Nutrition, fueling, and diet for cycling: Veloforte’s complete guide
We get it. You are a passionate cyclist. So are we! We therefore know that YOU understand the importance of good nutrition for cycling. However, the abundance of information available can be complicated, contradictory, and confusing...
At Nutri-Bay and together with our friends at Veloforte, we do not just love cycling; we also love good food and eating well (some have called us foodies, which is accurate). No matter how much money you invest in a new pair of wheels or how hard you train, a good nutrition plan and an effective cycling diet are the foundation for staying healthy and, above all, enjoying cycling even more!
What you put into your body, you get back. Our goal is to get you back to basics with a simple approach to eating, so you can focus on enjoying the ride. The little "special Nutri-Bay" extra is that we are also thinking of you... See you at the end of this article!
Good nutrition affects every aspect of cycling. We will explain the different roles of carbohydrates and protein to help you plan exactly what you need to eat before, during, and after your ride, AND we will give you the key tools you need to create your own cycling diet plan.
Your cycling nutrition guide
Here are the 4 main points to remember to ensure you cover all aspects of an effective cycling diet:
1) Make sure you are getting all the important nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.
2) Eat the right foods to fuel your body on and off the bike.
3) Make sure you have a hydration strategy to drink enough and replace electrolytes.
4) Create your diet and cycling nutrition plan according to your needs.
Important nutrients, vitamins, and minerals for cyclists
- Carbohydrates
- Protein
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- Magnesium
- Iron
If you want to perform at your best, recover properly, and stay fit and healthy, understanding the key nutrients that make up your diet is a crucial first step. Here is an overview of the most important nutrients that cyclists need to provide their bodies with.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are our body's preferred fuel source for cycling. We can store enough fuel (as glycogen in our liver and muscles) for around 90 minutes of exercise at a time. Beyond that, we need to make sure we take on additional carbohydrates at regular intervals to avoid the dreaded bonk. It is almost as painful as hitting a wall, which is why we do not recommend it.
When our bodies run out of energy, our cycling comes to a halt—or at the very least, we start wobbling along very slowly and awkwardly! If you are training for a long-distance cycling event, such as a race, it is really important to practice different fueling strategies during your training to ensure you get the most out of what you put into your body.
This not only establishes a strategy in your mind, making it familiar and turning it into a routine, but also trains your body and digestive system to absorb carbohydrates more effectively, giving you a much-needed boost during long rides.
By incorporating your nutrition and fueling strategy into your cycling training, you will also develop and support your needs in terms of weight-loss management, endurance capacity, and cycling power. We literally see no downside—which is why we wholeheartedly recommend it.
Depending on the intensity of your training, you should aim to consume between 30 and 60 g of carbohydrates per hour, and up to 90 g if some of the carbohydrates are supplied by a blend of glucose and fructose (fruit sugar). Fructose increases the efficiency of carbohydrate absorption, which means you can absorb even more and fuel yourself for even longer.
Carbohydrates help you perform at your best for longer! At Veloforte, we focus on providing healthy carbohydrates in most of the energy bars you can enjoy during your rides. Try the Ciocco, Classico, and Di Bosco bars for a double source of carbohydrates on the go.
If you prefer to get your carbohydrates in gel form, don’t worry! We’ve got you covered with our range of Veloforte energy gels too. They are an excellent source of energy in convenient, easy-to-open packaging, ready to swallow on the go.
Our Veloforte gels
Protein
Protein plays many roles in the human body. It helps strengthen and repair damaged tissue, enables metabolic reactions to take place, and helps coordinate and regulate your essential bodily functions (including maintaining an appropriate fluid and pH balance).
Protein is absolutely essential for recovery after cycling. If you don’t consume enough after your ride, you’ll never reap all the benefits of your hard work, and you won’t get those huge, gleaming leg muscles you’re looking for (the sparkle isn’t included in the protein intake). We recommend stocking up on some of our Forza or Mocha protein bars for a quick protein boost during or just after your ride. You can even have a bar during your ride and wash it down with one of our Veloforte recovery shakes, specially formulated to provide protein as effectively as possible just after your ride.
