You have to “carb load” before a long ride. Carry food with you during a ride – gels, bars, anything that will fit in your jersey pocket. Fill your bottle with sugar-filled energy drinks to sustain you during a long ride.
These are all things I believed until recently. A low carb diet wasn’t new to me, but the idea that I could fuel my rides purely by burning fat rather than carbs (or, technically, glycogen) and do so more efficiently and with greater recovery was something worth paying attention to for me. Thus began my journey into becoming keto-adapted, and learning how that would affect my cycling.
Welcome to my blog, and to my personal world. I hope you find the information on this site helpful, and I also hope you will engage by sharing your thoughts and experiences.
Very Good Words
I have been in ketoisis on and off for the last two years. Here is what I have found:
-Weight loss was 20lbs of fat in the first 3 months -confirmed by Dexa Scan pre/post (172 to 152lbs)
– no weight loss after.
-During most rides (speed 30-35km) I was fine from an energy point of view. Occasionally when riding with a very strong group I would consume coffee with 35% cream and a pecan square at the half way point. This acted like rocket fuel on the way home when speeds could reach 75km. Only onboard food was salted nuts and maybe a fig or 2. These carbs would go straight to the muscles.
-Onboard fuel is dependent upon length of ride and intensity . A ride of 160-200+ km with hills I would bring my own squeeze gel containers (4-5) mixture ( Ucan, MCT oil and Vega Sport Protein) and take one 4oz completely every 1 1/2 hours starting 1 1/2 hours into the ride. (1 1/2, 3, 4 1/2, etc.) Also salted cashews and some figs. This combination has never failed me. The Vega Protein has 5000 BCAA. I have read recently that a lack of BCAA could lead to bonking issues.
I love the fact that I’m am fat adapted for the most part. Most riding condition I’m good. However I do recognize the potential limitations on operating on fat. So far my body can’t get the fat to act like high octane rocket fuel. When the attacks come and they always do or a secession of hills and the pace picks up I may use a gel or use up what carbs I may have with me. As I am now carb sensitive I find I get the necessary boost to attack. Post rides I’m carb deserved therefore sweet potatoes smoothed in butter, pink salt and some protein.
No soreness after long or high intensity rides. I added weight lifting for my core and added 8lbs of muscle.
Have you tried exogenous ketones – KetoCaNa or Ketoforce?
Hi – Yes, I’ve used both Keto CaNa and Ketoforce. I don’t use them regularly, but tend to on longer rides (4 hours or longer).
Thank you for your comments! It’s great to hear from another cyclist following a similar diet.
I have heard mixing the Ketoforce with Amino Matrix works well. The Amino matrix provides the citrus necessary to buffer the Keto products These products are not in Canada unfortunately.
I’m couious as to what blood type you are. I believe there is a biological aspect to getting /staying into ketosis. Type Os have a much easier time getting into ketosis and staying there. They also seem to thrive on animal protein.
I haven’t tried taking it with Amino Matrix but may – thank you for the tip!. My blood type is AB+. I had challenges becoming keto-adapted – it took me longer than it too my husband – but once my body was trained it’s been relatively simple to stay in ketosis and stay on a ketogenic diet.
Sounds like Keto is working great for you. I haven’t used the Vega stuff. I’ve been wanting to try it tho. I will try adding carbs for my rides. I’ve been bonking on my rides since started Keto. I haven’t tried any of the Keto stuff you mentioned. What ones work the best? Thank you for replying. I hope I get this Keto thing figured out for riding. I’m about ready to go back to carbs. Can’t die on every ride.
I have done a few rides while maintain a keto diet… I have noticed my top end efforts put me in the red very quickly and I tend to bonk after 1 hr of riding despite trying to carefully conserve my energy. This information is interesting and I intend to apply it soon… especially pre-loading with exogenous ketones. I am getting dropped like I’m hot… Hopefully will be able to hang with the group soon. Thanks!
