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How can you ride faster<\/a> and feel strong during your rides or races while others around you are falling apart and quitting? As a UESCA-certified cycling coach, I\u2019ve coached riders for more than 15 years to focus on finishing fast and strong. During that time, one thing has become clear: it\u2019s not enough to ride and lift weights<\/a>\u2014we also need to practice a strategic fueling strategy.<\/p>\n Having energy at the right time is often the difference between being in the sprint finish<\/a> and giving up. That\u2019s why it\u2019s crucial and non-negotiable to pair training and fueling together.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udeb4\ud83c\udffb\u200d\u2640\ufe0f Ready to unlock a stronger, healthier you? Our Cycling for Weight Loss program<\/a> will help you find confidence and consistency in your training.<\/p>\n Let me share a real world example of how important this is. In 2025, one of my 50-plus<\/a> athletes was prepping for the TransRockies Gravel Royale<\/a>, a four-day gravel stage race. Despite the extremely challenging terrain, we prioritized her fueling for the first two thirds of every stage.<\/p>\n Because she focused on fueling, she actually rode faster deep into each stage and reeled in riders before the finish line each day. By taking this fueling approach, she won her 50-plus age group by more than 40 minutes, coming second overall in the women\u2019s field for her race distance.<\/p>\n The take home? Fueling matters much more than you think.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, many of us 40-plus riders are underfueling. Sometimes it\u2019s an unintended by-product of busy lifestyles and forgetting to stock up on quick fuel.<\/p>\n But sometimes it\u2019s intentional because, let\u2019s face it, we\u2019re in a sport that often still equates a light body as the only way to be a fast cyclist. We\u2019ve been indoctrinated to try and lose weight at all costs. However, losing weight at all costs will cost us everything.<\/p>\n The Performance Costs of Underfueling<\/p>\n Underfueling negatively affects your performance while stealing your energy and your joy of cycling. From the 2023 IOC Consensus statement on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport<\/a> (REDs), we know that underfueling leads to decreased training responses, losing muscle mass and reducing both your endurance and power needed for cycling.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also responsible for decreased recovery, missed motivation, and impacted cognitive performance, too. You might feel like you\u2019re de-training when in fact you\u2019re underfueling your rides.<\/p>\n Underfueling can also disrupt thyroid and endocrine functions. This happens primarily by slowing down the body\u2019s non-essential functions in order to conserve energy for basic life processes, which can lead to RED-S, sarcopenia<\/a>, amenorrhea, and osteopenia.<\/p>\n Physically, you\u2019ll notice your heart rate variability<\/a> is low, your resting heart rate<\/a> increases, you feel exhausted, and your regular rides feel much harder.<\/p>\n Related Story<\/p>\n If you throw your leg over a bike while underfueled, especially if underfueling is chronic, riding at your zone 2 power<\/a> feels more like a zone 4 threshold effort<\/a>. Keeping up with your group on the climbs becomes impossible, and you get dropped.<\/p>\n This is why I coach my athletes to always train and race in a fed state\u2014not fasted\u2014so they have nutritional support to stay healthy and injury-free. Riders will have better adaptation and race outcomes when they have adequate blood glucose levels<\/a> and their glycogen<\/a> stores are topped off.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re ready to ride faster and adventure farther, here are the three fueling tactics that helped my athlete win her gravel stage race. And this is not just advice I give as a coach; I stick to these tactics in my own racing and training as well. You can incorporate them into your own fueling strategy to crush your next adventure with confidence.<\/p>\n Related StoryDetermine Your BMR<\/p>\n First, find your basal metabolic rate (BMR). Use the scientifically proven Harris-Benedict equation to find your BMR. This minimum energy requirement is foundational to your everyday fueling needs, and most of us have no idea what that number is.<\/p>\n To avoid underfueling, eat enough at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, using your BMR as a bare-minimum starting point. Divide your BMR by three, and aim to eat at least this many calories at each meal, spaced evenly throughout the day to satisfy your basic minimum energy needs.<\/p>\n A good place to start is with at least one to two servings of whole-grain carbohydrates<\/a> like rice, cereal, or quinoa, and about one palm-sized portion of lean protein<\/a> with each meal, together with one to two servings of colorful veggies or fruit to boost micronutrients and satisfy fat needs.<\/p>\n This is in addition to your training fuel, so you store glycogen and utilize amino acids<\/a> for steady energy availability throughout the day.<\/p>\n Steady fueling throughout the day eliminates the possibility of low energy availability…<\/p>\n Steady fueling throughout the day eliminates the possibility of low energy availability that happens when we forget to eat breakfast or get too busy to take a lunch break, which can lead to feeling ravenous and overeating when you get home.<\/p>\n Optimize Your Pre-Ride Snack<\/p>\n Second, before a training session, have a carb-based snack to power up your training with enough energy. I find it helpful to keep a list of real foods I like and tape it to the fridge, one column of proteins and one column of carbohydrates, for quick reference.<\/p>\n Have about 1 gram of simple carbs per kilogram of body weight about one hour before your training (about 68 grams of carbs for a 150-pound person) to top off your energy stores.<\/p>\n Related StoryCreate a Fueling Plan for Every Ride<\/p>\n Third, plan your fuel for each training session. By considering how much time the ride or race will take, aim to carry enough simple sugars to consume every 30 minutes. This will boost your performance by ensuring steady energy throughout the session, and provide consistent energy to your muscles and central nervous system.<\/p>\n To optimize your performance, the ACSM recommends 30 grams to 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour for sessions up to 2.5 hours long; and 90 grams of carbs per hour for rides lasting longer than that.<\/p>\n Post ride, my athlete focused on recovery by having a meal to help rebuild muscle…<\/p>\n Postride, my athlete focused on recovery by having a meal to help rebuild muscle AND restore her glycogen.<\/p>\n To do this, aim for 0.3 grams of protein per kg of bodyweight (anywhere from 15 grams to 40 grams for most athletes) within 30 minutes and 1 to 1.2 grams carbs\/kg within 2 hours of wrapping up your session. This will jumpstart your muscle recovery<\/a> and restock glycogen quickly, too. This is especially important if you plan to ride again the next day.<\/p>\n Despite the higher temperatures and relentless long, steep, technical trail climbs and descents, my gravel athlete felt 100 percent throughout and finished feeling strong every day. By following these powerful tips to avoid underfueling and using fuel to drive performance and strength instead, I can see you finishing your next event feeling strong, happy, and proud too.<\/p>\n Even though we live in a world where people still equate a light bodyweight with a fast cyclist, remember that a strong body and fueling properly are what actually help you ride faster and achieve those performance goals.<\/p>\n Related StoriesMember Exclusive: Check Out Our Top Cycling Stories![\"Chevron](\"https:\/\/www.bicycling.com\/_assets\/design-tokens\/fre\/static\/icons\/arrow-left-regular.dc4f48a.svg?primary=%2523D4D4D4\"){kind=icon}
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