Navigating Nutrition with Tara Parsons and Lottie Bildirici
In celebration of International Women’s Day 2021, Rapha Women hosted our very own team cycling coach Tara Parsons (she/her), who chatted with nutritionist Lottie Bildrici (she/her) about the struggles women face when navigating nutrition on the bike. While we welcome trans and femme non-binary / gender non-conforming riders as well, we thought this would nevertheless be a valuable resource to share.
Coach Tara Parsons (@coachtpar) works primarily with women and women-identifying riders on an individual basis as well as with our team. She shares a monthly team training plan and coaches rides both on Zwift and in small groups on the bike. Some of our riders do individual coaching with her. She also serves as Director of Rider Development for our umbrella club, CRCA (Century Road Club Association).
Lottie Bildirici (@runningonveggies) is an endurance athlete (running, cycling, swimming) and nutritionist who helps clients use nutrition to enhance performance. She’s also the nutrition coach for Adidas runners and runs a nutrition blog at runonveg.com.
From post-workout recovery to tips for eating real food while riding, Tara and Lottie offer up simple solutions to common questions. You can watch the full chat here on @rapha_women’s Instagram page.
Coach Tara Parsons:
Let’s start with some basics. Our body’s two main energy systems are:
Fat for fuel at lower intensity (endurance zone)
Glycogen (carbs) at higher intensity
We have unlimited supplies of fat for fuel (all day burn), but when you’re going hard, you’ll use carbs (stored glycogen in muscles and liver) - and that’s a limited resource.
Lottie Bildirici:
You want to get ahead of your glycogen stores and work proactively to make sure your glycogen stores are fully topped at all times. This is why we eat complex carbohydrates (as opposed to refined or simple carbs like white rice). Brown rice (a complex carb) will give you more ‘bang for your buck’.
There’s a time and place for both: brown rice is great for your everyday diet, but if you’re about to head out on a long ride and want something quick to digest with less fiber, try white rice. You’ll want complex carbs incorporated in your diet (whole grain pasta, sweet potatoes, brown rice).
TP:
Pre-ride fueling is something I see athletes struggle with. We see this trend of “not eating breakfast” in our busy lifestyles. I see my athletes suffering because they don’t have the fuel they need for their intense workouts. What should people eat pre- ride?
LB:
I’m not a fan of skipping breakfast - it’s really important. If you’re going for an hour easy ride on the trainer right when you wake up, it’s okay to skip eating beforehand. But if you’re going for a longer, two hour intense ride outdoors without eating beforehand, you might not feel it right away, but later on you’ll feel the energy dip. By skipping one meal, you’ll slow down your recovery by depleting your glycogen stores. Recovery starts before your ride.
We should be prepared: make it easy and simple. You could prepare overnight oats the day before. I’m a big fan of ezekiel (sprouted grain) bread with some banana on it. You want to think about carbs and fat. Fat slows down the absorption of the carbs for longer-lasting energy. You want oatmeal, and fat like nut butter or chia seeds.
TP:
I love overnight oats. But sometimes I forget.
LB:
Just add a little warm water and let it sit for a bit, the texture is really nice when you do that.
TP:
People often find cycling from other sports, like running. How does fueling for cycling differ from fueling for running? What’s different when breakfasting for running vs breakfasting for cycling?
LB:
They’re different when it comes to nutrition: with running, you’re using your whole body, you’re moving up and down. You might not be able to eat as much, and you might need more time to digest. With cycling, you don’t need to give yourself as much time to digest. You can have a little more oatmeal before your ride, instead of just a banana before your run.
TP:
That’s why people feel more worried about eating before their ride, if they’re coming from running. In cycling, you can fuel a little closer to your ride and eat a little more hefty meals.
LB:
It’s important to know what works for you, everyone is different. Experiment and find what works for you.
TP:
Someone is asking about riding for an hour or less indoors. What if you’re going hard on the indoor trainer?
LB:
A piece of fruit goes a long way. Put something [a hydration powder with electrolytes*] in your bottle. Have chews nearby. I love Skratch. When did you eat the night before?
[*At Ostroy / NYC Velo, we recommend 2 scoops of our sponsor BASE Performance’s BASE R.K.T. Fuel (sugar, sodium, and amino acids) or BASE Hydro (sugar, sodium) hydration powder in a standard size bidon over one hour of riding.]
TP:
Yes, chews are great as a quick energy source. Going hard indoors will still deplete your glycogen stores.
Let’s transition to mid-ride. What about a longer, 2 hr+ or 4 hours, endurance ride? What are good options?
LB:
Never wait until you’re hungry or thirsty. Try to get ahead of it. You should eat 100 - 200 calories every hour and have it ready. I like a half bar every half hour.
Also consider the weather: in the winter, you’ll be hungrier because you’re using energy to keep yourself warm.
