To eat or not to eat?

I'm a keen recreational cyclist and a mum of 3 children. I ride with a recreational group within our town. I always eat something before I go for a ride. If I don't, I keel over - I just can't last the distance. I seem to be the only one who eats something descent before a ride, everyone else either doesn't have breakfast or something to eat before riding. Most say that they couldn't stomach anything before a ride, but I'm the opposite. So who's right? Should I eat or not before a ride?
Thanks for your input.

Sam.

That pretty much answers your question. If it's going to be a hard ride or more specifically a hard race like an hour of pedal to the metal cyclocross or a time trial I won't eat anything solid for an hour or two before I ride but I'll still get a good breakfast even if I have to get up early. In the last hour I often drink something that I know will stay down like Metabolol, Endurox or other pre/post exercise drink but I try that out before hard training rides before using them on race day. Some foods work better than others, I like oatmeal if time is short before a ride but I always eat something for the same reasons you listed.

If you are eating and it's working out for you, why would you consider not eating?

The only reason that I can think of is reducing caloric intake (to loose weight). Then you need to weight the benefits of eating-being able to ride, get stronger, faster and burn more calories-from costs, which is the extra calories. If you are not obsessed with weight, not really counting your watts/kg and ride recreationally, eat and enjoy your ride!

If you are concerned with your weight, you need to find the balance between how much you can eat before the ride and have enough energy for the ride you have ahead of you.

[QUOTE=roadcyclist]If you are eating and it's working out for you, why would you consider not eating?

She already answered that question. It is peer pressure.

[QUOTE=Robert Gardner]You are right they are wrong eat before always

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EAT! don't feel wierd for it. Just eat appropriate foods, not in excess, and put something in your pocket for the ride. I tend to eat and drink more than most anyone in my club, even guys that are basically my size, I still tend to eat a little bit more than them... The keeling over is "bonking" and that is bad, hard on your system, and reduces the benifits you achieve through your worout...

HR

anyone brave enought to admit they have an eating disorder and have conquered it and how?apparently its rife in the sports world.im attempting to address this before it gobbles me up,harder than i ever thought.

Eating disorders are serious business and I'm not going to pretend I'm even remotely qualified to help sort one out. My wife's a Registered Dietician and works with eating disorder clients and openly admits it's one of the hardest things she does and that there are no easy answers.

FWIW the thing that's helped me manage weight from either end is to always think of food as fuel. Too much and it'll get stored in ways I don't want. Too little and I can't fuel my activities, especially cycling. Getting lean is great for cycling...to a point but if you don't fuel yourself then performance will suffer not to mention the long term consequences. Working with a power meter has reinforced the notion that it's all about Watts/Kg, losing body mass can pump that number up till you reach the point where the watts start dropping. If you stay on a hypocaloric diet much beyond that point you aren't doing your cycling any favors nor your body in general.

Good luck,
Dave

Sam,

No worries. Everyone's body is different. I both run and ride and find I need to eat myself. There are several coaches that actually advocate eating prior to exercise however, they recommend it on a time table. You may want to look into this if you are truly concerned. As a matter of course, I generally eat a bowl of rice and oatmeal about 1.5 hrs before I exercise. If you get very concerned, talk with a dietician.