Lacking energy for commute home

justo

A lot of days when doing the home leg of the daily commute, I feel like I don't have the energy to make it all the way. About 1/2 or 3/4 way home I start to feel as if I don't have the food-fuel for the journey. Muscles feel fine, breathing fine, just feel like I need an energy boost. Kind have that jittery feeling like when you have no suger in the body. I get home and scoff whatever is in sight. Terrible.

Here's my diet:
7 am: porridge or meusli, 1 slice brown toast with jam, small coffee with milk
11 am: regular coffee with milk
1 pm: kinda large sandwich with soup, or pasta.
3 pm: try to have small sandwich, apple or two, other piece of fruit
a few glasses of water throughout the day.

Commute: 10 miles each way, 4 to 5 days a week.

What healthy things can I eat during the day or before leaving work to fuel the journey home, without piling on the weight ?

Thanks.

AstraMonti

I will only replace the small sandwich with a salad with chicken (no sauce). Other than that looks fine to me, you might need bigger portions. You can add more fruits during the day too, apples and grapes, don't overstuff with bananas.

unionman

Might be worth having a chat with your doctor for a routine check-up. Sudden drop in energy like that could be an indicator of different things, and I wouldn't imagine your diet is a big issue based on what you've outlined there. A chat with a doctor means you can just strike certain things off the list, and can bring peace of mind.

Idleater

I usually keep an apple for an hour or so before cycling home.

As a matter of interest, what do you have before cycling to work? Perhaps you are not getting enough energy / over exerting yourself for that journey and then playing catchup all day?

justo

Idleater wrote: »

I usually keep an apple for an hour or so before cycling home.

As a matter of interest, what do you have before cycling to work? Perhaps you are not getting enough energy / over exerting yourself for that journey and then playing catchup all day?

7 am: porridge or meusli, 1 slice brown toast with jam, small coffee with milk

I take your point about not getting enough energy in the am, but tbh I couldn't really eat anymore at that time...

Idleater

justo wrote: »

7 am: porridge or meusli, 1 slice brown toast with jam, small coffee with milk

That's what I have, so I wouldn't consider it too bad That or we're both doing it wrong!

I just know a couple of "get out of bed and have breakfast in work" people.

Lumen

There are only enough calories in an apple for about 10 minutes of cycling.

Isn't the point of cycling that you can eat what you like?

If you're happy with your current weight then just stuff your face until you start getting fatter, then back off a bit.

tomasrojo

I tend to agree that it might be worth getting a checkup if you feel very shaky during a ten-mile cycle, unless you are very unfit or elderly. Or perhaps you're sprinting hard the whole way? If so, I'd take it more slowly rather than worry about your diet.


EDIT: Or perhaps your job is physically very taxing? That would leave you with very little in the tank for getting home perhaps.

Idleater

Lumen wrote: »

There are only enough calories in an apple for about 10 minutes of cycling.

So you are saying that work benefits from the calories of the apple through increased productivity more than me on my cycle home?

Feck it anyway, I reckon I can head home 10 minutes earlier...

nomadic

I've had the same problem a couple of times recently. It just because I'm not eating enough during the day I think. I end up eating constantly for about 3 hours in the evening.

justo

It's food related rather than an underlying medical issue (I have regular check-ups with my GP)

The days where I eat something late in the afternoon, and eat a lot, I have plenty of energy to get home and don't think twice about energy levels for the entire journey.

I'm trying to find food alternatives to sandwiches to have later in the day to fuel the trip.

I'd also like to lose a few KGs so I don't want to load up on any old crap.

petethedrummer

I concur with what Lumen said.

I have a slightly longer commute and a similar diet only I supplement mine with biscuits and/or nuts throughout the day and a bar of chocolate at lunch. Doing 20 miles a day you're not gonna pile on weight if you eat a bit more before your journey home.

Lumen

justo wrote: »

I'm trying to find food alternatives to sandwiches to have later in the day to fuel the trip.

When I'm feeling healthy, I buy bananas and bread from Tesco. Those tiger loaves are massive.

Or maybe a whole baguette with a "line" of brie all the way along.

Currently I prefer chocolate and croissants.

