How can we help?
How much should I eat during a ride?
If the ride is under 60 minutes, water is fine. Over 90 minutes, you need exogenous carbohydrates. Aim for 60-90 grams of carbs per hour. Your body has limited glycogen stores (approx. 2000 calories). Once that depletes, you bonk. You cannot train a starved body.
Should I train fasted to burn fat?
Only for specific, low-intensity sessions (Zone 1/2) under 90 minutes. Never do high-intensity intervals fasted. You need glycogen to produce high power. Training hard while fasted increases cortisol (stress hormone) and forces muscle catabolism. Fuel the work required.
I missed a workout. Should I double up tomorrow?
Absolutely not. Cramming two days of stress into one destroys the quality of the session. Accept the missed day as extra recovery. Reset and execute the next scheduled workout with full focus. Consistency over weeks matters more than one missed Tuesday.
How do I know if I’m overtrained?
Watch for a suppressed heart rate (can’t get HR up during efforts), persistent irritability, poor sleep quality, and dreading the bike. If your performance numbers are dropping despite increased effort, you are in a hole. The only cure is time off the bike.