Fueling for Early Morning Bike Workouts

Are you an early morning exerciser? Try this fueling plan. 

1. Prepare: If you are up 30-45 minutes before the class (we know, California, that means waking up at 2:30 a.m. - sorry!), have a small snack. A piece of toast with a little peanut butter and some coffee is a safe bet. 

If you aren’t waking closer to your start time, take an energy gel 15 minutes before class starts and have a shot espresso or a small cup of coffee. We prefer the glucose-based gel XRCEL because it’s time-released formula helps avoid that crash and burn feeling. If you want to order some, send a DM to @athletefood on instagram for a discount.

A lot of riders prefer to do workouts fasted. You probably know from experience that you don’t need calories to complete these shorter workouts, but to maximize your performance, we recommend having a good fuel source either before your start or during your workout (see below). This might be the boost you need to rise above an FTP plateau or set a new output record.

2. Consume During the Workout: Always bring a drink bottle to the bike with you, preferably with electrolytes from coconut water or a sports drink. Also have a calorie stash at your bike as well. You never know when your body is going to need an extra boost, even during a 45-60 minute class. Imagine Matt saying, “in 2 minutes we head to zone 5” or  “I’m not going easy on you here.” Be smart and be prepared. Fuel with a shot of gel or a quick bite of an energy bar. Pro tip for the ultra-competitive: open the wrapper of the bar before class starts so that you don’t miss a pedal stroke and drop your output.

3. Recovery: Finish the bar you started during your ride or grab a protein drink or smoothie as soon as you can after class. This refueling effort is necessary, even if the bike intervals make eating the last thing you want to do. Fueling during the 30 minutes after a workout is important for muscle regrowth and will also help avoid that all too frequent post-workout famished feeling (and ensuing binge). When we skip this step, we’re ok for about 45 minutes, and then have been known to eat everything in sight - healthy or not. Let’s just say it’s best to avoid that and it’s consequences.