The Veloforte protein range
When you exercise, you damage your muscles by pushing them to their limits. This muscle needs to be repaired so it can adapt to new demands. So you’d better get your protein out and start repairing your muscles.
Depending on the intensity of your training, you should aim for approximately 1.2 to 2.2 g of protein per kg of body weight. If you are overexerting yourself and constantly increasing the intensity of your rides, you will need to focus on the upper end of this range to ensure you get the essential extra protein you need.
If you think you need to lose weight to optimize your body and health on your rides, it's highly recommended that you take recovery days when you reduce your carbohydrate intake and increase your protein intake.
But remember that protein is more effective when you spread it out—don't consume more than 200 g at a time, or the benefits of protein won't be as significant. For the best results after a ride, aim to consume about 200 g of protein as soon as possible, then space your protein intake evenly across your other meals and snacks for the rest of the day. This way, you'll ensure that you effectively absorb as much of this valuable protein as possible.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a strange subject because it's almost impossible to get enough of it through diet alone. Fortunately, you don't have to look far, as the sun can provide up to 80% of what you need.
Vitamin D is essential for strengthening muscles and bones and boosting metabolism, which helps reduce recovery times. But even though cyclists spend a lot of time outdoors in the saddle, we can still miss out on significant amounts of vitamin D by applying sunscreen, covering too much of our bodies, or going out when the sun isn't shining—and we certainly don't recommend riding naked...
That's why it's a good idea to supplement your diet with 1,000 to 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 (the most effective form for absorption) daily to maximize your intake safely.
Vitamin C
You need vitamin C to strengthen your immune system and enable it to protect you from the ailments that could keep you off your bike and leave you sick in bed. Something nobody wants! It also helps fight cardiovascular disease, prevent wrinkles, and keep your eyes healthy—all benefits for cyclists, especially those of us who take care of our complexion.
Vitamin C is abundant in fruits and vegetables, but, admit it... do you really eat your 5 servings of fruit and vegetables a day? In fact, it's better to aim for 8 or 9 servings of fruit and vegetables a day if you want to optimize your vitamin C intake.
Of course, if fresh fruit and vegetables (especially citrus fruits, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, etc.) are not your cup of tea, or if you cannot reach your five daily servings of fruit and vegetables (or more) (it happens to the best of us), you can supplement your diet with vitamin C tablets—500 mg per day should be enough.
Vitamins E
Vitamin E protects the cells in your muscles and lungs—both of which are obviously very important for cyclists—so we should do our best to give them a boost, right? Indeed, increased vitamin E intake has been shown to increase lung capacity at altitude, which is excellent news! Tour de France, anyone...?
Vitamin E is found mainly in fatty foods such as oil and nuts, so if you follow a low-fat diet (which should not be the case if you are trying to have a healthy, balanced diet...), you are missing this important ingredient for healthy nutrition.
Unfortunately, dietary supplements will not be enough, as research suggests that the best way to absorb vitamin E is to consume it directly through your diet. So grab a small handful of nuts and drizzle your meals and snacks with a little olive oil to get all the benefits. However, we recommend avoiding corn, canola, and soybean oils... they can indeed harm your lung health in the long term. Olive oil is tastier anyway, so it is not a major loss.
Magnesium
Magnesium helps regulate blood sugar, blood pressure, bone development, and nerve function. That is a lot of regulation! In addition, it helps your body convert carbohydrates and fats into fuel more efficiently—which is obviously excellent for cyclists like us—so magnesium is essential!
Fortunately, it is easily found in all food groups: vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, poultry, fish, beef, and even chocolate... A bonus for chocolate and sweet-treat lovers.
However, if you ride a lot, you will lose a significant amount of magnesium through sweat (and also urine), so you should consider increasing your intake by around 20% if that is the case.
Basically, women need around 320 mg per day and men need 420 mg. If you train a lot, you may want to consider taking a magnesium supplement to avoid a deficiency. But for everyone else, just eat whole foods (without too much chocolate) in healthy quantities and everything should be fine!
Iron
We all know that iron is essential if you engage in intense physical exercise, as it helps form and maintain red blood cells in your body and maximizes their ability to deliver oxygen to your muscles. We all remember those lessons at school, don't we?
