It is possible that you will face difficulties when starting off with bicycling, such as Can we do cycling after dinner?, is it OK to cycle on a full stomach? Questions like these might pop up. Isn’t it?
Let’s understand Is it OK to cycle on a full stomach?
It will be ok if your dinner is not too heavy (moderate meal). If you are planning for cycling after dinner then it is recommended to have a moderate meal.
Ideally, you should allow 2-4 hours before cycling after a large meal to allow for digestion, and 30 minutes to 2 hours after a moderate meal.
Otherwise, cycling after a heavy dinner can lead to vomiting, discomfort and bloatedness. If you want to maintain your body weight then riding on an empty stomach would be helpful.
What Should You Avoid Eating Before Riding a Bicycle?
Foods that are difficult to digest, such as fatty foods, should be avoided. Fatty foods include cheese, fish, whole eggs and bacon etc.
However, it is not the type of food you eat that causes problems, but how much food you eat. As explained above, you should avoid fatty foods before riding a bicycle or before a workout.
What is the right amount of food to boost energy and how much is too much?
This topic is very important how much food gives a boost of energy and how much is too much.
Empty-stomach bicycle riding may not be good for some people that’s why they need something before riding in the morning. If you also feel weak and faint regularly then you need a boost of energy before your morning cycling.
So the question is what to eat for a quick boost of energy. Small and light foods such as banana, Energy/Granola bars, Peanut butter sandwiches, porridge etc is recommended to give a quick boost of energy.
These will work as fuel to your body.
How long to wait for riding a bicycle after eating?
Having said that, you may or may not eat before a bicycle ride. It totally depends on you, if your body starts getting weak and you are not able to ride. In that case, having breakfast should be 1st priority.
If you take a heavy meal then 2 hours of wait is recommended and 1 hour for a moderate meal. You do not need to wait if you eat a light meal.
The best way to make bicycle riding safer is to wake up early in the morning, have breakfast according to your needs, and rest for as long as necessary.
Is it OK to cycle on an empty stomach?
Yes, it is fine to bicycle on a completely empty stomach. What works for one may or may not work for others.
If you want to find the solution to this problem, you need to understand how your body reacts when you don’t eat before riding. In my case, I don’t feel hungry throughout the day as I schedule my meals systematically.
You have to plan your meal in a way that your body should not feel weak and energyless.
Here is the Cycling guru’s suggested riding meal schedule.
7:00 am – Wake up and have a light meal such as a banana, or cereal.
8:00 am – Ride to work (go at a moderate pace)
12:30 pm – Have lunch (add some fruits to the lunch)
5:00 pm – Ride to home
8:00 pm – Have a light dinner of vegetables, chapati or meat.
Yeah, this is the perfect meal schedule for a beginner bike commuter if you can’t ride with an empty stomach.
What is the best time for cycling?
Cycling is very effective if it is done in the morning. However, you can do it in the morning, in the evening or at night. But a morning ride has great benefits for the whole body.
- Morning cycling gives you fresher natural air.
- It improves working efficiency at your work.
- You do not find any disturbance like traffic and noise.
- Morning ride helps people to lose weight.
3 Health Benefits of Cycling on an Empty Stomach
Empty stomach bicycling has great benefits. For some cyclists, it is a tough task to perform they might be thinking how can I go for a ride with no fuel on my stomach?
However, it is not compulsory. If your body reacts to it, you should not ride without eating something.
But empty stomach bicycling has some great benefits. Let’s understand them.
1. It improves fat burning
Cycling is a great exercise for burning fat and it works even better when done on an empty stomach. There is a logic behind it if we don’t fuel ourselves with food, our body uses body fat to produce energy.
This logic is scientifically proved by the University of Bath in the UK. I think your query on whether can we do cycling after dinner is solved now. If it is not then read about other great benefits of cycling on an empty stomach.
2. Growth of hormone production
This method is scientifically proven that bicycling in an unfilled stomach has a good impact on hormone production. Let’s understand how.
Make sure to take good quality sleep before bicycling because good quality sleep is very important for the growth of hormone production.
If we don’t eat for 24 hours it improves the growth of hormone production up to 20 times. Growth hormone is beneficial for improving bone quality, building muscle tissues and burning fat. It is even more effective if you get enough sleep.
3. Improves recovery
When fasted, bicycling has a lot of benefits. This increases hormone production improves glycogen storage and improves engine performance. These benefits make your body more efficient, which leads to faster recovery.
As per the study, it happens because empty stomach cycling activates muscle protein and builds muscles fast, compared to after eating food.
Frequently Asked Questions on Can we do cycling after eating food
Q1. What to eat before cycling?
Being a cyclist you should avoid eating fatty foods before riding a bicycle because they create digestion problems. The best pre-ride food for cyclists is banana, porridge, granola, energy bar and chia seeds etc.
Q2. Is it OK to cycle after dinner?
Yes, it is ok to cycle after dinner. Make sure your dinner is not too heavy. It is suggested to wait for 1 to 2 hours before riding. This will improve digestion. In my opinion, a little bicycling after dinner can help with digestion.
Q3. Can cycling after dinner help me lose weight?
No, it will not help you to lose weight. Empty stomach cycling is helpful in weight loss. Because you are tired after dinner, your body is not in a condition to burn fat. When we exercise without having breakfast then we burn calories resulting in weight loss. But if it is difficult for you, you can have a light meal before you ride a bicycle.
Q4. How long should you wait to exercise after eating lunch?
It is very important to wait before any kind of exercise. It is suggested to wait for at least 1.5 hours after having lunch before riding a bicycle or exercising.
Another question is how long should you wait to exercise after eating dinner? The answer is similar in this case. If we plan to exercise after dinner, we should eat a light dinner at 7 or 8 o’clock, wait for two hours, then we can exercise.
Conclusion on Can We do Cycling After Dinner
The majority of professional cyclists rider ride their cycles after eating, and the majority of the ride before eating. Because they have to understand their body type and act accordingly.
If you are a beginner, first recognize your body type and start eating as per your need. Earlier said that eating is not the problem but quantity matters. So it would be great if you wait for a couple of hours before riding a bicycle.
I hope you understood this topic. Whenever someone asks you Can we do cycling after dinner? Can we do cycling after breakfast? Can we do cycling after eating food? then suggest this article so that they can also learn about this tip.
Resources:
- https://www.bicycling.com/health-nutrition/a20042260/these-are-the-worst-pre-ride-breakfasts-for-cyclists/
- https://www.verywellfit.com/sports-nutrition-how-fat-provides-energy-for-exercise-3120664
- https://www.verywellfit.com/how-carbs-fat-and-protein-fuel-exercise-3120663
