Bike Noob

Because I'm Always Learning Something New

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Partners

Tryptophan and Biking

12.22.2009 by Ray Niekamp // 2 Comments

It’s close upon us — the big Christmas dinner, usually featuring turkey with all the trimmings. And we all know what turkey brings to our bloodstream: tryptophan. That’s an amino acid that flows through your blood vessels to the brain, where it’s converted to serotonin, which is blamed for inducing the post-feast drowsiness that results in nap time after dinner.

But maybe you’ve had the experience of finishing a long and/or strenuous bike ride. It might be nothing out of the ordinary given your level of fitness. Still, a little while after the ride, a wave of drowsiness comes over you. You make your way to the bedroom and flop. And you’re out cold for two or three hours.

Tryptophan.

It turns out that the poor turkey gets a bum rap for our sleepiness after dinner. Tryptophan is found in most proteins, so it’s not the turkey. It’s the amount of protein we ingest.

What does that have to do with feeling tired after a ride? During strenuous exercise, your muscles use branch chain amino acids for fuel. Tryptophan competes with branch chain amino acids to get into the brain, and since you’re burning the BCAA’s, the tryptophan wins. That can produce fatigue during exercise, not after.

That’s why we munch on energy bars and gulp exercise drinks during rides. The muscles use the carbs as fuel, and in turn that cuts down the amount of tryptophan that can make it to the brain.

My ride the other day was a perfect example. I rode 25 miles, a distance I’m used to, although I don’t do it more than twice a week, and I felt pretty good. I carried one water bottle, and it was nearly drained when I pulled up to the house after the ride. But sure enough, while watching TV after my shower, I dozed off. I awoke just long enough to get to bed and zonk out for two hours.

During the ride, my body was using fatty acids — including tryptophan — for fuel. I just drank water, so I wasn’t doing anything to inhibit the tryptophan from getting to the brain. If I had brought an energy bar, I’m certain I would have stayed awake longer.

So if you’re going to do any riding over the Christmas weekend, keep these hints in mind:

  • Don’t fast before you ride. Fasting raises blood-fat levels, and makes it easier for the effects of tryptophan to be felt.
  • Don’t eat fatty foods for 12 hours before your ride. Fatty foods create the necessary condition for tryptophan to move through the bloodstream.
  • Do eat a carbohydrate meal two hours or so before your ride. That will reduce your blood-ft levels.
  • Do drink a sports drink every 10 minutes or so during your ride — and depending on how long you’re out there, take in some carbohydrate foods, too.

Following these steps not only will ward off fatigue during your ride, but keep you from napping — and missing Christmas activities with family or friends — once the ride is done.

Bike Noob will take a short break over Christmas, and we’ll be back next weekend. I wish the blessings of the season on everyone.

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Categories // food Tags // tired

Comments

  1. mildstallion says

    December 22, 2009 at 8:00 pm

    zzz…

    Reply
  2. chris says

    December 22, 2009 at 11:18 pm

    Thanks! I’ve trawled the net over the last few weeks/months and this is one of the most concise summaries of eating and exercise I’ve found. Merry Christmas to you and yours.

    Reply

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Get Email Updates

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 257 other subscribers

Categories

  • Accessories
  • Bike fit
  • Bikes
  • Blogging
  • Books
  • clubs
  • Cold weather
  • Community
  • Commuting
  • Components
  • crash
  • cycling
  • Equipment
  • Favorite rides
  • fitness
  • food
  • guest post
  • Heat
  • Injury
  • logs
  • Maintenance
  • Mental
  • Nutrition
  • Odds 'n ends
  • People
  • Poll
  • Racing
  • Records & stats
  • Review
  • Rides
  • running
  • Safety
  • soreness
  • Specialized
  • Technique
  • Technology
  • Tips
  • tires
  • training
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Partners

Recent Posts

  • Getting Back on the Bike: Road Cycling Tips for Older Cyclists
  • Are BCAAs and EAAs Good for Cycling?
  • How to Fix Numb Toes When Cycling
  • How to Find and Vet a Bike Club
  • Celebrate Pearl Izumi with Big Savings in the Memorial Day Sale

Categories

  • Accessories
  • Bike fit
  • Bikes
  • Blogging
  • Books
  • clubs
  • Cold weather
  • Community
  • Commuting
  • Components
  • crash
  • cycling
  • Equipment
  • Favorite rides
  • fitness
  • food
  • guest post
  • Heat
  • Injury
  • logs
  • Maintenance
  • Mental
  • Nutrition
  • Odds 'n ends
  • People
  • Poll
  • Racing
  • Records & stats
  • