Here is a post I made on an Irish cycling forum during the summer.
I'm probably a bit different to the guys with keto diets in that I wasn't purposely trying to enter nutritional ketosis and certainly wasn't measuring it, I did rely very heavily on fat in diet (typically 65:20:15) my emphasis was on using fat for energy i.e. by adapting training to chose body fat as primary source of energy.
This training is essentially fasted morning cycles up to 140km with a lumpy route and 100km ish when very hilly(the roughest being a 100km Gran Canaria spin which included VOTT) and intermittent fasting on non training days also.
My problem with keto is it is very awkward socially.
Anyway my post is below for any other lunantics out there who cycle
Just said I'd detail my experiences with long distance cycling and nutrition, which have been a hand in hand experiment over the past 10 months or so. One of the main reasons for thread is the very regularl new threads here where lads(probably like I would have been a few years ago) asking what is the best thing to eat for cycling.
To start I have no background in cycling. On greatly reducing my field sports activity at 30, bought a bike in 2006 and did a few few sportives, Wicklow 200, ROK, SKT etc. Continued this until 2012 with limited field sports and some cycling, maybe 2-3k per year.
This increased in 2013 with a nice bit on mtb and approximately 8k on road bike, and with it an interest in fueling it.
When starting on bike, like everyone else I was confronted with the advice of using gels, bars, sports drinks etc, however for most part I ignored them and just fueled myself using normal food.
Having come across the HFLC threads in the training log forum I decided to give it ( a very sceptical) go for 12 months and it coincided with a decision to give audax riding a go also.
Although I had never struggled with weight, fueling myself with fat instead of carbs raised my curiosity, as it wasn't something I had thought of before.
The diet was quite simple, I just cut pasta, bread potatoes and rice. Fruit and veg stayed in varying quantities(always collective very large) and the diet staples in order of quantity are; eggs, nuts, olive oil, coconut oil, greek yoghurt, olives, cheese, red meat(mainly Irish beef and mountain lamb), chicken(minus breast meat), fish, butter, cream, dark chocolate. I eat a huge variety of veg.
On bike I've been fairly busy with over 7k clocked for year, but I'm unlikely to have time for this as year progresses. What can I do now that I couldn't do before on a higher carb diet
* cycle in a fasted state; have done up to 140km before breakfast
* with breakfast can cycle easily to 180km ish. Got to Fethard last Saturday on MF1200, and only ate as unsure as to where next opportunity would be
* I've never come near bonking.
* My total food for day was; fatty breakfast at 5am, on bike at 8am, 185km bowl of soup with cream and butter. I cycled a further 225km and in that time I ate 2 apples, greek yoghurt, olives, various nuts(200g) and a bananna.(speed according to strava was 25.6km/h)
It should be borne in mind, my typical pace depending on distance, elevation etc but is normally in 24km/h-30kmh range, so I'm not fast.
The biggest advantage of diet is avoiding, digestion trouble encountered with big meals on long rides. I need very little. I believe( and maybe completely wrong) diet is most suited to ultra endurance type events, rather than racing.
Although having said that I've never felt as healthy or strong.
I'm not advocating this for anyone just pointing out what is possible for an average athlete with very little adaptation.
For help with HFLC try optimumnutrition4sport
For someone who thinks it's bo11ox to cycle and eat HFLC try anthonycolpo.com. Interesting, intelligent and a little annoying all in one
There are loads more out there.
