Ritchey Break-Away

A major concern for many riders is how to eat before an early morning ride or race. When we wake up in the morning, we have essentially just undergone an eight-to-ten-hour fast. This overnight fast lowers the glycogen stores in the liver and greatly impairs the production of blood glucose. (Glycogen and glucose are primary fuels for muscles and the central nervous system.) Because events lasting more than an hour rely heavily on blood glucose for fuel, performance will be adversely affected if you skip the morning meal. Waking up earlier to eat is one option, although the disruption of your sleep is probably more detrimental to your performance than depleted liver glycogen. Your other option is to eat a small meal containing both simple and complex carbohydrates. This combination will give you some readily available energy as well as some longer-lasting energy. The pre-event food should be primarily carbohydrate with a touch of protein. Carbohydrate is the preferable fuel during exercise, and a bit of protein will aid with satiety. Be careful with your choice of protein foods, as many are also high in fat -- bacon, cheese and other dairy products. Fatty foods should be avoided, as they delay stomach emptying and can contribute to feelings of sluggishness. Most importantly, never choose foods before competition that you have not tried in training! It's never smart to try anything new on the day of an important event. It may take some practice to determine exactly what your stomach can tolerate before a training session and how long it is going to take you to digest your pre-event meal.