Who does not love cycling, right? Well, yes, we all do. There are numerous benefits to cycling. Keeping our body healthy also supports our mind’s restorative and balances our mood swings. But because of difficult work timings, people need help finding the right time for cycling. Mostly things that after dinner, since they had no work to do, they could utilize their spare time for some healthy physical activity like cycling. But is it a good idea to go cycling after dinner?
We understand there must be various questions right now in your mind but do not worry. We are here to solve every doubt that comes into your mind. Let us move further in the article to solve and know the exact science behind cycling after dinner. You also need to buy the right cycle for yourself in order to have better cycling experience.
Processing Of Food
The stomach is the main site for processing food in our body. It secretes major enzymes that turn your complex food into simpler forms like carbohydrates, fats, and minerals. It makes it easy for the difficult food to break down and be absorbed into the bloodstream. When the body indulges in physical activity, blood flows away from the gastrointestinal tract into the more involved area.
Your muscles and lungs will start receiving more blood, creating a lacuna for the stomach. This is why many people feel nauseous or have heartburn when exercising for too long. In addition, your meal quantity is also the major deciding factor for cycling after dinner. If you have a heavy meal at night, which is rich in fats, you should wait for two to four hours before cycling.
If the dinner is small, you can take a break of thirty minutes to two hours for your stomach to digest the meal. Your stomach needs sufficient time to convert complex molecules in the short ones. If you indulge in cycling in the middle of the period, it can affect the quality of processed food and thus lead to further problems in the body.
Food That Should Preferred Before Cycling
It depends on person to person and the intensity of the side they are taking after dinner. Generally, it is best to eat small meals or light snacks before cycling. It could be easily digestible carbohydrates like fruits, toast, and chocolate bars. The ideal time gap between the two is one to two hours. If you plan an intense and long ride, you must take your meals three to four hours before the ride. Remember to keep your body hydrated.
After your intense cycling sessions, the body will demand another energy source. You can fill the gap with a nutritious meal or snack that will help to recover and prepare for the next day. Your weight, energy demands, activity level, and duration are the factors that will decide the quantity of food to eat after a ride.
Meals That Should Be Avoided Before A Ride
In general, heavy meals should be avoided before going cycling. But apart from this, other specific meals should be avoided to keep your body healthy.
- Fatty foods like burgers, fries, and spicy foods should be avoided because it is the reason for indigestion. These foods will make you sluggish and can slow down your reaction time.
- Avoiding large meals is a must because it can lead to discomfort while cycling.
- Sugary foods are also dangerous because they will give you a sudden surge and fade away very quickly. It will leave you tired very soon.
- Caffeine is a big no for cyclers. It will make you feel more anxious and jittery. It becomes more difficult to focus on your ride.
- Last but not least, alcohol must be avoided in any condition. It will impair your coordination and balance. It makes it difficult for you to ride a bicycle.
What Happens If You Start Cycling Too Soon After Your Dinner
Cycling is good for your health, but you should know when to do it. If you do cycling just after your heavy meals, then it will make you feel nauseous, crampy, and even in the worst cases vomiting. This is because you need to give your body proper time to digest the meal, making it difficult for the body to keep the undigested food. This happens because your body is trying to do two different things simultaneously: digest the food and pump up the blood.
Heavy food can prevent these conditions and keep your body active enough to do cycling. Eating bananas, energy bars, and nuts will energize you to keep your body active. Thus cycling after dinner is not a good idea if you want to keep your body healthy and cycling effective.
