Giant Lygon Guide to Fuelling on the Bike 

Sports nutrition is a complicated, controversial, and increasingly spoken about topic in the world of athletics. For cycling, nutrition common knowledge seems to change every year with new methods, products, and regimens seeming to pop up every few months. Often these trends are inspired by pro riders and teams whose athletic profile is far detached from the everyday amateur and enthusiast cyclist. Like many things in the sporting world, these novel findings and fuelling experiments are often driven by sponsorship pressure to promote new offerings to the masses.  

Here at Giant Lygon St, we recognise the massive benefits of nutrition, and as cyclists ourselves use gels, drink mixes and bars on a weekly basis. However, we also recognise that for the beginner and amateur cyclist, the overwhelming number of products and conflicting information and trends can make the whole concept hard to comprehend.  

With the beginner in mind, we’ve put together this small guide based on the products we choose to sell to get you started so you can experience the benefits of proper fuelling. 

Many of our staff, when tackling their first long distance ride, grabbed some water, a banana and maybe a Clif or protein bar, threw them in the jersey pocket and got to pedalling. This is a completely valid tactic, you’re eating dense food, getting a few key macros, and staying hydrated. However, as rides get longer, you may find yourself ‘bonking’ or hitting a wall where suddenly your legs feel dead, your energy is drained, and you’re looking for the nearest train station to get you home. For many, when they begin to pack sport specific nutrition such as drink mix and gels, the effect seems almost magical, suddenly, this bonking period either disappears or at the very least it occurs significantly later in the ride. Your mental focus will likely be improved, and general tiredness and exhaustion after the ride is decreased.  

The Brands We Stock 

The information in this guide is generally applicable to a range of products, however, the two main companies we stock in-store are Maurten and Pure Sports Nutrition. 

Maurten is a well established brand that entered the nutrition scene in 2015. The thing that set them apart was their patented hydrogel encapsulated carbohydrates. This essentially allows athletes to consume a high amount of carbs but with a delayed release mechanism that limits gastrointestinal issues. This was a massive leap forward in innovation at the time and their products became extremely popular in the running and cycling scenes. They have been growing and innovating ever since. 

Pure Sports Nutrition is a Kiwi brand started by a brother and sister duo in 2012. Simon, an avid road cyclist, and Marewa, an elite road cyclist, rower, and sports and exercise nutritionist, could not find satisfactory nutrition to fuel their activities. They found that many of the offerings at the time were filled with artificial flavours and did not meet the quality that they expected. With these experiences, they started Pure Sports Nutrition and they have been growing and supporting events and athletes every since. 

The Key Macros 

The following guide will cover specific macro nutrients that every rider should know about and be mindful of. Keep in mind that knowledge and research around these subjects is always growing and these kinds of products and strategies effect each person differently. 

Carbohydrates 

Carbohydrates (carbs) have a certain stigma associated with them bought on by outdated, unhealthy misconceptions regarding weight gain and loss. The truth is, humans need carbs to produce energy, and athletes need a lot. The chemistry is complex, but a basic understanding of carbohydrates’ metabolic pathway is that they are ingested, converted to glucose, and go on to the liver, muscles, or fat storage. Often the last option will only happen when glycogen stores are full and the body converts these into triglycerides. What you really need to know is that it is important to keep consuming carbohydrates before and during training. Current research suggests 60 – 90 grams of carbs per hour during your endurance rides although some suggestions go as high as 120 grams for longer efforts. It is important to keep in mind that this is a lot of carbs and, if you’re a beginner, probably more than you are used to, so build up to these levels and see how you feel. 

Caffeine 

Despite being present in the most popular drinks on the planet, caffeine is still a psychoactive drug. Research has generally showed that caffeine can increase cycling performance, however, some tests have shown that for those with a certain genetic makeup, caffeine can actually decrease performance. This one is highly personal, and chances are, you know how your body reacts to caffeine, so you should plan your nutrition accordingly. Luckily, brands such as Maurten will often have products with and without caffeine while the other ingredients are identical, this allows you to choose your preference or experiment with only one changing variable to make your own determination. For reference Maurten’s ‘Caf’ drink mix has 100 mg of caffeine per serving. Your standard percolated coffee in Australia contains between 60-120 mg per cup while most energy drinks sit around 80 mg.