I am on the KETO diet for 5 years and mainly do longer distance cycle events like Audax 200, 300, 400 and 600 km. I recently finished THE MUNGA, 1100km MTB race, in 107 hr. This was in a full state of Ketosis and carbs where less than 100 gr for the full duration of the event. Performance was good and mood was very stable. I am 62 years old.
Richard,
Mark here.
I just found this blog.
I think you are my new best friend.
We’re close to the same age.
Me 4/14/1956 I’ll be 64 in 3 months.
I do about 5 to 10 Century rides a year.
Crashed june 1st 2019 and separated my shoulder.
Went keto to reduce inflammation.
Feeling great on the bike and no more cramping.
Might be eating too much protein.
Really excited about your on the bike nutrition.
How tall are you and weight?
I’m 5’9″ 185 lbs.
I live in Gresham, Oregon USA.
Guessing you are not in USA by your distance in kilometers.
dadortie@yahoo.com
Hi Richard,
I just found your comment on keto adapted cyclist. I wanted your advise on the best combination used for long rides 100-200km in ketosis but when a boost is needed what would be a good strategy to follow.
Thanks
Aziz
Hi,
Would like to know more about your experience.
I have been on several keto boards and they shun any carb fuel when I was younger I frequently did carbo loading for one day events. I have been on keto since Dec with a short 10 day break in Florida which ended Friday. I am entering a Randoleurs 128 k ride the end of April. I was asking about using some carbs in the event to supercharge fuel and got very negative responses. I know some professional bike racers are keto and do incorporate carbs. I am looking for some guidelines
Hi William,
However you fuel for training is how you should fuel for your end of April ride. If carb loading works for you, then do that! Everyone is different, and you have to do what makes you feel best – psychologically and physically. Do not try anything new at this point with the ride so close.
Same here!
Excellent Job
Russ Scala here started this diet with athletes in 1996 when everyone thought we were crazy,, I’ve done advanced research for the past 20 years love sharing with folks like your self ,,please see the Russ Scala youtube channel and let me know your thoughts
Hi, I am a skinny long distance cyclist who is now a type 2 diabetic controlled with a very low Carb, Ketogenic ( almost Canovore) diet and intermittent fasting. I need advice on how to fuel for rides in excess of 6 hrs. I am training for a ride from Washington DC to Maine this summer. Previously, I was a carb loader, but that does not work metabolically. to control my T2D, for me any longer. I would appreciate and advice or pointers you could give me.
Very good article post.Much thanks again. Really Great. Lenny
Thanks so much for all this information!! So is it beneficial to use metformin while on a ketosis eating plan or is that something that will inhibit the process? All the warnings talk about diabetic ketoacidosis and not to use metformin but I know that is different than nutritional ketosis.
What snacks do you use when riding on the keto diet? Are you following a standard keto diet or are you using a targeted keto diet where you intake carbs during rides?
I don’t each much on the bike. If I’m on a long ride – over 3 hours – I’ll each a Quest bar, or Mission Protein bar. But I still follow a ketogenic diet while on the bike.
Hi folks
Thank you for writing this blog and sharing it. I am on a quest to find other cyclists who eat high fat, low carb. I have been following this plan for several months and my body is absolutely fat adapted. I never thought that it was possi b Le to bike ride without carbs in my system and I feel amazing and hardly ever hungry.
Yesterday was my first hard ride over 3 hours and my muscles became fatigued in the last hour. It seems that my eggs, bacon, coconut oil morning fuel wore off and the almonds I had for a snack 1.5 hours in didn’t process fast enough. Do you, or anyone else on this list, have any suggestions to keep me in ketosis and do a 3 or 4 hour ride without muscle fatigue? Should I add some carbs during the ride such as an apple or dried figs or dates?
I would truly appreciate the help as I’m new to this.