2011abc

Seems to me like youre not eating HALF enough.10 miles is a moderate to long commute twice daily.I went from being a regional medallist to national champion after starting a sub 12 mile each way commute .I ate a large bowl of muesli with dried fruit around 130-2pm then .Years later when I was trying to loose weight(but NOT commuting) while cycling I used eat a lot less during the day but have a Nutri Grain bar every 30-45 minutes after the first 30 minutes .(yes thats 4-8 of them on a long spin )
Commuting really is the Holy Grail of bike training , certainly in Ireland , possibly even superior to being a full timer .Enjoy your rides safe in the knowledge your training is done for the day and you will be FLYING in no time !Unless you need to loose around 3 stone or more and have a racing season fast approaching Id ignore the weight .It will come off by itself .

Hungrycol

Might sound radical but maybe you're eating too much?! Perhaps your system is using a lot of energy digesting food. A lot of carbs are slow energy release and a 10 mile commute is really a fast burst TT commute.*

I have about the same commute, morning cycle in on empty, have a large glass of water and coffee when arrive at desk. Between 10 and 11 have a bowl of bran flakes (cos Chris Hoy's on the box!) and simple sambo (x 1) about 2pm. Then a large berocca about 5pm. Cycle home and a few pints of water at home. I'm famished when it comes to dinner about 8pm and eat farmers helpings. Dinner is my downfall and keeps me crusing the 15 stone highway!

* I have absolutely no authoritive knowledge on diets and energy

Robertd_07

I travel something similar in distance and eat somewhat similarly.
I find a small bowl of porridge 15 min before I hit the road gets me home, with enough energy to cook a normal sized dinner.
(If I plan to do some running/longer spin on the way home, I bring a full dinner with me)
I've found that if I don't eat before I leave the office, I'm STARVING, and once home, eat for hours.
Not so good.

Bikerbhoy

Lumen wrote: »

just stuff your face until you start getting fatter, then back off a bit.

Class...

petethedrummer

Hungrycol wrote: »

* I have absolutely no authoritive knowledge on diets and energy

Your eating habits are contrary to any healthy eating plan I've ever seen.

Harrybelafonte

Robertd_07 wrote: »

I travel something similar in distance and eat somewhat similarly.
I find a small bowl of porridge 15 min before I hit the road gets me home, with enough energy to cook a normal sized dinner.
(If I plan to do some running/longer spin on the way home, I bring a full dinner with me)
I've found that if I don't eat before I leave the office, I'm STARVING, and once home, eat for hours.
Not so good.

I agree with this and the similar previous comment. I try and eat my most substantial workmeal between 4 and 5pm, then I'm okay for getting home, otherwise I arrive home and eat a decent meal, then start eatinig cereal or toast or crackers with Gruyere or Comte for another hour... mmmmmmmmmmm... cheeese

Hungrycol

petethedrummer wrote: »

Your eating habits are contrary to any healthy eating plan I've ever seen.

So is Atkins! Unlike my name I'm just not "hungry" during the day in work but really look forward to my din dins . The OP sounds like he's taking on a lot of calories during the day for a short commute (IMO) home. I'd feel sluggish eating that much. Anyhoo, all I'm saying is on the flip side of eating more as suggested, try eating less to see if this helps too .

petethedrummer

Hungrycol wrote: »

So is Atkins! Unlike my name I'm just not "hungry" during the day in work but really look forward to my din dins . The OP sounds like he's taking on a lot of calories during the day for a short commute (IMO) home. I'd feel sluggish eating that much. Anyhoo, all I'm saying is on the flip side of eating more as suggested, try eating less to see if this helps too .

Yes, Atkins is a terrible diet, anyone would tell you that. Unless you like having smelly breath and hard stools. I was more referring to you eating next to nothing in the morning. And then eating alot at night.

Skipping breakfast, then having bowl of bran flakes late in the morning and 1 sandwich at 2pm sounds like the office girl guide to losing weight.

Dr_Colossus

When it comes to cycling and food I fully support Robert Penn and his statement

"Along with the peace and spiritual repletion I feel going to sleep after a long ride, satiating hunger is one of the greatest pleasures in cycling"

you need to fuel that hunger so eat to your heart's content. 20 miles round trip it quite a distance. Agree with the above, eat something 15-20 mins before the commute home whether it be more porridge, nuts, banana sandwiches etc.

Coronal

I had the same thing last summer and took a chocolate bar for the trip home. I'd crack it out after about 20 mins which would be enough to get me home. Then I'd stuff my face with a 2.5 course meal (plate of pasta/rice with a toasted sandwich and dessert). I'd have something similar during the day as well, along with cake about two hours before leaving work and some fruit.

