Do You Need to Fuel Easy Rides? The New UCI Cycling Nutrition Guidelines Clear it Up
Every year around this time, I hear some version of the same question. The race season is over, rides are moving indoors or getting shorter, and I'm asked: Do I actually need to fuel my easy rides? It's nothing compared to what I was doing in-season.
It's a fair question, and thanks to a brand new set of recommendations from cycling's international governing body, we have a solid answer. The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) published a position statement on nutrition for cycling, built from 14 topic reviews by more than 50 expert researchers. It covers everything from Grand Tours to gravel to indoor racing. Most of it was written with elite riders in mind, but the core principles apply to anyone who rides seriously, including the riders I work with here in New England.
Here's what I think matters most for you right now from these cycling nutrition guidelines.
1. Adjusting your fuel according to your training doesn't mean you should eat much less when your rides are easier.
The central idea in the statement is that carbohydrate needs should match the demands of the day. This is especially important for supporting performance on the bike but also a rider's overall health. It is recommended that riders consume 5 to 7 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight on lighter training days, and more than 8 g/kg on days with four or more hours of riding.
Many riders are not meeting even the lower end of the "light" training day range. For a 70 kg rider, 5 g/kg is 350 g of carbohydrate on an easy day. That is not a low-carb day. "Fuel for the work required" means adjusting the amount, but it depends where you're starting from.
You may have also seen "train low" strategies, where some easy sessions are done with lower carbohydrate intake to promote certain training adaptations. The statement discusses this within a carefully periodized plan. In my practice, I don't recommend it as a do-it-yourself strategy, especially for athletes with a history of under-eating or restrictive patterns, because it's easy for "a few strategic sessions" to become a chronic deficit.
2. On the bike: a simple framework
The statement's guidance for carbohydrate during riding adjusts with duration:
Under 75 minutes: fuel before and after; a carbohydrate mouth rinse is an option for hard efforts.
1 to 2.5 hours: about 30 to 60 g of carbohydrate per hour.
Over 2.5 hours: around 90 g per hour, using products with more than one type of carbohydrate (glucose plus fructose), which the gut absorbs more efficiently.
Thirty grams is roughly one gel, a banana, or a bottle of sports drink. Ninety grams per hour takes practice. Your gut adapts to what you train it to handle, so long rides are the time to practice this. Do not wait until a race to test out your plan!
What about the 120-140+ grams per hour of carbs that some world tour cyclists are allegedly reaching on the bike?
The authors note that, although there is plenty of interest in ultra high-carb fueling strategies, there is not enough evidence yet to support that intakes of 120 g/hr or more are associated with performance benefits, and amounts this high may increase the risk of GI problems.
For anyone riding indoors, hydration needs should be evaluated carefully. Sweat losses are often higher than people expect indoors compared to outdoors. The statement suggests keeping fluid losses under about 2% of body weight*, then replacing around 125 to 150% of what you lost afterward. This sounds complicated, but one simple strategy I use often with riders is to compare your body weight before and after a ride. For every pound of body weight lost, aim to drink an additional 16-24 ounces of fluid afterward. If you lose >2% of your weight over the course of your ride, consider increasing your hydration on the bike.
3. Under-fueling affects a rider's health, not just their performance
The experts are clear that low energy availability (a mismatch between calorie intake and calorie needs for both training and normal body functions) is common in cyclists. Over time, this can lead to Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs), which can have long-term effects on hormones, bone, immune function, mood, and performance.
Speaking of bone health, cycling is non-weight-bearing, so it doesn't give your skeleton much of the loading that keeps bone strong. Pair that with under-fueling and you have a real risk of low bone density and stress injuries, even in riders who may appear very fit. Because of this, riders must focus on adequate energy (calorie), carbohydrate, protein, calcium and vitamin D intake to support long-term bone health.
Potential signs of under-fueling:
Training feels harder than it should, and power or pace stalls
Frequent colds or slow recovery from illness
Missed or irregular periods (this is not a normal part of being an athlete, despite what you might have heard)
Low libido, poor sleep, irritability, always feeling cold
Isolated or repeated stress fractures or bone injuries
If several of these sound familiar, that's worth a conversation with a sports dietitian or physician familiar with recognizing the signs of REDs and treating it. REDs treatment requires a multidisciplinary approach, and often athletes are best served working with a team including a physician, registered dietitian, physical therapist, and mental health provider.
4. The power-to-weight ratio trap
If you're at all within cycling culture, you've almost certainly heard talk about watts per kilogram. The UCI statement acknowledges that body mass matters on long climbs, but the experts make it clear that restricting the diet during heavy training can have significant risks. Here's the part athletes often miss: when you under-fuel, power usually drops too. Losing watts as you lose weight doesn't actually benefit your performance!
5. Supplements for cyclists
The UCI identified six supplements with good evidence in cycling: caffeine, creatine, sodium bicarbonate, beta-alanine, dietary nitrate (such as beetroot juice), and glycerol. Each has specific uses, doses, and side-effects, and none replaces meeting your energy needs by eating adequate calories. Competitive riders should be sure to choose third-party tested products. If you're not sure whether any of these fit your goals, you'll likely save time and money speaking with a sports dietitian about your unique needs rather than just buying what a teammate is taking or something you saw in a social media post.
What the cycling nutrition guidelines mean for you this fall
Eat enough on easy days. Adjust portions of carbohydrate to training, but you should be eating carbohydrate foods like rice, pasta, potato, oats, or fruit with each meal (even on a rest day).
Fuel rides over an hour, and practice fueling during all your long rides like you plan to on race day.
Pay attention to your hydration, and consider estimating your sweat losses if you are concerned you're not hydrating properly.
Recurring illness, stalled performance, missed periods, and low energy levels are not a normal part of training hard. Bring up any concerns with your coach and a trusted healthcare provider.
Be skeptical of off-season plans built around getting lighter.
These guidelines are a starting point, but your needs depend on your training, health history, schedule, and goals. If you'd like help building a plan that fits your riding, I work with cyclists and endurance athletes in Mystic, CT and virtually across Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
KC Stockmon, MS, RD, LDN is a sports dietitian and owner of Truly Fueled Nutrition Counseling serving athletes across Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
*athletes who are sensitive to knowing their weight or for whom the number on the scale simply doesn't benefit them may absolutely skip the scale and fine-tune their hydration using other strategies. Talk with a sports dietitian about other methods to keep you hydrated without stepping on the scale!
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