Hi Tina,
You just need a little more time for your body to adapt to going on long rides while in ketosis – at least in my experience. It took my husband and I at least 6 months before we started feeling really good fueling with just fat. We started seeing quicker recovery, less muscle fatigue the next day,etc. But we did experience what you are currently experiencing in the first few months. It was tough. I remember it well. We chose to stick to a ketogenic diet, but you may want to explore with adding in some carbs. We also started using SuperStarch, and that helped. We no longer need it, but we do use Vespa on longer rides – more than 2.5 hours where we know we’ll be at maximum effort for a good part of it.
I hope this helps!
Being fat adapted is one thing but allowing your mscles to change from Type2B to Type2A (idealy Type 1) does take some time. The more muscle get converted the further you can ride without fatique. Just be patiant, follow proper Keto with good ballance of organic meat and vegetables. The broader your nutritional base the better is the muscle conversion. Long zone 2 rides are most benneficial. Max 20% of riding above zone 2.
I started keto last December and went off for a 10 day vacation. I am back in for 6 days I have a 128 mile double metric the end of April and I don’t know what to eat as fuel on the ride. Assuming I can keep at 65% of max I still have doubts I can do on fat alone.
I did a 65 mile on vacation in Florida off keto and had energy issues. I would appreciate your insight on pre ride food, ride and post ride food. I am also going to carry gels as insurance policy
Based on my experiance you might have a bit of a challange for your ride. It is hardly enough time to build enough mitocondria in such a short time. So you most likely still have mostly type 2B muscle fibre. That is fueld with carbs, not Fat (ketones). The reality is that as you change to Type 2A, you can use some fat for fuel but you will only have limited ” Power” as you only have limited Type 2B muscle. When you can’t sustain effort during your ride, just change to high carb fueling and continiue riding. Once again at reduced power as some muscle Type 2A is “lost” in the conversion to type 2B. To have the best outcome, I would recomend that you eat VERY LOW CARB for 1 week prior the event to boost Keto production. Eat mostly Proper Keto foods. 2 hr Before the ride, have a bullet proof coffee with Kerrygold butter, some bacon with fair amount of salt. No eggs, no bread. Cook some extra bacon, salt it, cut it into bite size and eat during your ride. Just use plain water during your ride. You could extend your riding window by using a product like KETO EXO as you feel you starting to loose power. After that, change to high carb. I got no idea or proper information on your general health, fitness etc. So this might, or might not work, or only work to some degree. Good luck and just keep on with your Keto live. IT IS WORTH ANY AND EVERY SACRIFICE YOU DO NOW.
Thx great advice I plan to carry gels which I will use if I feel my body is going south. I did 40+ the other day at about 65% so if I keep the effort low I might be ok. I will be prepared and it should work like extreme carbo loading if carbs r needed
I discovered in the last year the same as you but for my running- no need for carbs. Fat burning is so much better and optimal than sugar burning. I recently ran 5+ hours on fat and water only. I highly recommend the book “The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance” by Drs. Phinney and Volek. It’s about endurance athletes and keto.
Yes – love that book!!
Thank you so much Val. It’s so nice to talk with other endurance athletes about this program that is so new to me. I rode yesterday for 4 hours. I snacked on nuts at 2 hours and at hour 3 my legs felt like lead. I brought along some cherries and snacked on those and my legs came back to life for the last hour.
From what you are saying, my body needs more time to adapt for those longer rides. I’m looking into Vespa now.
Thank you AntiGravityGains for the suggestion of the book which I just purchased and will study.
I’ll report back how my next long ride goes.
Happy riding
What about BCAAS in aiding muscle recovery? I am totally new to LCHF but I don’t want to worry about the muscle fatigue.
I think they can be very beneficial in muscle recovery.
Try organic meat with some fat but not more than 80 gr per meal. Max 150 gr per day. Lots more minerals and nutriants
Hello
I have a issue where I lose my electrolyte stores way too early in the ride. 5 miles in I am
Needing a pickle juice for sodium. Is there any pre-ride meals that I can have to help hold electrolytes stores longer ?
I would take a look at how you are hydrating before the ride and see if you can make some changes there.
