What to Eat Before, During & After Indoor Cycling, Your Complete Guide

When your goal is building your fitness and creating consistency through winter, how you fuel your indoor cycling sessions matters more than you think. The right combination of carbohydrates, protein, and hydration can mean the difference between simply completing a session and getting stronger from it.

And because training indoors removes weather variables and gives you full control of intensity, especially on a Wattbike, nutrition becomes one of the most powerful tools across your entire training year.

Below is your clear, evidence-based guide on what to eat before, during and after indoor cycling, whether you're training for 25 minutes before work or taking on a longer endurance ride.

 

 

What to Eat Before Indoor Cycling

The Goal:

Top up carbohydrate stores, stabilise energy, and avoid digestive discomfort.

If You’re an Early Riser Training Before Work

Most riders who train early don’t want to wake up 60–90 minutes before a workout to eat a full meal. Fortunately, for a 30–45 minute morning session, you don’t need much.

For a 30-Minute Session at Moderate Intensity

A small, quick source of carbohydrates is ideal:

• 1 banana
• Slice of toast with honey
• Granola bar

These give fast-absorbing carbs to raise blood glucose without the sensation of a full stomach.

If You’re Doing a 90-Minute Endurance Ride Before Work

You need more. Ideally:

• 1–1.5 hours before:
• A bowl of porridge with berries + Honey
• Or toast with peanut butter + banana
• Or overnight oats prepared the night before

If time is tight:

• Drinkable carbohydrate drink mix + banana
• Smoothie with oats, fruit, and milk

This ensures you start with enough glycogen for sustained training.

 

Carbohydrate Targets Before Training

• Light session (30 min): 15–30g carbs
• Moderate session (45–60 min): 30–45g carbs
• Long session (90 min+): 60–90g carbs in the 1–2 hours before

These guidelines come from evidence-based sports nutrition principles and support both high- and low-intensity indoor cycling.

 

What to Eat During Indoor Cycling

Hydration and carb intake mid-ride depends on session length and intensity.

For a 30-Minute Indoor Cycling Session

You generally don’t need carbohydrates during the session.
Focus on hydration:

• 300–500 ml water

Subtle reminders from your indoor bike’s data, like rising heart rate or decreasing cadence can help you recognise when hydration impacts performance.

 

For a 90-Minute Indoor Session or Higher-Intensity Workouts

Once you pass the 60-minute mark or introduce long intervals, your body benefits from a steady carbohydrate supply.

Recommended Carb Intake

• 30–60g of carbs per hour
  Examples: sports drink, energy chews, banana, or a simple bar.

Hydration

• 500–750 ml per hour, depending on sweat rate and room temperature
  Indoor training often means higher sweat losses due to limited airflow, even with fans.

Why Mid-Ride Fuel Helps

During longer indoor sessions, maintaining blood glucose keeps:

• Power output stable
• Perceived exertion lower
• Heart rate drift under control
• Delayed fatigue

This is especially important for interval sessions on structured sessions when you're trying to replicate the same power output.

 

 

What to Eat After Indoor Cycling

The goal: refuel, repair, and rehydrate.

Your Post-Ride Priorities

1. Carbohydrates to replenish glycogen stores
2. Protein to support muscle repair
3. Fluids + electrolytes to replace losses

Protein Target

Aim for 20–30g high-quality protein within 1–2 hours post-ride.

Carbohydrate Target

• 30-Minute Session: 20–40g carbs
• 90-Minute Session: 60–90g carbs

Ideal Post-Training Meals

• Greek yogurt + granola + berries
• Eggs on toast + fruit
• Smoothie with whey protein, banana, oats, and milk
• Chicken, rice, and vegetables
• Tofu stir fry with noodles

For early morning riders heading straight to work, a portable option like a yogurt bowl, smoothie, or breakfast wrap is perfect.

 

How Fueling Differs by Session Type

Different indoor cycling sessions create different demands on your body:

Endurance Ride (60–90 min)

• Higher carb needs during the session
• Larger refuel afterwards

Short HIIT (20–30 min)

• Minimal fueling required before
• Hydration only during
• Protein + carbs afterwards for recovery

Benchmarking or Performance Tests

• Carbohydrate-focused meal 2–3 hours before
• Carbs during the session if longer than 45–60 min
• Priority on refueling afterwards

Structured training tools like the Wattbike app help identify the intensity and duration so your fueling plan can match the workout demands.

 

Hydration Guidelines for Indoor Cycling

Hydration is one of the most overlooked elements of indoor cycling nutrition, but can have a massive effect on performance outcomes.

General Hydration Guidelines

• 500 ml water in the 2 hours before training
• 500–750 ml per hour during training
• Add electrolytes for sessions 60 minutes or longer

Signs of under-hydration during indoor sessions include:

• Higher heart rate than usual
• Feeling unusually fatigued
• Drop in power output
• Struggling to complete intervals

Because indoor sessions produce higher sweat rates, hydration becomes a performance essential indoors more than outdoors.

 

 

Start Strong, Stay Strong With Smart Fueling

Fueling correctly helps you:

• Train consistently
• Increase energy and motivation
• Hit your fitness goals faster
• Make every indoor cycling session count

This is where a structured indoor training environment gives you an edge. With personalised training sessions, consistent power feedback, and predictable intensity, fuelling becomes far more effective because you always know the demands of the session ahead.

Need more help guiding your training and nutrition? 

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