Nutrition

Recommended energy and recovery drinks, gels and foods for your London to Paris bike ride

Taking care of your body on the London to Paris bike ride is critical, and one of the best ways to do this is to stay well hydrated, maintain your energy levels during the ride and not forget about recovery afterwards.

Good nutrition is key. A healthy balanced diet on top of a good nights sleep makes for better performance when cycling (and living in general) and a much more enjoyable journey.

Multi-day cycling endurance events like the London to Paris bike ride can be gruelling on your body and quickly take its toll. You can give your body a significant helping hand by eating and drinking well and giving it the extra fuel it needs to perform and recover after many hours in the saddle.

There are a huge number of nutrition products available and not all are helpful to you and your body. Here is a shortlist of tried and tested hydration, energy and recovery drinks, gels and foods which come highly recommended by other London to Paris cyclists:

Hydration

Staying hydrated is critical for any long-distance cycling. Plan and be prepared for your London to Paris bike ride.

With the additional strain your put on your body, coupled with changing weather conditions, it’s essential that you regularly drink fluids, even when you may not feel the need.

Cyclists often lose a lot of fluids through sweating without even realising it and without proper hydration can lead to drops in energy levels and the onset of headaches and dizziness, or worse.

Drinking lots of water is of course important, but when pushing yourself continuously over the long distances of a London to Paris bike ride, you can further help your body to stay hydrated with some extra supplements.

Here are some great hydration supplement options that other London to Paris cyclists have used and recommended:

Energy

Your energy levels can fluctuate a lot during your London to Paris bike ride so it’s important to listen to your body and pay attention to what it needs.

It all starts with getting a good nights sleep before and after your ride, and ensuring that you fuel your body appropriately. A balanced diet is fundamental to helping you not only get through the bike ride but do so feeling good.

Make sure you eat regularly and take on the additional fuel your body needs during the ride – this means increasing your portion sizes to reflect the additional calories your body is burning each day.

Many cyclists choose to supplement their balanced diets with specialist energy food and drinks. This can be a good idea, as long as it’s done in addition to a balanced healthy diet and not as a replacement.

If you choose to supplement, then here are some great options that other London to Paris cyclists have used and recommended:

Recovery

You’ve completed your day’s ride, you remained hydrated throughout the day, your energy levels were high and your feeling great. Fantastic. Now the focus shifts to helping your body recover.

Again, getting a good nights sleep and eating healthy and balanced meals is essential. With many hours in the saddle, your bodies ability to recover is really put to the test, and the effects can take time to be felt. Be sure to cool down by properly stretching your muscles. After a long ride this is likely the last thing you’ll want to do, but this will help you avoid injuries.

On multi-day enduring events like the London to Paris bike ride, you can help your body quickly recover through the use of specialist supplements that will help you feel good and be ready to take on the next part of your London to Paris cycling adventure.

Here are some great recovery supplement options that other London to Paris cyclists have used and recommended:


Bicycle friendly hotels

Need somewhere to stay?
We've listed recommended hotels which are cycle friendly for your London to Paris bike ride.

Recommended cycling kit

What to take with you?
See recommended cycling equipment for your London to Paris cycle ride.


Other helpful links

Some useful links for planning your very own London to Paris cycle ride:

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