Valerie
I was please to find this site. It seems like every cyclist I talk to think I am a little nuts. I have been riding up to 100 miles on just water for about a year. I added ketone salts to my water recently. Have not noticed any stellar improvements. I still eat some carbs off the bike but keep a strict discipline on the bike. Like was stated above, it takes time and is a real test of willpower to keep up with 22 mph (35 kph) in the first two month of LCHF. Once you drop some weight the acceleration improves and everything becomes easier. I think the muscles have to bulk up or something with the improved performance because I had responsive but tired muscles for a while, not bonking but legs feeling slightly worn out after a hard 70 mile (32 km) ride.
One thing that helps greatly is a weight maintenance or reduction plan. If my weight has crept up over time and I want to do a long two day organized ride I plan out a 1/8 to 1/4 lb weight loss per day plot on a spreadsheet. I take my weight before dinner. If my weight is over plan I skip dinner. It is a very effective but gentle form of intermittent fasting and keeps glucose and insulin low, which is the ultimate goal.
Regards
Bill
Houston, Texas
Im new to cycling and Keto. Im all in a little over a half a year. Very grateful to have found your blog, because im at the point where i really need to compare my experiences with others and learn from them. Its getting serious!
Im just posting to say hello and i am reading your blog with avid interest. From Southern Calif.
Thank you, Renee! I took a little break from my blog, but getting back into it. Would love to hear how you are doing.
Have you stopped your blog? Why?
Interested in following.
No, just got super busy and stopped posting but I’m getting back to it!
Hi Val. My name is Tom White and researched via google to find your blog. I just retired a year ago and after my wife lost 75 lbs. and lots of dress sizes, I decided to go on the Ketogenic diet and meet Fitbit goals. I’ve gone from 241 to 191 lbs in a year, most of it since last July and the last 20 lbs. on the Ketogenic diet, that I started Thanksgiving. Before I retired, I pedaled to work for 22 years. During that time, I did about 20-25 centuries and 6 double centuries. Without the aid of gels or power bars, I have been pedaling 20 miles, but have not ventured past that, yet. My concern is how do I do The AMTRAK century next year without bonking. Also, I feel so good and strong that I want to do another double, which would require 14-18 hours of pedaling. What do you carry with you and what do you eat at rest stops to keep powered up? Thank you and like and appreciate your blog.
Hi Tom!
Thank you for visiting my blog. The first year I started a ketogenic diet (2015) I did a 206 mile ride in one day and I was determined not to use carbs during the ride. I wrote a blog about it (sorry I can’t figure out how to post it here), and that will give you more detail about what worked for me. I used Super Starch during the ride, and low carb bars when I was hungry. By the end of the ride (12 hours on the bike) I wasn’t hungry and couldn’t eat dinner!
Theoretically, once we are fat-adapted we should be able to ride 100 miles without bonking, but try telling our brains that. I would encourage you to experiment with different supplements to figure out what works. If you have time, take a look at some of my posts from 2015 – I was trying a lot of different products at that time.
Now, I just stick to an electrolyte drink and either an Atkins bar of Stabilyze bar when I’m on the bike. And I take magnesium every night. I never miss a dose! I think it is very important to take magnesium when following a ketogenic diet.
I hope this helps – please keep me posted on your training!
Thank you Val. I’ll keep you posted. I’ve added a full gym work out to reduce the flab from age and lost weight. It’s working so far. Sorry I didn’t respond sooner. We’ve been watching our Granddaughter a lot lately and going for walks. Since I sent the inquiry to you, my ketone levels have raised and I dropped a few more pounds. 52.2 lbs. total now. Between babysitting, I did notice that I climb better. I can tackle 15% climbs now and not feel bonked out. Thanks again for your thoughtfulness and your blog. P.S., my wife blood tests everyday for her Keto diet and she is testing me too. Thanks.
Hi Valerie! I was searching info related to Ketogenic diet/cycling endurance and found your blog. Excellent source! I just started Keto diet recently, although had done Atkins some years ago. So far everything is going out fine. Just worried as some of the persons mentioned on what to utilize as fuel sources during long rides. I am preparing for a Gran Fondo race. The info related to this will be of great help. Thanks!
