quick and easy source of energy.

For more intense and longer rides, consider waking up a little earlier to have a proper meal. Foods like oatmeal, toast with peanut butter, or a smoothie can give you the fuel you need to power through your ride.

 So, whether you ride on an empty stomach or with some fuel in your system, find what works best for you and enjoy your cycling journey!

Fueling During the Ride For a Beginner Bike Rider

As a beginner bike rider, you may not need to fuel your body during a ride.  If you ride is 30-45 minutes with low intensity you should be fine to wait until the ride is over.

However, if you are turning it up a notch than you may want to consider packing a snack for the ride.

When I have time and decide to go for a long ride, I always plan ahead with my snacks to avoid a big crash!

So, let’s cover when to refuel and what to consume during the ride.

When to Refuel

I try to start refueling within the first hour of my long rides. It’s important to keep my energy levels up.  If I don’t refuel enough, I risk hitting the wall, which can be an unpleasant experience.

I listen to my body and try to refuel before I start feeling hungry or low on energy. It’s better to eat smaller amounts more frequently than to wait until I’m starving and then eat a large meal.

I also make sure to drink enough water to stay hydrated.

What to Consume

During my rides, I consume a combination of carbohydrates, protein, and electrolytes to keep my energy levels up and prevent cramping.

Here are some of my go-to options:

• Trail mix:  This is my favorite.  It’s convenient and provides a mix of carbs, protein and healthy fats.
• Energy bars: These are a more substantial option that provides more sustained energy. I like to eat them during longer rides.
• Electrolyte drinks: These help replace the electrolytes lost through sweating and prevent cramping.
• Energy gels: These are quick and easy to consume and provide a burst of energy. I usually take one every 45 minutes to an hour.

I try to avoid consuming too much fiber or fat during my rides, because they can be harder to digest and cause stomach upset.

Post-Ride Recovery

After a long bike ride, it’s important to prioritize post-ride recovery to help your body recover and replenish the nutrients it lost.

There are two key aspects of post-ride recovery: rehydration and replenishing nutrients.

Rehydration

During a long bike ride or a high intensity ride, your body loses a lot of fluids through sweat. Therefore, it’s very important to rehydrate after your ride to replace the lost fluids.

I recommend drinking water or an electrolyte drink to help replenish the fluids lost during your ride.

To determine how much fluid you need to drink, you can calculate your sweat rate.

Weigh yourself before and after your ride and drink 20-24 ounces of fluid for every pound lost. It’s also important to continue drinking fluids throughout the day to ensure you stay hydrated.

Replenishing Nutrients

After a long bike ride, your body needs to replenish the nutrients it lost during the ride. The two most important nutrients to replenish are carbohydrates and protein.

Carbohydrates are super important after your ride to refuel your muscles and restore glycogen stores.

I recommend eating a meal or snack that contains a combination of complex and simple carbohydrates within 30 minutes of finishing your ride.

Some good carbohydrate sources include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and sports drinks.

Protein is crucial for repairing and rebuilding muscle tissue. I recommend consuming 15-25 grams of protein within 30 minutes of finishing your ride.

Good sources of protein include lean meats, eggs, dairy products, and protein bars or shakes.

Rehydration and replenishing nutrients, specifically carbohydrates and protein, are essential for post-ride recovery.

Daily Nutrition as We Age

Fueling properly before, during and after your bike ride is extremely important but so is your day to day eating habits. 

If you normally consume a diet high in sugars and fats.  The positive effects of what you eat before and after a bike ride will be limited. 

I personally am not big on strict diets, but I do feel that it is important to eat healthy especially as we age. 

It’s harder to keep muscle mass as we age, and your training volume also decreases so we don’t burn calories like we used to.  Yeah, not the best news is it!

This is why I feel that a healthy diet is even more important as we age.  If you’re like me, you want to keep as much muscle mass as possible and limit the middle age spread.

In order to maintain your weight, you may not need as many calories as you did when you were 30, 40 or even 50. 

However, protein will be more important to help keep your muscle mass – so you should try to increase your protein intake. 

It is recommended that active people over 60 consume 0.8 grams of protein per 1 kilogram or 2.2 pounds of body weight.  So, since I am 140 pounds, I should consume at least 50.8 grams of protein per day.

I personally have always tried to consume 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight because I am very active and want to keep as much of my muscle mass as possible.  So, I try to get in 140 grams of protein per day.

This is just what works for me, if you are someone that gets very little protein in a day you may want to start with the recommended 0.8 grams per kilogram. This would be a great starting point for you.

There is also evidence that foods high in omega 3 such as fatty fish, chai seeds and flaxseeds help with muscle mass.  So, you may want to consider including them often in your meal planning.

Drinking plenty of water is also a really great idea. It is good to stay hydrated. This will also help with your rides and recovery period.

Eating a well-balanced healthy diet will help you to be more active and retain more muscle mass as you age which can slow down the aging process. Don’t we all want that!

Conclusion

For beginner bike riders over 60 it is so important to look at your daily nutrition as well as what you fuel your body with for your rides. It helps for a better ride as well as recovery.

By following these simple tips and tricks, you can start to enjoy the roads even more while keeping yourself safe from dehydration and fatigue issues at the same time.

Staying active and healthy are also important especially as we age.

Do whatever works best for you and your lifestyle just don’t stop trying to move forward every day.