Consider replenishing electrolytes*, especially if you’re sweating. Think about quick digesting carbs, something you’re used to eating. You can make food to bring on the bike that is convenient. I have recipes for date bites or miso tahini trail bites on my website. On a bike, you can and should eat real food on the bike, not just gels or sugar all the time.
[*At Ostroy / NYC Velo, we recommend 2 scoops of our sponsor BASE Performance’s BASE R.K.T. Fuel (sugar, sodium, and amino acids) or BASE Hydro (sugar, sodium) hydration powder in a standard size bidon over one hour of riding.]
TP:
One of my favorites is Picky Bars, a real-food type bar. What are options you like?
LB:
I like Rx bars*, they’re dried fruit and nuts and a little protein. Keep it simple - take some dates or dried fruit, anything rich in carbohydrates with some fats. Not too much fat or protein.
[*At Ostroy / NYC Velo, we recommend our sponsor BASE Performance’s BASE bars (our favorite flavors: apple, cocoa, and cranberry lime!). They have a very similar texture and taste like Rx bars but are slightly softer to chew, which is helpful on the bike. Cranberry lime and peanut butter are a bit more textured, whereas cocoa, apple, and almond will be less like solid food and more like a bar. All BASE bars are made of real ingredients and typically have only five ingredients. They have a three-for-two special right now!]
TP:
Some riders want to lose a little weight, so they try to restrict calories. I work with riders to fuel their workouts - so they’re not out on the road and bonking. Even experienced riders will bonk. [Bonking is when you feel extremely weak or tired as a result of not fueling sufficiently] You want to not have to rely on snack stops.
You should be able to eat and drink while on the bike: get your food and hydration while you’re riding. I work with riders to try to be able to take their hand off the handlebars, reach for the pocket, etc. Or get a handlebar bag.
LB:
Yes! I’ve also seen people tape bars to their top tube.
TP:
You can prep them, open up the bars ahead of time,so it’s ready to go. It’s so important to be able to get to your fuel. Think ahead of time for little tricks, like cutting a slit in your bar wrapper to make them easier to open.
One thing I work with people on as a coach is engaging your core so that you can take your hands off your handlebars and be stable. Then you can reach your back pockets to get your bars out. Use your core to support your upper body so your arms are nice and light and mobile.
LB:
Yes, I recommend if you have a Garmin or Wahoo cycling computer - you can set a lap every 5 miles or every 30 minutes as a reminder: did I finish a bottle in an hour, did I eat 100 calories? This gives you cues to avoid that bonking feeling.
TP:
That’s so important because bonking will affect your recovery. You’ll feel terrible later.
LB:
You see a lot of people who start cycling because they want to lose weight or look a certain way, but you really want to think like an athlete. You want to prioritize recovery and gain muscle and endurance. You want to fuel your recovery so you can get back out there and feel good.
TP:
That brings us to post-ride. As much as I talk to athletes about carbs as fuel, I talk about protein for post-ride recovery fuel. I recommend 25g of protein right away after a ride. If it’s an easy, 45min recovery ride, then it’s not necessary. But if it’s intense with intervals or a long ride, I try to get 25-30g of protein in within 30 minutes. I follow up with more fuel (carbs) later on.
LB:
Yes, you want to think about protein and carbs. Have it ready -- prepare what you want after your ride beforehand. Smoothies are easy; all the ingredients are in your freezer and maybe you add a supplement. You might not be hungry right away, but you want to get it in within the 30 minute window. Otherwise, you might not feel it right away, but at 6pm at night you’ll find yourself wanting to eat everything in the pantry because you’re so hungry you can’t recover.
TP:
I’ve been using kefir and protein powder for my smoothies. I’m more consistent now.
LB:
Whatever works for you - it has to be easy. I always tell my athletes, it has to be easy or you won’t do it. I have some recipes on my website for anti-inflammatory smoothies.
TP:
That’s great. What should we eat for anti-inflammation?
LB:
Yes, when we work out, we build up inflammation in our bodies. You’re building muscle. We use nutrition to reduce inflammation in our body with how we eat throughout the day. Post-workout you’ll want foods that are rich in antioxidants (berries, tart cherries) and reduce inflammation (turmeric, ginger, pineapple). I have a smoothie that has tart cherries, pineapple, coconut water (great for electrolytes)... think about these ingredients in building a smoothie.
TP:
You’ve reinspired me. I need more of that antioxidant hit! What would you recommend later, after your smoothie, after your shower, after stretching - now you’re getting hungry?
LB:
Yes, that’s when you get a big meal. I like a big salad. I start with a lot of leafy greens, avocado, add sweet potato, some protein - something really balanced. Use what’s in season; this is when foods are at their most nutritious and taste the best.
TP:
What about women with periods?
