December 1, 2025 · 3 min read

Race-Day Cycling Nutrition — What to Eat Before, During and After

Fitness built up over months can fall apart in a single day because of badly planned race-day nutrition. An empty tank at kilometre 80, or a stomach in revolt after a too-heavy breakfast, cost more than many a training session. Here's race-day nutrition broken down into three stages: before, during, and after.

The day(s) before — carb-load

Your muscles store energy as glycogen. Before a longer race (over ~90 min) it's worth topping up those stores by raising the share of carbohydrates in the 1–2 days beforehand while at the same time cutting training volume.

• Go for easily digestible carbohydrates: rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, fruit.
• Don't overdo fibre and fat the day before — they weigh on the stomach.
• Start hydrating early; add electrolytes, especially in the heat.
• Nothing new right before the start — test your food in training, not on race day.

Breakfast before the start

Eat a meal 3–4 hours before the race that's high in carbohydrates, moderate in protein, low in fat and fibre — for example porridge with banana and honey, rice with jam, wheat bread. In the 30–60 minutes before the start you can add a small, fast-acting snack (a banana, a gel) if you tolerate it well.

During — how many carbs per hour

This is the key parameter. As a rough guide:

• Sources: gels, bars, an isotonic drink, a banana. A home-made isotonic is described in this recipe.
• Eat before you get hungry — top up in small portions every 20–30 minutes, don't wait for the "bonk".
• Above ~60 g/h, combine carb sources (glucose + fructose) so they absorb better.
• Drink regularly; add electrolytes in the heat.

After the finish — the recovery window

After the effort, aim for three things: carbohydrates (rebuilding glycogen), protein (muscle repair) and fluids + electrolytes. Eat the first portion ideally within 30–60 minutes. See the specifics in what to eat after training.

The most common mistakes

• Experimenting on race day — a new gel can wreck your stomach.
• Eating too late — by the time you feel hungry, it's already too late.
• Too heavy a breakfast right before the start.
• Forgetting to drink — dehydration cuts power faster than a lack of carbs.

Summary

Race-day nutrition is a three-stage plan: load glycogen in the days before, eat an easily digestible breakfast 3–4 h before, take in 30–90 g of carbs per hour during, and follow up with carbohydrates and protein right after the finish. Practise all of it in training beforehand. You'll find the basics of everyday eating in a cyclist's diet.

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