A Good Breakfast For Cyclists

Some of you may raise their eyebrows because what the heck is breakfast? We don't eat breakfast before the ride. Yes, but we need a good breakfast when we are on the road. Over here, cyclists and bikers would usually eat rice for breakfast to gain energy from the carbohydrates of rice. Meat goes with that for protein. And the drink? Usually just water although I prefer fruit juice especially when I had covered more than 10 kilometers.

 

What? I'm pretty sure that most people know what breakfast is and tend to enjoy one before an early ride on any given day. I don't focus much on what I'm eating, but it usually contains plenty of protein and a decent amount of carbs. I might even throw in an energy drink or two. That's a personal preference rather than something that I recommend for other cyclists, though.

 

Definitely something rich in carbs and protein I often have a couple of slices of whole wheat toast with margarine (I'm vegan), and a bowl of cornflakes with milk and a glass of orange juice. Seems to keep me going well and its not so heavy that it weighs me down, but gives the right amount of nutrients to get me going!

 

My own favourite is bacon, sausage, eggs.

You won't get this breakfast recommendation in the science books / training books though

 

My breakfast contains a lot of carbs and protein. 2 eggs a day and brown rice with wheat bread.
And for the drink, yes, I prefer natural fruit juice. Coconut juice keeps me hydrated but I always
bring bottled water for emergency use. My favorite combination is Sunny side up, Fried Rice sometimes brown rice, bacon
and 2 glasses of fresh mango juice.

 

To make it quick I scramble two eggs sprinkle them with my favorite spices and grab a loaf of bread and finish it with a fresh hot cup of coffee. This is pretty much my breakfast on a regular basis. I would grab something then along the way just in case I feel hungry.

 

You need to eat something light. No one wants to workout on a stomach where you can hear the water swishing around. I usually eat a few eggs, sprinkle on some raw onions, garlic, and green peppers, and maybe some white rice or potatoes. That will usually keep my going for a few hours. From there I can sip on some on some water, and maybe snack on a power bar.

 

Well a fresh smoothie always works for me, I get plenty of energy for bike riding from fresh organic fruits, but keep in mind that you eat today to gain energy for tomorrow, so breakfast should be light, but I like to bring snacks like sunflower seeds or dates with me while I ride.

 

I agree with the carbs because sometimes when I take a light breakfast and the right is quite long that would take 2 hours, I get a bit (tolerable) hungry before we reach the destination. But I am wondering why the brown rice and the wheat bread? The wheat bread is for fried eggs maybe and the brown rice is for fried fish? I get hungry by your comments, hahahaaa. But I really like the bacon when cooked to be crisp plus the sunny side eggs. Let's go.

 

That's a fried brown rice to be specific haha.
I partner it with fried omelette with fresh tomato and it taste great. love it.
I am hooked with brown rice lately because brown rice offers nutritional benefits that you just can’t get from white.
Such as magnesium, B-6, and potassium, all of which are linked to leg muscle use and keeps my tummy happy.

 

Bacon and a pint of breakfast wheat beer.

 

My usual breakfast is muesli or eggs. I have to eat before the ride.

 

We tried brown rice before but we just couldn't agree with the taste. It's funny because several of my colleagues in the office had been eating brown rice in lieu of the usual white rice. But after a while, they quit and they say that they found nothing unusual in brown rice except the taste. So it's not just the nutritional value but the taste that matters for Filipinos (in my circle). We also sometimes have tomato omelet but the green tomato which has a sour taste that I think has phytochemicals or something.

 

How did I never know that breakfast beer is a thing? That sounds amazing!

I usually just stick to something small that's heavy in protein with some healthy carbs thrown in...peanut butter toast, a scrambled egg and toast or cheese and crackers are all quick and easy and not too heavy. If I eat too much before any kind of exercise I always end up feeling sick so I try to keep my pre-ride breakfasts small and eat them a decent amount of time before leaving.

 

I usually try to aim for lots of protein and a piece of fruit.
Things like scrambled eggs, hard boiled eggs, peanut butter, nuts or leftover meat from supper the night before.
I love to pair that with avacado or tomato and some fruit. Usually bananas or berries.
I also prepare smoothies for my family the night before that contain fruit, yogurt, maybe fruit juice, whatever veggies I have an hand and then add protein powder for myself.

 

Indeed if we don't eat breakfast then we can't expect that we will find energy to ride. They say that breakfast is in fact the most essential meal of the day. It enters your body and sets the pace for how you will feel throughout the course of the day. What is riding without breakfast: Suicide, anemia.

 

In my younger days I used to go without breakfast foolishly.... doing vigorous exercise activities including cycling and running. I've learned know that it is very dangerous for your health. You should never cycle on an empty stomach, but neither should you do it full. You have to strike a balance.

 

I think it's OK to have breakfast before going for a ride. But one has to ensure that one does not ride immediately after having breakfast. There has to be some time for your body to digest the food and to disseminate the nutrients.

 

I was listening to a radio program the other day and they were talking about how to start your day. They were saying that eating something heavy for breakfast is not necessarily the right thing to do. They said that we should start by having some fruits. They said that between 2 or one hour intervals we should eat these fruits up until mid day then we have our lunch or what we would call breakfast then.

 

Breakfast for me depends on the day. During the week it's usually either cereal or scrambled eggs on toast but at the weekend it's usually the unhealthy option of bacon, sausage and eggs.

While it's not the healthiest breakfast it certainly fills me up for the rest of the day. Well, untill dinner anyway!