Think of your cycle as the two weeks from the time your period starts (that week of the period and the next week) as the lower hormone phase, as your baseline. The next two weeks, your hormones go up, and you tend to have greater carb and protein needs. You can focus on fueling more in the second two weeks.
LB:
As females, you want to understand your body and how it works, your own cycle. I’ve used WHOOP to track my recovery and see how my recovery was impacted by my cycle. I adjust training and am easier on myself when I know it’s coming up because your body is working a lot harder beforehand. I try to make sure I’m hydrating a lot beforehand. Once you get your period, you’re actually at your best. Everyone will react differently, so it’s important to stay in tune with it.
TP:
In the weeks before, you’ll get more inflammation and cramps, so think about things nutritionally (not just about popping the Advil). That’ll help as you hit the week of your period if you’re eating nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory foods. You’ll feel more of the benefits of the hormone decrease during the week of your period.
LB:
Your recovery is all really connected; one meal won’t cure you or curse you.
TP:
Absolutely. This segues into a question I’ve seen, about post-menopausal and perimenopausal women. You want to aim for more protein. Your protein needs go up because you need to stimulate muscle production when you hit perimenopause (the ten years before menopause). Your hormones aren’t as steady.
I ask my 40+ year old athletes to aim for 0.8 - 1.2 grams of protein per lb of body weight. It varies when you’re on recovery vs hard days. It’s a fair of amount of protein. I used to do ~60g of protein, now I’m aiming for well over 100g of protein per day. You’ll also want to switch to carbs lower on the glycemic index as you get older.
LB:
I always recommend brown rice and farro. Farro does contain gluten. Sweet potatoes, squashes (butternut, acorn), brown rice pasta, whole wheat pasta, chickpea pasta, whole wheat sourdough or ezekiel bread.
TP:
Those carbs often have a decent protein content too. 5g of protein per slice in ezekiel bread adds up. Moving away from simple to complex carbs gets you more protein.
LB:
That’s right, it’s possible to get proteins from plant-based sources. You’ll get more fiber, more protein, more nutrients from complex carbs.
TP:
We have some other questions here.
We talked today about morning workouts and longer rides. Someone had a question about multi-day events. A stage race (3 days of races in a row) or a point-to-point endurance event where you’re on a bike most of the day.
LB:
I did a ride called Chef’s Cycle, 100 miles a day for three days. It’s great to experience these as a coach so I can have firsthand experience. Most importantly, you want to show up fully topped: hydrated, rested, eating well. Hydration will be a key factor in your success. Be super vigilant about pre-, mid-, and post- recovery fuel. You’ll need more fuel. You may even turn to white rice beforehand so it’s less taxing on your gut, or the week before your event, switch to simpler carbs, but before the event, switch to complex carbs so you have your glycogen stores.
TP:
Someone said they feel hungrier on their rest days than on their ride days. What’s going on there?
LB:
That’s a misconception, your body is still working on a recovery day. That’s a good sign to be hungry, but it could also indicate that you’re not eating enough before, mid, and after. You don’t want to be hungry all the time, but it’s normal to be hungry on a rest day.
TP:
Recovery is really important. I see riders doing different things: pushing really hard on the bike instead of letting the body recover. Everything we do, our body learns by practicing - recovery intervals on the bike too. Recovery is when your body gets stronger. If you don’t give your body enough time to recover and incorporate that training, you won’t get stronger. If you’re hungry on rest days, it means your body is working to recover. Listen to your body.
LB:
Rest days are really important. I used to never have a rest day, but when I was training for an Ironman, I started taking rest days - and it made me better and more excited to get back. It’s important.
TP:
On fad diets or extremes (carbs, fat, whatever): I don’t believe in extremes. Macronutrients are what our body needs.
LB:
Yes, I like it to be a balanced approach. You want it to be a sustainable, lifelong lifestyle. Never be too extreme in anything.
TP:
What are some vegan snacks or other ways to get protein as a vegan cyclist? What can you buy or make? I know you have recipes on your blog.
LB:
Yes, I have almond butter long ride bars that you can make and keep in the freezer. I have coffee date bites, miso tahini bites - a whole section called workout fuel on my blog and my cookbook coming out in December 2021. A simple thing you can find at most bodegas is dried fruits or bars. You should get bars that only have four ingredients. I am a big fan of Skratch.
TP:
Trying to find things that work for you involves experimenting. Figure out what works for you, on your training rides, not your big epic day or your big event.
LB:
That’s a great point, you want to prepare beforehand and not think about nutrition during the event. Training is your time to practice. You want to be super dialed at your event.
TP:
We’ll wrap up, this has been super fun. The blog link is in the comments or on Lottie’s instagram. We’ve really enjoyed sharing our insights with you.
LB:
Thank you! This was so much fun, looking forward to more conversations like this and celebrating women.