Certainly, there is no substitute for proper training. Cycling every day and accumulating the necessary miles may not allow you to pedal faster; but, you will not suffer as much during the ride. There is an inverse pain axiom for distance riding: The more it hurts before the event, the less it hurts during and after the event.

Maintain an even and steady pace and take rest stops if necessary. The tours in which cyclists typically fare worst are those in which they take off fast, and as a consequence "blow up the first." No need to be a hero; set a pace which is well within your limits. Respect the profile of the course and take into account environmental conditions.

Store Up Fuel

Your eating habits before an event are also important. Research has shown that the initial carbohydrate stores in the muscle (glycogen) play an essential role in allowing the cyclist to perform long-term work. In the days leading up the event, cyclists should adapt their diets and training to maximize their muscle glycogen stores to delay fatigue during the ride. This strategy is often referred to as "glycogen loading."

Research coming out of the Exercise Science Laboratory at Ohio State University shows that in the immediate three to four days before the event you should gradually reduce the amount of miles and intensity of your training and eat approximately 400-600 grams of carbohydrate daily in your meals. Such a regimen will increase muscle glycogen stores 20-40 percent or more above your normal training levels.

Secondly, cyclists often train or ride in early morning events without eating. This overnight fast lowers liver glycogen stores, the body's main source of blood glucose, and may impair your performance in a long event such as a tour or century ride. A high carbohydrate meal should be eaten within four hours of the event. Even if you have followed a muscle glycogen loading program, it is wise to eat a low-fat meal containing 75-100 grams of carbohydrate during the hours preceding the ride.

Beyond having concerns over when to eat their last meal before a hard effort, many cyclists wonder whether they should drink a highly sugared drink or eat a candy bar immediately before the event. Cyclists should be cautious about consuming sugar 30 to 45 minutes before an event, since it could lower your blood glucose levels. But just the same, if a sugar drink, candy or energy bar is taken within the last twenty minutes, they should not cause an upset in your blood glucose balance. The reason why this is so is that the candy (sugar) will not have enough time to leave the stomach and cause a rapid sugar increase in the blood stream and a concommitant release of insulin. Insulin is the hormone in your body that helps to regulate blood glucose. An excess of insulin will lower the levels of glucose in the blood and cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). You should experiment with pre-event feedings in your training and find out what food and drinks are best for you.

Eating On The Long Ride

Eating and drinking during long rides are crucial to your health and performance in any event in which you participate. In races or rides lasting up to 60 to 90 minutes, you may only need to take in water to ensure proper hydration during hot weather. In events lasting several hours, it is important to take in carbohydrates and fluid to help supply fuel and maintain temperature balance. As your ride continues, muscle glycogen is reduced and contributes less and less to the energy needed for exercise. This reduction in muscle glycogen is balanced by an increased dependence upon blood glucose. It has been shown by research at the University of Texas that after three hours of cycling at over 70 percent of maximum capacity, the majority of carbohydrate energy supply comes from the metabolism of glucose, which comes from the circulating blood glucose supplies.

If you were to just drink water without carbohydrate, muscle glycogen levels would decrease along with blood glucose and liver glycogen stores. Carbohydrate feedings during exercise can delay fatigue by as much as 45 to 60 minutes, by allowing the leg muscles to rely mostly upon blood glucose for energy late in the ride. Please remember, though, that fatigue is only delayed and not prevented. You must consume energy drinks ranging from 6 to 10 percent carbohydrate at regular intervals during the ride to ensure that ample supplies of blood glucose will be maintained during the ride.

Without carbohydrates, you will fatigue more quickly and "bonk" before the finish. But by consuming carbohydrates, you may still fatigue, but you may be able to push the pace longer and harder.

Many people crave something solid to eat after several hours of riding. If you are riding in events lasting over four or five hours or 75 miles, it may be wise to consume some solid food during the event. This food will not only supply carbohydrates, but will give you a sense of having solid food in your stomach and not leave you with that empty feeling in your there. Several products are available to eat during exercise that are good tasting and will not upset your stomach. Products such as Powerbar, ClifBar and other bars containing a high amount of carbohydrate are better for you than a standard candy bar or cookie since they are all natural, contain simple and complex carbohydrates, and are much lower in fat. Make sure to consume some fluid along with these bars.

Rebuilding Glycogen Stores

After the ride is over, fluid and carbohydrate are crucial to your recovery. No matter how much you drank during the event, you have not been able to completely counteract dehydration. For every pound you are down from your pre-ride weight, you will need to take in about one pint of fluid. If you became very dehydrated during the ride, you may need 12 to 24 hours to completely replace your sweat losses. Keep your alcohol intake to a minimum after exercise since it will further dehydrate you. Beer and wine are poor "sports drinks", so make sure you consume some water and juices along with the celebratory beer.

In addition to restoring your fluid balance, you need to begin to restore your muscle and liver glycogen stores. How well you replenish these stores will determine how quickly you will be able to train or race at your peak the next day.

Research completed by Dr. John Ivy at the University of Texas shows that the first two hours after a hard effort are crucial to replenishing carbohydrates. You need to consume about 100 to 120 grams of carbohydrate within the first 45 minutes after the ride, and again at two hours. This would equal about a half-dozen bananas, a dozen apples or 15 to 18 slices of bread.

A better way to consume this amount of carbohydrate is once again to use one of the commercially available products on the market. Using one of the high-carbohydrate products such as Endurox R4, Ultra Fuel or Gatorload, can stimulate the needed glycogen resynthesis, and thereby shorten the recovery time to proper muscle energy stores.

If you rehydrate with only water or wait several hours to eat, your glycogen stores will not come back to maximum levels. Research has shown that individuals who do not consume carbohydrates in the first two hours after exercise exhibit about 40 to 50 percent less glycogen storage than those who consume carbohydrates in the first hours after exercise.

Summary

Nutrition and fluid replacement plays a significant role in successful training and competition. You have trained hard, purchased the proper equipment, and honed your cycling skills. Proper nutrition may be all you need to perform at your maximum in training and competition.