12 cycling nutrition 'truths', analysed

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From carb loading to consuming coffee, we consider some of the established rules of nutrition and aim to discover whether they are food fact or fiction.

• How to stay hydrated
• Why you don't need to give up bread to lose weight

1. Carbs make you fat

Fiction! “On the contrary,” says Carly Tierney, nutritionist with DW Fitness. “Eating a diet packed with the right kind of carbs is the secret to getting and staying slim. The key thing is to choose the right types. Think less about reaching for crisps, white bread and pasta and opt for slow-releasing carbs like sweet potato, quinoa, wholemeal bagels and pittas, and brown rice.”

The right types of carbs fill you up, maintain your blood sugar levels, increase your metabolism and provide fuel for exercise, meaning that you push harder, perform better, get stronger and use more energy when training.

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“Yes, that means you can eat more and still lose weight,” says Tierney. “A diet without carbs will make you miserable. Low-carb diets can make you feel anxious and depressed, as carbs are the main fuel source for the brain. Just another reason to grab a banana before you get on your bike.”

2. It’s necessary to carb-load before rides/races

Fact! “For any ride, having a full tank of fuel and being hydrated is ideal but the reality is that for shorter rides the requirement is a lot less,” says Gareth Nicholas, MaxiNutrition’s expert nutritionist.

It’s more about what you’re trying to achieve from a ride. “From a distance and intensity perspective, fuel and fluid are crucial factors of a good ride, but a cyclist’s approach should be different for a 20km ride versus a 100km one. A training ride will have varying desired outcomes but for a race, peak performance is the likely intended result, so carb loading might be an essential part towards success.”

3. Fat will fuel your ride for longer

At the highest exercise intensities carbs remain king

4. Protein will make you a leaner cyclist

5. Only drink when you’re thirsty

“When you’re cycling, you need to consider that you are drinking not for the immediate response but to keep everything ticking along in the hours to come"

6. There is an optimal macronutrient ratio

7. Red wine can make you better

8. Cycling can ruin your teeth

Cyclists are often victims of clenching their jaws

9. Skipping breakfast will make you slimmer

10. Homemade sports drinks are just as good as branded ones

Add ice and a slice of lemon or lime to add some zing

• Totally Tropical: 500ml water; 200ml coconut water; 40g of sugar; 1/4 tsp of salt
• Taste Of Honey: 8ooml water; 1/4 tsp of salt; 2 tbsp of sugar; 1 tbsp of honey; 60ml pineapple juice

• How to make your own energy drinks

11. Coffee makes hard rides less daunting

12. Caffeine boosts weight loss

You can read more at BikeRadar.com

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