The Bike - Nutrition

In triathlon, the bike leg isn’t just the middle portion of your race - it’s the bridge between a confident swim and a powerful run. It’s also where your nutrition plan is tested and where your race strategy takes shape. That means your bike leg isn’t just about riding efficiently - it’s about fuelling for what’s still to come. Your body has limited energy stores - enough to keep you going for roughly 90 minutes. Go beyond that, and you’re running on what you’ve taken in during the race.

A Bike Fuelling Strategy.

Benefits of Nailing the Bike Nutrition:

• Prevents mid-race energy crashes that can derail your run

• Supports cognitive focus and reaction time, especially in longer events

• Keeps digestion stable, reducing gut discomfort in the final stages

• Sustains consistent power output, especially in hilly or technical courses

Coach's Tip:

The sooner you start fuelling on the bike, the better you protect your run. Every missed intake window is harder to correct later.

Consistency over Guesswork - Train your Gut, Not Just your Legs.

You can only absorb a limited amount of carbohydrate per hour - typically 60-90g, depending on the intensity and whether you're combining glucose and fructose sources. The benefit? Steady intake helps you avoid peaks and crashes in energy, and keeps your digestive system settled. But this takes practice, your body needs to learn how to digest fuel while under stress. That’s why your long training rides are the perfect testing ground.

Benefits of Practising Nutrition in Training:

• Improves tolerance to fuel sources like gels, drink mixes, and bars

• Builds confidence in your fuelling routine, reducing pre-race stress

• Allows personalisation—you find what works best for your gut, not just what’s trendy

Coach’s Tip:

Don’t trial new products on race day. Use training rides to simulate your full race nutrition strategy - including timing, volume, and hydration.

Ride Smart: Pacing Isn’t Passive, It’s a Weapon.

Many athletes blow their race on the bike - not because they weren’t fit, but because they didn’t pace properly. Riding too hard too early might feel good in the moment, but it guarantees a painful run. A disciplined pacing strategy helps you conserve energy and distribute your effort wisely.

Benefits of Proper Pacing:

• Protects your legs for the run, especially in longer events

• Reduces cardiovascular stress, allowing better digestion and fuel absorption

• Boosts your mental control, helping you respond to race-day changes calmly

Coach's Tip:

Athletes who stick to a pacing plan tend to negative split their races - finishing stronger, passing more competitors late, and avoiding the dreaded walk-run shuffle on the run course.

Break the Bike Leg into Phases

One helpful strategy is to divide the bike leg into thirds:

• Settle In (first third)

  Focus on rhythm, early fuelling, and keeping your heart rate or power in check.

• Build Consistency (middle third)

  Stay steady, manage nutrition and hydration, and stay mentally present.

• Prepare to Run (final third)

• Begin thinking about transition, spin the legs out slightly, and hold back if needed.

Benefits of Sectioning the `Rides:

• Maintains mental focus, especially in long-distance eventsHelps time your fuelling windows more predictably

• Reduces the risk of late-race fade, setting up a smoother T2

Don’t Forget Hydration and Electrolytes

It’s easy to focus only on calories and carbs, but hydration is what carries those nutrients where they need to go. On warmer days or in longer events, managing sweat loss and electrolyte balance becomes just as important.

Benefits of Hydration Awareness:

• Prevents cramping and muscle fatigue

• Supports thermoregulation, so you don’t overheat

• Helps maintain blood volume, keeping heart rate steady under load

The bike leg is not a standalone test of cycling power. It’s the setup for the final, and often most gruelling leg of the triathlon. Treat your fuelling and pacing strategy not as a backup plan, but as a performance tool. Because when your bike leg supports your run, you race stronger from start to finish. Whether you're racing in New Zealand’s summer or training through the UK winter - practise.

Coach’s Tip:

Use training to calculate how much fluid you lose per hour - this helps guide your intake needs on race day.