As Lumen says, just eat more until you start to gain weight. If you can't fit more eating time into the day, then you have a problem :pac:

chakattack

justo wrote: »

A lot of days when doing the home leg of the daily commute, I feel like I don't have the energy to make it all the way. About 1/2 or 3/4 way home I start to feel as if I don't have the food-fuel for the journey. Muscles feel fine, breathing fine, just feel like I need an energy boost. Kind have that jittery feeling like when you have no suger in the body. I get home and scoff whatever is in sight. Terrible.

Here's my diet:
7 am: porridge or meusli, 1 slice brown toast with jam, small coffee with milk
11 am: regular coffee with milk
1 pm: kinda large sandwich with soup, or pasta.
3 pm: try to have small sandwich, apple or two, other piece of fruit
a few glasses of water throughout the day.

Commute: 10 miles each way, 4 to 5 days a week.

What healthy things can I eat during the day or before leaving work to fuel the journey home, without piling on the weight ?

Thanks.

You're not eating near enough. You've no fuel from 7am to 1pm. Your body needs carbs and some protein to recover from your morning commute ASAP. It finally gets fed at lunch but and then you TRY to have a small sandwhich or some fruit at 3pm after your KINDA large sandwhich.

You're just recovering from the morning spin with lunch and then might get a small bit of food to keep you going all afternoon.

What time do you cycle home? Eat much for dinner?

Try having something filling when you get to work, bowl (or 2) of cereal, eat a good lunch (maybe a little dessert) and have cereal around 3/4pm and maybe a snickers, jelly babies or some lucozade in your bidon before you hop back on the bike for home. Of course there are healthy opinions. The consensus is high glycemic carbs ASAP after cycling and moderate to low glycemic carbs otherwise.

I promise you won't gain weight by eating more and your body is probably clinging as hard as it can to any calories you are getting.

You're burning roughly 400-500 cal each way = 3200 - 5000 xtra cals needed per week on top of your basic needs to stay alive of 2000-2500/day for an adult male.

c0rk3r

I'd go along with Lumen and petethedrummer. I know what you mean, I sometimes get the same way if i havent eaten enough throughout the day. Heres what you do, Half an hour before you cycle home eat a twix or some chocolate bar. You;re going to burn the calories on the cycle so i wouldn't worry about the healthy aspect of it. If you still feel you've no energy and cant make it home then maybe its something else.

Dubba

Good idea to bring some food along, I find fig rolls are handy. Just stuff a couple in your jersey pocket and pick away every 30mins or so.

kenmc

you need more coffee in your system. coffee is the most important meal of the day.

Dubba

After Beoir of course

Beasty

OP - how long have you been doing this commute, and is there any pattern to when you feel the fatigue?

I ask because when I started commuting I used to get very tired during the middle of the day (tended to get a second wind by the time of the return though). By the end of the week I would be absolutely shattered

Now I am still more fatigued at the end of the week, but it just makes me a bit slower. I cycle a lot further than I used to (typically 23km into work on an empty stomach (I know I should have something to eat, but I do have a large bowl of porridge on getting to work), 30-35km home), and now have the stamina to be able to cope quite easily. I will try and top up with energy bars or gels shortly before the return commute, but if I don't an energy drink suffices

I'm burning off getting on for 2,000 extra calories every day I commute, and as others have already suggested, this does mean I can pretty much eat what I want without piling the weight back on

kenmc

Dubba wrote: »

After Beoir of course

of course But that's more of an evening meal

justo

Beasty wrote: »

OP - how long have you been doing this commute, and is there any pattern to when you feel the fatigue?

I ask because when I started commuting I used to get very tired during the middle of the day (tended to get a second wind by the time of the return though). By the end of the week I would be absolutely shattered

Now I am still more fatigued at the end of the week, but it just makes me a bit slower. I cycle a lot further than I used to (typically 23km into work on an empty stomach (I know I should have something to eat, but I do have a large bowl of porridge on getting to work), 30-35km home), and now have the stamina to be able to cope quite easily. I will try and top up with energy bars or gels shortly before the return commute, but if I don't an energy drink suffices

I'm burning off getting on for 2,000 extra calories every day I commute, and as others have already suggested, this does mean I can pretty much eat what I want without piling the weight back on

Thanks for the input. I've been doing the commute for about 16 months. I recognise what you're saying about tiring by the end of the week - sometimes on a Friday I wonder why I'm a little slower...

