How to fuel for your first sportive

If you've never ridden a sportive before, figuring out what you need to eat during the ride can be rather confusing. But unless you're riding a very short route then you need to eat during the ride to keep you going and avoid the dreaded bonk. We've asked Science in Sport Performance Nutritionist Ben Samuels about what, when and how you should eat on your first big ride...

Q: What nutrition should you take when /throughout the day on a sportive?

A: On the day of a sportive your nutrition will be predominantly carbohydrate based, as that’s the preferred fuel for endurance performance - carbohydrates can be broken down efficiently and rapidly to be used for energy production. Pre-ride breakfast should be 1-4 hours before getting on the bike, and this should come mainly from simple carbohydrate sources (minimising fats and fibre) to promote digestion and glycogen storage in the liver and muscle. Breakfast options could include porridge with berries and honey, bagels with jam and nut butter or pancakes with fruit compote. Fruit juices and sports drinks can also be used alongside breakfast to provide additional carbohydrate.

Q: Is it quality over quantity?

Both quantity and carbohydrate source are of importance when fuelling a sportive. It's a case of hitting the right numbers at the right time to maintain performance output. Target intake would be 60-90 grams of carbohydrate per hour, from a range of options (sports drinks, gels, energy bars, bananas, etc). Working to the base plan of eating or drinking every 15-20 minutes can proactively fuel performance, as oppose to waiting until you are tired or thirsty to have large intakes of food or volumes of fluid respectively. Foods, fruits and energy bars are going to take longer to digest and are better suited to the early and lower intense moments of the sportive. Drinks and gels will be rapidly digested and absorbed, fuelling the high intensity moments of the sportive. 

Q: What do you recommend for post ride recovery?

Recovery nutrition should be built around two key nutrients alongside adequate rehydration protocols. The nutrients to focus on are protein and carbohydrate. This breaks down into:

1) An immediate post-ride recovery shake containing both nutrients, these needs can be met with REGO Rapid Recovery.

2) A recovery meal within 1-2 hours of finishing, again combining protein, carbohydrate and vegetables/salads.

Q: Can you point out the differences between eating when enjoying the sportive, vs. riding for a target time?

Eating to perform and eating to enjoy may differ owing to the intensity of riding. However, it should be noted that intensity is relative. Whether an individual fits into one or the other of these categories, having enough energy in the body and taking in enough through carbohydrate options still requires attention. The main differences could be the rate of carbohydrate intake and specific formats to meet these intakes. Fuelling with 60-90 grams of carbohydrate per hour would still be advised for both groups, where the enjoyment riders may be at the lower end and performance riders towards the upper end of the range. Different food choices will then digest and absorb at different rates, with solid foods taking longer to digest and use as energy compared to liquids or gels. In this way, a performance plan might include more liquids and gels with a couple of energy bar or whole food options, whereas an enjoyment plan may include more whole food type options and fewer gels saved for the real tough moments of the route.

Q: Caffeine – when/how to use it on a longer ride

Caffeine predominantly shows performance effects through central mechanisms, through action on the brain and central nervous system. Typically, peak caffeine is seen within 30-60 minutes of ingestion, therefore this would link to when you’d use this during a sportive. The strategy we see most commonly is 30 minutes before a key climb or 30 minutes before the final hour on the bike.

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