Foldable Bikes Party: 5 ways to improve your cycling endurance

Monday 29 August 2016

5 ways to improve your cycling endurance

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Knowing you're able to ride as long as your route, riding mates or imagination requires is a very powerful feeling. Conversely, feeling dread about passing the one-hour, two-hour or three-hour point will limit your training and fitness gains, and ultimately your enjoyment.

Here's how to break through these self-imposed endurance ceilings that are keeping you from making the most of your riding.

1. Think about your fuel

To really have good endurance you need to make the most of your internal reserves. These are glycogen (carbohydrate) in the muscles and liver, glucose in the blood stream, triglycerides (fats) stored in the muscles and that all-important biggest store of fuel: body fat.

So which of these fuel tanks is most responsible for keeping you riding? Well, it won't be a lack of fats, lactic acid overload or a lack of oxygen that makes you get off the bike. Instead, running out of muscle glycogen, low liver glycogen or low blood glucose levels is what will stop you in your tracks. One or all three of these will cause the infamous 'bonk', 'wall' or 'the knock'.

Are you eating enough food to fuel your cycling?

2. Increase your carbohydrate intake

To elongate your endurance you need to make sure that before long rides you have one or two days where you ensure that carbohydrate foods are eaten every three hours, with plenty of water consumed with each meal. This carbo-loading helps you stock up with muscle glycogen, but only if you ride very easy on these days. Carbo-loading but hammering short, sharp rides because you feel good does not maximise glycogen.

Best carbs for cycling

3. Eat an early pre-ride breakfast

Even starting with your glycogen stores stocked up does not guarantee you maximal endurance. The morning of the ride you should get an early breakfast of carbs, protein and fat around two to three hours before you head out.