How to fuel for a sportive
Tips on planning your food and hydration to ride a sportive
Published:
Cannondale-Drapac team nutritionist and author Nigel Mitchell shares his advice on getting your nutrition right for tackling a sportive.
- What is a sportive?
- How to stay at peak cycling performance on a vegetarian diet
- 11 common diet mistakes to avoid while training
1. Go low
Begin the day before your ride with slow-release energy and B vitamins in the shape of porridge made with milk or water.
Have protein too — an omelette or yoghurt will do the trick.
2. Gentle spin
After a big breakfast don’t ride more than a light spin on the day before a big ride.
Take on a snack mid-morning of around 30–60g of carbs, such as a banana, and drink water to top up your hydration levels.
3. Light lunch
Keep lunch simple and digestible with protein from grilled salmon or chicken and lower Glycaemic Index carbs, such as sweet potatoes.
4. Quit coffee
Stop taking on caffeine from lunchtime onwards, this will reduce dehydration and help you sleep on the eve of the ride. Drink fruit teas or herbal infusions.
5. Not so heavy
Avoid heavy protein such as red meat before bedtime — fish, chicken, turkey and rice would be better, ideally plain and not spiced — with yoghurt for dessert, washed down with camomile tea with honey.
