It’s ‘Nutrition Week’ on Cycling Weekly - here’s how to ensure you’re optimally fuelled to hit your riding goals

If you want the best output from your legs, you need the best input in terms of your fuelling – but what, exactly, should that consist of?

We’ll begin with the essentials, such as how to get your fuelling right for rides of every length and what to drink when cycling,

Proper fuelling is vital. Get it right and you’ll be able to ride consistently over an extended period of time. Get it wrong, and you’ll ‘bonk’ - that feeling which every cyclist dreads… your tank is empty and your muscles feeling shot to pieces.

To help you avoid this primary pitfall, we’ll also bring to your attention 6 common fuelling mistakes and how to avoid them on your next big ride.

The prevalence of under-fuelling in both professional and amateur cycling has been revealed to be shockingly widespread. We’d recommend that you take a look at the symptoms of RED-S to ensure that you’re meeting your energy demands. 

Sports-specific nutrition for cycling can become expensive - but it doesn’t have to be. Over here, we have a nutritionist’s' guide on how to slash your cycling nutrition costs without compromising on your health or cycling performance. For example, you can easily make your own energy bars in your kitchen at home with these recipes, or swap pricey protein powder for plain-old milk, which has been described as a “near-perfect” recovery food.

As well as more generalist guides to nutrition, we also have specific guides on how to tweak your cycling nutrition when you’re over 40, and, for women, we also cover how you can adjust your fuelling at each stage of the menstrual cycle. 

Features

For more advice check out all the content we already have published below, and we'll be adding links to the other pieces when they go live this week...

• How much protein do cyclists need? Optimise your recovery with this guide
• What is ‘periodized nutrition’ and what are the benefits for cyclists looking to fine-tune their performance?
• How to lose weight through cycling without sacrificing strength
• How many calories does cycling really burn? And how important is counting them anyway? 
• I lowered my body fat by 4.4% and increased my VO2 max after using a nutrition app for 7 weeks
• Six foods to avoid before a big bike ride
• Ask a cycling coach: ‘How much should I expect to eat on a 100-mile ride?’
• Feeling post-ride muscle pain? The key could be your nutrition - here’s how to make sure you’re fuelling right for recovery
• The benefits of carb loading and how to optimize your fuelling ahead of your next cycling event 
• The best food for endurance cycling - here’s what to eat and drink before, during and after

Buying advice

• Best protein-loaded recovery drinks for cycling 2023 rated and reviewed
• Best energy drinks for cycling 2023: fuelling and hydration explained
• The best energy gels for cycling 2023: what to look for and seven favorites 
• Best energy bars for cycling 2023: quality carbs to replenish your energy stores