If you're low in iron, you may become anemic, which will make you tired and weak. This will obviously have a considerable negative impact on your rides, which isn't great.
Meat eaters can rejoice, because you can get plenty of iron by regularly eating healthy portions of meat and fish. If you're vegetarian or vegan, make sure you eat enough iron-rich green vegetables, such as kale, spinach, and broccoli, and consider eating them at the same time as foods rich in vitamin C. Vitamin C has the benefit of helping your body absorb more iron from plant-based sources!
However, it's a good idea to supplement your daily iron intake if you cycle intensively, as you may be lacking in it. Women need 18 mg per day, while men need 8 mg. So make sure you don't let your iron levels get too low and risk the dreaded anemia.
The best foods for cyclists to fuel up on and off the bike
An amazing, pocket-sized way to refuel while you're on the go. If your ride is going to last more than 90 minutes, you'll definitely want to pack a few energy bars for cyclists so you don't run out of steam on the trail.Our friends at Veloforte spent years experimenting with natural recipes to find the perfect energy bars that not only give you the boost you need, but also taste great! After all, you want to enjoy what you eat, don't you?
Like energy bars, protein bars are small, convenient, and easy ways to fuel yourself and get the additional protein needed to help your muscles recover.
By opting for a 3:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein, you'll get a bar that will help you last longer while riding and help you recover more effectively afterward. Discover our Forza and Mocha bars for the protein boost you need.
Another quick and easy source of carbohydrates on the go, if energy bars aren't your thing, consider taking a few energy gels for cyclists on your long rides to help you keep going longer.
Veloforte has the perfect solutions for your energy gel needs, allowing you to get the quick energy you need quickly, conveniently, and in a gel packed with natural benefits.
Recovery drinks are exactly what you need to get that protein boost as soon as possible after your ride, for maximum benefits. Naturally, the additional protein helps your muscles recover from exertion more quickly and efficiently and supports healthy development.
At Veloforte, they have developed the Vita and Nova recovery drinks, packed with protein to support your recovery. In addition, we are lucky to offer their limited-edition shaker!
You should also consider including foods such as pasta and rice, green vegetables, potatoes, porridge, salmon, nuts and oils, red meat, and citrus fruits.
The importance of hydration while cycling
Staying hydrated while cycling is absolutely essential for digesting food and maintaining a high level of performance. Dehydration, even in its mildest form, can really slow you down and make you feel sick or give you a headache after your ride.
In addition to drinking the normal recommended amount of 6 to 8 glasses of liquid per day, you need to drink more to compensate for any fluid loss caused by exercise, which can be lost through sweat and urine during and after your ride. So, stay hydrated!
Another thing not to forget is to keep your body well balanced with electrolytes. These minerals carry a tiny electrical charge and are essential for maintaining a healthy pH in your body fluids, as well as balancing the amount of fluid you generally retain.
Electrolytes can easily be lost through sweat and urine during intense rides. So be sure to stock up on premixed electrolyte drinks, add a tablet to your water bottle, or prepare a smoothie to stay balanced. If you have a sweet tooth, you can even drink a small bottle of cherry, watermelon, or orange juice—these fruit juices are rich in electrolytes. Just avoid the more sinister varieties made from concentrate. One key point to remember, however, is that energy drinks for cyclists can help support good hydration and, naturally, we have a range of Veloforte electrolyte powders available to help you stay hydrated as easily as possible.
Although it may seem tedious, a simple way to make sure you are hydrating sufficiently is to weigh yourself before and after a ride. A well-hydrated cyclist should not lose weight during a ride. For every 0.5 kg of body weight lost, you need 500 ml of water to rehydrate and keep you on the road. Keep this in mind and you’ll be fine!
Additionally, water alone is fine for short rides in cool weather, but if you sweat a lot, a little extra sodium can really help your body maintain fluid balance and prevent cramps.
Seriously, don’t forget to stay hydrated!
OUR VELOFORTE PRODUCTS
As a reminder, we are offering you a discount on all Veloforte products
➡️ -10% including bundles, with the code 
“VF10”
All products are made with 100% natural ingredients! 
Gluten-free 
Dairy-free 
No preservatives or additives 
Highly digestible 
Some products are compatible with a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle! 
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