Hi Teddy,
I wrote several posts in 2015 when I was training for a 206 mile ride. Here is a post where I review what I was using for long rides, and you might look at some of my other posts from that year: http://www.ketoadaptedcyclist.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=312&action=edit
Good luck!
I’ve just started the Keto diet. So far I’ve lost about 6 lbs and feel pretty good. Still trying to work out carbs and when to use them. I train about 12 to 14 hours a week as well as race masters.
Yes, there is definitely a lot of trial and error to figure out what your body needs. Keep me posted on how you are doing!
I’m also a cyclist. I’m living the Keto life. Looking for ways to make it three those 100 mile weekend rides.
Hi Kent,
I think you’ll find some past posts very helpful. I’ve tried a lot of different things to get me through those long rides, so feel free to reach out!
I’m new to Keto. Two months in. I’m just worried about bonking on long rides. Gonna do RAIN ride. Ride across Indiana 160 miles. I don’t wanna go back to using glucose to fuel my rides.
You shouldn’t need to, as long as you are able to stay in ketosis consistently, and you feel good on your training rides. The first few months, at least for me, were the toughest. Then it got much easier!
Hello. I’m new to the blog. Great info here. I’m going to do my first Century tomorrow. I’ve been training as fat adapted since 11/2017. All I’ve been fueling with is Water with Himalayan Salt and Cream of Tartar. I do eat Macadamia nuts on my longer riders. I have read in som comments about UCAN SuperStarch and am curious how that has worked out for some people. Thank you so much. Rob
Welcome! I have used SuperStarch for long rides and found it very helpful. The powdered form does not taste great, and the consistency is very chalky. Make sure you try it on a training ride to see how your stomach reacts. My husband does not fare well with the powdered SuperStarch – it messes with his stomach too much. Having said that, the SuperStarch bars are good, don’t seem to bother our stomachs, but would melt on our rides so we use Stabilyze bars instead.
Good luck on your Century!
Thank you very much for your input and advice!!!
I will update on how i felt during the Century ride tomorrow. All of my friends think I am crazy.
I forgot to ask earlier…
Since I’m going to do my first Century ride, what do some of you Keto adapted cyclists eat the night before and/or for breakfast (if you do) the day of the event?
Thank you.
For breakfast I eat 2 scrambled eggs cooked in coconut oil with some heavy whipping cream added (just pour some in, maybe like 2-3 tbs) and shredded cheese.
Great blog with lots of interesting comments. I’ve cycled for years doing lots of gran fondos but went on a very strict Keto diet over the last 6 months for medical reasons. I’m going to try another fondo later this year. I’ve done lots of training on Keto and it’s great. The Volek and Finney ‘Art and science of low carbohydrate performance’ book is a great resource is a great reference. One thing to note for sure is you lose lots of electrolytes on Keto so you need to get more magnesium potassium and sodium or you’ll have a hard time, as I did initially. Once you get over that hump you’re tapping into approximately 40,000 stored calories as opposed to the maybe 2000 you can store up in glycogen. Keto is very well suited to long distance endurance sports and after time you can build up metabolic flexibility so you can add in some carbs here and there and not blow your Keto.
Thanks for the great blog!
Thank you for your comments – very helpful!
Hi I’ve recently became fat adapted and I don’t know what to eat while I’m on the bike I’ve got energy gels and things like that but will consuming them take me out of ketosis I just don’t know what I should be eating on the bike for a long ride with hills
Any help would be grateful
Hi Dave,
I ride with Stabilyze bars and nuts. I normally eat one bar on a 3-4 hour ride, but usually take 2 bars just in case. The big thing is hydration, as once you are fat-adapted you don’t need much in the way of food on the bike. I use Nuun in my water bottle, or ZipFizz. I hope this helps!