I think the advice above is good (well, some of it). I will bring a good quality cereal into work and have a big bowl after the shower to re-coup. I hear more food and more often, so I'll give that a shot and keep an eye on the scales.

Today I had porridge, Slice of toast, two coffees, Lunch: two slices Brown bread, hummus, carrot, alfalfa, and later: two carrots and and apple. Slightly hungry at the 7.5 mile stage. Chicken breast, beans and spuds for dinner.

justo

justo wrote: »

Thanks for the input. I've been doing the commute for about 16 months. I recognise what you're saying about tiring by the end of the week - sometimes on a Friday I wonder why I'm a little slower...

I think the advice above is good (well, some of it). I will bring a good quality cereal into work and have a big bowl after the shower to re-coup. I hear more food and more often, so I'll give that a shot and keep an eye on the scales.

Today I had porridge, Slice of toast, two coffees, Lunch: two slices Brown bread, hummus, carrot, alfalfa, and later: two carrots and and apple. Slightly hungry at the 7.5 mile stage. Chicken breast, beans and spuds for dinner.

I sound like a rabbit...

D!armu!d

and make sure you always have a full water bottle on the bike - makes a massive difference on the days I forget it!

100Suns

Pint of blood in the fridge at work . Claim to be riding under the Spanish flag if doping control calls.

tomasrojo

100Suns wrote: »

Pint of blood in the fridge at work . Claim to be riding under the Spanish flag if doping control calls.

Check the use-by date. Don't leave it in the fridge for twenty-five days.

kenmc

D!armu!d wrote: »

and make sure you always have a full water bottle on the bike - makes a massive difference on the days I forget it!

ah yeah but that's only cos you go home via the 75km "long way" for my 13km each way commute I never need water, and the bike is already heavy enough anyway!

doozerie

It can be an interesting exercise to do a rough calculation of what you are consuming each day, totaling the amount of protein, fats, carbohydrates, calories, etc. and comparing these against the recommended guidelines. The recommended guidelines are just that, guidelines, so the actual need will vary from person to person but they are a useful starting point to have something to compare your consumption against. It is easy enough to work out the figures for food which comes in packaging that gives a breakdown of the contents but even for unpackaged food you can often make a reasonable stab at the figures. The figures are certainly not something to obsess over, obviously, they can just help give you a better picture of how you are doing in terms of diet.

Also, be careful about adopting the approach that you can eat whatever you like whenever you like on the basis that you'll burn it off with activity. It may well be true but you can easily lose sight of exactly what you are eating if you are not careful. In my case, for example, I simply don't put on weight almost regardless of what I eat (the one exception being quite a few years ago where I maintained a protein-rich diet even as my level of physical activity diminished - I didn't actually put on weight but my muscle mass reduced and my miniscule fat levels increased). I also have a sweet tooth. So, I can cram myself full of sugar-rich foods and not put on weight as I just burn it off. However, the side effect for me of cramming myself with simple carbohydrates throughout the day is that I cycle through sugar highs followed by sugar lows/crashes. The energy crash after a sugar high was always inevitable and my blind approach to it at times was to pile more sugar into me to try to level things out but that simply made it worse by adding more sugar spikes during the day.

That led to me having persistent energy issues from day to day for a while several years ago, particularly badly when work was stressful and eating into my lunchtimes and finishing times. I was eating a good breakfast each morning at the time, a reasonable lunch, and a good dinner, with a good mix of the various food groups too. The food quantities were substantial for each meal but I still got hungry between meals and because I was at work during the day it was easier to opt for chocolate, bars, etc., than anything else when I got hungry. These days I make an effort to snack on complex carbohydrates whenever I can, so I bring some brown bread (real wholemeal bread, not white bread with brown dye) with me to snack on at 11h00 each day in work. That tides me over until lunch time and lunch itself usually tides me over until dinner when I get home. Consistent timing of the meals is also quite important for me - if one of the meals is delayed by 30 minutes or more then I can still sometimes crash before I get the food into me, though that happens a lot less these days since I started to keep sugar-high foods to a minimum between meals.

Something else to consider, which is quite obvious but can also be easy to overlook, is how much sleep you are getting and whether it is consistent. If your body hasn't had sufficient sleep to recover from the previous day then you may end up putting more food into it the following day just to keep yourself ticking over but that's a very difficult balance to maintain and can lead to horrible energy slumps when it tips the wrong way.

seamus

Surprised that nobody's mentioned sleep yet, are you getting enough?

