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In-ride nutrition and hydration can be confusing. There are so many products, so much conflicting advice, and for every cyclist, there’s also simply a matter of taste and personal preference. But there are certain major fueling mistakes that you can avoid with some simple shifts in your approach to fueling strategy. 

Here, we chatted with Doctor Francesco Chiappero, a sports scientist and member of the “Equipe Enervit,” Enervit’s team of elite nutrition experts, to talk about four of the major mistakes he sees cyclists making.

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Under- or Over-doing Carbohydrates

We all know that carbohydrates—simple sugars in particular—are what provide the fast fuel that we need during hard or long rides. But finding the right amount for you can be tricky, and most of us have the propensity for under-fueling or over-fueling. Finding the happy medium is tough!

Chiappero says that the range to aim for is 30 to 90 grams (120 to 360 calories) of carbohydrates per hour while on the bike. Any less and you’re likely going to suffer from the dreaded ‘bonk.’ Any more, and you risk over-fueling, which can lead to digestive upset. However, the amount of carbohydrate you need is entirely individual: You will have to experiment with that range to find the sweet spot where you feel your best on your ride.

Even if you deeply, deeply love Enervit’s tropical fruit gel, you should still be mixing up your fueling types and flavors a bit when you ride. Why does this matter? Because often, we have that one type of ride food, whether it’s a drink mix, gel, gummy or bar, that digests well and makes us feel great—and we want to keep that as our secret weapon, not get so sick of it that we hate the smell. Sometimes you just need a new flavor to kickstart your desire to eat. Bonus: this helps avoid burning out on one particular flavor after a few months, so that on race day, you can rely solely on that favorite gel. 

Not Reading the Directions on Your Drink Mix

Little details matter, especially when you’re trying to fuel for high-performance on the bike. That’s why following directions on your package of sports drink mix is important. Enervit’s mixes all provide the optimal ratios of glucose and fructose, the best carbohydrates for rapid digestion—but they require the right amount of water!

You may be surprised to know that mixing your sports drink with too little water can lead to too much osmolarity in your mix, which Chiappero says can cause digestive upset thanks to an overload of carbohydrates. Too much water with every scoop of sports drink, and you may find it difficult to take in enough calories because you can’t drink fast enough.

Not Fueling Based on Your Ride Type

A lot of cyclists get in a fueling rut, always eating and drinking the same thing regardless of the type of ride they’re doing. If you’re riding for under 60 minutes at an endurance pace, you likely don’t need any calories along for the ride—just a bottle of water.

But if you’re going over 60 minutes or you’re doing a series of short, hard intervals, Chiappero says you’ll start to need calories. On long rides, don’t wait until hour three to start fueling: Keep a steady stream of carbs and water coming in as you get over the one-hour mark.

Adding Protein and Fat for Fuel

In recent years, the low-carbohydrate craze has made a lot of cyclists shift away from eating carbs during their rides. But swapping your sports drink mix or gel for a fat- or protein-based bar is likely to lead to gut distress, says Chiappero. It also won’t provide the quick hit of energy that your body needs, so you’re wasting your digestive energy trying to process those nutrients instead of carbohydrates.

There is one caveat here: If you’re on a long endurance ride and stop for a leisurely lunch, this means prioritizing carbohydrates, but don’t panic if you have some protein and fat along with your carbohydrates. However, if the long ride includes a lot of hard efforts, try to steer clear of fat and protein, as they can lead to some stomach issues during those intervals!

Check out thefeed.com for an extensive selection of Enervit’s legendary performance products, including their groundbreaking new C2:1 Pro range

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Molly Hurford

Molly is the author of Fuel Your Ride, and a Precision Nutrition-certified coach. Her writing has appeared in many leading publications, including Bicycling Magazine and Outside. When she's not writing or coaching, she loves ultra-running and racing on trails, riding bikes, or hiking with her mini-dachshund DW.