Thank you so much I’ll give it a try😁
I’m on my 3rd weeks of Keto. I’m a mailman and walk about 8-10 miles a day and work 6 days a week currently. I ride in Sunday and miles are 50+ with elevation. I have no idea what to eat and when on these rides. Can I get some suggestions? I’d prefer not to read books at this time bc of my work schedule. Thanks so much!
Hi,
I ride with Stabilyze bars and nuts, and occasionally peanut butter packets for longer rides. Once you are keto-adapted you won’t need much for a 2-3 hour ride. Often I don’t eat anything on a ride, but I do use Nuun in my bottle to help me stay hydrated.
I started keto diet on June 22 and was doing great until a 42 mile bicycle ride on August 4. My time dropped a full 3 mph and I felt like I was literally dragging led. All the while I had plenty of calories, electrolytes and fats on board. After the ride I projectile vomited. I am an avid bicyclist and this has never occurred previously. Later that day I incorporated more carbs into my diet as well as the following morning. I rode 3 mph faster and my endurance was clearly much better. No vomiting or negative after affects. I would recommend intermittent carb loading for an endurance athlete.
Hi Cynthia,
Thank you for sharing your experience! I am so sorry you had that experience! When I was trying to get fat-adapted, I went through some pretty tough rides and spent one day in bed with the keto flu. It took me about 8 weeks before I felt like I was getting stronger on the bike. Regardless, each person is different and your body may very well respond better to intermittent carb loading. I just haven’t had the need to do that, but completely understand that my experience is going to be different from others.
Good luck, and keep us posted on how you are doing!
Look forward to reading your blog. I’m a 50+ bike racer in Texas and have tried keto a few months ago with good results. Now that’s it’s the off season I’m all in.. I had some adjustments back when I first started it because it was the middle of the race season and I needed to figure out how to fuel when the attacks came in races. Seemed like I lacked the really high end efforts on keto diet. Any recommendations with this would be greatly appreciated
Hi Anthony,
I did a Century ride earlier this year running in nothing but fats. I didn’t consume any sugars at all. Just a small bag of Macadamia nuts. I felt wonderful during the century. It had some pretty intense climbs and I even was averaging 28 mph at the end (fast for me) of the last 3 miles of the ride.
Since then, I have experimented with UCAN SuperStarch products. It was highly endorsed by Keto doctors like Dr Jeff Volek. I have a Century ride coming up next month and I will use the UCAN products as it will keep me in Ketosis but uses glucose for those times needed for intense times.
I am so glad I found this!!
Everyone thinks I am MAD going Keto and trying to endurance cycle as well. I am 100% new to it and have my first 100m ride tomorrow. Really want to stay off the carbs but I am worried about not being able to keep up. I ride 20 miles on average every day (10 eaxh way to work) and the last section is a nasty climb.
Aby advice on snacks to bring?? I was thinking macadamia nuts and electrolytes to kick me off, and making some coconut oil bars or something as well to pop along the way.
Thanks for any tips 🙂
Hi Jennifer,
I’m sorry I missed this yesterday. How did your ride go? Your suggestions were great ones in terms of what to eat on the bike. Most importantly, you don’t want to do anything new on a big ride like the one you did.
Let me know how it went!
Val
Hi Val
I am 57 yo F. I ride with mainly males 10-15years younger. Have been in Keto for 8 weeks.
Problem is in-ride nutrition … i have low carb electrolyte do you think Bear Naked energy bars are useful?
Hi Donna,
What is the mix of carbs and fat for the bar?
Total carbs 29gm
Fats 13g
Protein 9gm
That’s pretty high in carbs, but try it and see how you feel! Then try a low carb bar on a different ride.
Thanks fir the details about snacks to carry.
I’m about to start training for a 50 mile race. I have been doing Keto for 6 months and am pretty fat adapted. I do Intermittent Fasting OMAD, right now.
Before the snows forced me inside for the winter, I was ridding 2 workouts per weej fasted, I would eat before my long ride. Any tips on IF and cycling, especially training for a race?
Long distance and time endurance Mtb cyclist living keto lifestyle.