I find that if I don't get enough sleep I can function fine in the morning and hammer the commute in, but when 5pm rolls around I'm just wasted and fit for nothing but sitting on the couch.

califano

Could be a rare case of working too hard.

Keep_Her_Lit

2011abc wrote: »

I went from being a regional medallist to national champion after starting a sub 12 mile each way commute .
...
Commuting really is the Holy Grail of bike training , certainly in Ireland , possibly even superior to being a full timer .Enjoy your rides safe in the knowledge your training is done for the day and you will be FLYING in no time !

Very interesting. Not wishing to drag the thread off-topic but could you elaborate a little please. What was your discipline? Was your commuting mileage urban/suburban/rural/mixed, hilly/flat? How did you structure your training and measure your results? I'm assuming that a lot of planning and thought went into it if you succeeded in getting a national championship out of it.

I'm not a champion myself but I do enjoy a reasonably long commute. So that's half the battle then, eh? With a little more focus who knows what could be achieved by, say, the end of next week.

recedite

scoff a mars bar on the way home.

Jawgap

Coincidentally, this has just been published on the PBK Blog......

Nutrition for endurance sports

You need to start carrying some "proper" on-the-bike food......

Fingalian

'Bout a year ago some one on this board posted a link to this guy, I have used all his recipes and find them very good. The spuds one is amazing, I've a 40 mile roundtrip commute and if I eat two of these spuds( rolled in olive oil and salt and covered in cheese)about half and hour before I go, I fly home, Instant energy hit to the legs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcjhlpv4wWk&feature=related

I also have a small emergency bag of Gorp (Good ol' raisins and peanuts) in a tri bag if I start to bonk, but I 've never needed it if I eat the spuds.

thebouldwhacker

I read through the thread and didn't see it mentioned anywhere, what kind of work do you do? are you active or sedentary?
If your sitting at a desk all day your going from sleep-cycle-sit,eat,sit,eat,sit-cycle. I know when I'm working in a sedentary fashion I tent to be lethargic and it can be hard to get the juices flowing. Personally I eat cereal bars, bananas or fig rolls while on the bike and you cant beat a Turkish Delight for a whack of sugar.
Which brings me to my next question... unless I'm missing something here why not just eat when you get hungry on the bike?

Kind have that jittery feeling like when you have no sugar in the body. I get home and scoff whatever is in sight. Terrible.

There is a specific medical term for this, its called hunger.....;) I'm not being smart but ffs if you feel hungry just eat! You gotta listen to your body, after millions of years of evolution it knows what it needs and is very effective in delivering its message.
Anyway having a snack before or during your commute will stop you from scoffing when you arrive home so will probably result in a healthier diet....
Best of luck.

Idleater

thebouldwhacker wrote: »

I read through the thread and didn't see it mentioned anywhere, what kind of work do you do? are you active or sedimentary?

sedimentary or sedentary? I can see one certainly not being conducive to an energetic commute.

thebouldwhacker

*cough* I have no idea what your talking about........
Anyway with a user name like that you should be excluded from posting in this thread;)

chakattack

Keep_Her_Lit wrote: »

Very interesting. Not wishing to drag the thread off-topic but could you elaborate a little please. What was your discipline? Was your commuting mileage urban/suburban/rural/mixed, hilly/flat? How did you structure your training and measure your results? I'm assuming that a lot of planning and thought went into it if you succeeded in getting a national championship out of it.

I'm not a champion myself but I do enjoy a reasonably long commute. So that's half the battle then, eh? With a little more focus who knows what could be achieved by, say, the end of next week.

I was actually pondering this on my commute this morning.

I'm sure the level of training needed to get to National Champion is more than 2 x 12 x 5 = 120 miles/week unless you're very gifted genetically

murph226

I usually have a granola bar before I hit the road home, find it helps!

G rock

brown bread and peanut butter
can't bate 'er!

seamus

chakattack wrote: »

I'm sure the level of training needed to get to National Champion is more than 2 x 12 x 5 = 120 miles/week unless you're very gifted genetically

Interval training. Hammer each 12 mile trip like you're on a TT and then a good spin at the weekends to enhance endurance. I could well believe it. Problem is that it's very dependent on your route. At least half of my commute is urban Dublin. You can generally get up a decent cruising speed once past the POBs, but properly hammering it between sets of lights is asking for trouble.