Hydration and Nutrition for Mountain Biking
A sports nutritionist, co-director of Les Chèvres de Montagne and avid mountain biker, Émilie Richard spends a lot of time out there on the trails. Based on all her observations during events, she confirms that proper nutrition and hydration while mountain biking only enhance the riding experience—and the quality of any post-ride activities! The key takeaway? That your body’s priority isn’t to digest during exertion, but to supply your muscles with energy.
1. What should you eat before a mountain bike ride?
What’s a mountain biker’s best friend? Carbohydrates! A vital source of energy for our muscles, carbohydrates are digested quickly, within half an hour of intake, based on what you eat them with. Carbohydrate sources, such as fresh or dried fruit, toast with nut butter, soy yogurt, granola and so on, are great foods to eat, especially if you’re short on time before a workout.
The less fibre, fat and protein foods contain, the faster you can digest them. There’s a five-gram rule here: if your snack contains less than five grams of each of these components, the body will more easily digest it when providing energy to your muscles.
If you have more time before the bike ride, adding protein to your carbohydrate source can be a good option. But keep in mind that it takes about an hour and a half to digest. Try to strike a balance between having eaten too much and digesting throughout the activity and not having taken in enough and lacking energy.
2. How much fluid to drink before a mountain bike ride?
Since everyone is different, ideally you should refer to your urine colour. The goal is to keep it clear. It should be approximately a light lemonade colour.
In the hours leading up to the ride, make sure you’re fully hydrated. Here’s a suggestion: about two hours before heading out, regardless of the time of day, keep a 500 ml water bottle at your side, and drink all of it. In addition, if the ride is in the late afternoon or evening, drink regularly throughout the day.
Fun fact! Contrary to popular belief, drinking coffee doesn’t dehydrate you. In fact, if you drink one or two cups of coffee a day, it won’t impact your hydration level. However, in large quantities—about six cups daily—coffee does dehydrate you. Consuming about 100 mg of caffeine before sports can even boost your energy and endurance. Now that’s something we like to hear!
3. And how often should you drink during a mountain bike ride?
Again, it’s hard to recommend a general amount that works for all riders. However, theoretically, a person loses about 400 ml to 800 ml of fluids hourly, depending on the how much he or she is sweating and the sport’s intensity. This data varies based on a person’s natural perspiration response, heat, humidity, the sport and even the hydration level when starting out. The better hydrated you are, the faster you sweat when you begin your sport, which helps keep your body temperature stable—and that’s what you want!
The words to live by? Quench your thirst! Be attentive to the signal, and drink when you feel thirsty. Ideally, you have a hydration pack that lets you hydrate easily when you’re on the move.
4. Should you drink sports drinks while mountain biking?
It’s not bad to do so, but sometimes it’s unnecessary, depending on the ride’s intensity and duration. The body needs 30 g of carbohydrates hourly when it sustains an exertion for more than an hour and a half. When the activity lasts more than two to three hours, we’re talking about sixty grams per hour.
However, given its liquid form, a Gatorade-type sports drink provides carbohydrates, salt and water to the muscles quickly, making it a strong ally during epic adventures. They’re designed for people who train for more than an hour and a half or two hours at high intensity.
Shop for Water Bottles for Biking
Are you the homemade concoction type? Mix three tablespoons of frozen concentrated juice, fill your water bottle and add a pinch of salt. If you only have regular juice, mix half juice and half water and a pinch of salt.
5. How many litres of water to bring mountain biking?
Make sure you have enough water for the length of the ride. If it lasts for more than an hour, a litre or even two litres of water, based on the temperature outside, are recommended. The main thing is not to run out. Again, keep tabs on the colour of your urine during and even after the ride. You’ll have a good idea of how much water you should bring next time.
6. What snacks to bring on a mountain bike ride?
Salt and sugar are your friends here. Bring energy chews, rice crackers—even those notorious Goldfish—pretzels and other little treats in your pack. But be careful! They should be consumed in moderation and not contain a lot of fat. When it comes to sugary options, you should go with energy chews rather than chocolate, which contains more fat. And if you’re going to ride all day, make yourself a sandwich with a source of protein.
It’s simple—staying hydrated and choosing the right foods at the right time for the activity can make all the difference. The post-ride get-together? Your favourite cocktail, a glassful of cool water and some potato chips with friends. Cheers!
