This moment has been eagerly awaited all winter long. The spring sun is still burning the last remnants of snow off the peaks, but the touring season is already underway at lower altitudes. Are you still unprepared? No problem. We'll tell you how you can tackle your first hut tours without too much effort. It takes a little training, the right gearing and, above all, the right fuel. And that often makes the difference between a fun tour or a perceived fight for survival. If you take a look at the composition of the bars, powders and gels, you usually don't know what to expect. Do you need that on tour? Can't a banana, a Kaiserschmarrn and an apple spritzer do the same thing? The answer to that is: no.
As a basic principle, the more relaxed the tour, the more normal the diet can be. If you are not racing or travelling very hard, you can manage without performance products. Basically, any normal mountain hut diet will do. This is usually better tolerated than nutritional supplements anyway, which can also cause stomach ache with their sugar mixtures. Here we show you what a good tour diet looks like, which hut specialities are particularly good and which should be left in the host's kitchen.
ESSENTIALS FOR THE MTB TOUR
More salt please
To keep your electrolyte balance balanced during the tour, you should add around 1.5 grams of table salt to one litre of drink. Sodium is important for the water balance and muscle function. During intensive training or on warm days, you can sweat out up to 3000 milligrams of sodium chloride in a single hour.
Winding or pressing?
High or low cadence on the mountain? A question of type. High frequencies require more oxygen (the heart rate increases), but on long tours they are easier on the muscles. If you pedal at a low frequency, you have more breath as the heart pumps less. However, muscle fibres and knees are put under much more strain with high gears, which can lead to irritation over time.
Clock generator
Your heart rate is the perfect speed limiter. Long bike tours are best done at 70 to 80 per cent of your maximum heart rate. But be careful: Especially at the beginning, your pump cannot directly indicate how much power you are pushing onto the pedals. The pulse reacts slowly to short-term increases in power. Therefore, take it easy at the start of a long climb and make sure that your heart is beating in the desired range after ten to
20 minutes your heart is beating in the desired range.
THE FOOD TIMETABLE
For breakfast
On the day of the tour, everything must be timed - especially your eating behaviour. Start the day with muesli (oatmeal, bananas, nuts). Try not to provoke an unnecessary insulin spike - for example with simple carbohydrates (sugar). However, you can treat yourself to a banana just before the start. This will make the first few metres easier.
On the tour
Start half an hour after setting off with a bar and something to drink (200 ml). From now on, stick to the following schedule: a small snack every 20 to 30 minutes. Every 15 minutes, take a quick sip from the bottle. If you stop at a hut for a rest, you will find dishes on the right that are ideal for recovery.
After the tour
Do you still have to drive home? Refuel and treat yourself to enough carbohydrates (at least 1 gram per kilo of body weight). A coffee will also help you stay awake for the return journey. When you get home, top up with the classics: rice or pasta. Ideal: combine this with two or three eggs. Cells are built and remodelled during the night, which is why the body needs a lot of protein, especially in the evening.
TOURING FOOD FOR BIKERS
Power block: Bars belong in every touring rucksack. The carbohydrates they contain are quickly absorbed by the body and prevent you from getting hungry. Remember: the more grains it contains, the slower the bar is digested.
Classics: Bananas contain three types of sugar: sucrose, glucose and fructose. That's good at first. However, the fibre they contain ensures that the energy is absorbed slowly. Not for acute energy holes.
Thirst quencher: The most favourable sports drink is apple spritzer. In a ratio of 1:3 to 1:4 (1 part apple juice, 3-4 parts water), it is isotonic. If you spice it up with a pinch of salt per 750 ml, the electrolyte ratio improves considerably.
HUT FOOD FOR MTB TOURS
Leave it or grab it? BIKE shows you what's inside these classic huts and whether they're the right choice for your tour.
Roast pork: You want to spend the night at the hut? Then you can go for the roast pork with peace of mind. If your tour continues on the same day after your stop at the hut, you're better off doing without. The high fat content forces your digestive system to work hard and draws blood into your digestive tract for hours, which you then lack in your muscles.
Yeast dumplings: Pure sugar and starch - that's how you could describe a yeast dumpling. It doesn't necessarily have to be bad. If you're stopping off at a mountain hut (for lunch) and need some quick energy, you can go for a dumpling. The advantage is that the starch and sugar are quickly absorbed and the dish puts little strain on the gastrointestinal tract.
Bread basket: A classic that is definitely recommended on a relaxed tour. The grey bread, cheese and sausage cause the blood sugar level to rise only slowly. The electrolytes it contains compensate well for sweat loss. The carbohydrates in the bread provide steady energy. The ideal meal if you still have a few mountains ahead of you during the day.
You can read this article or the entire issue of BIKE 6/2018 in the BIKE app (iTunes and Google Play) or the issue in the DK shop reorder:
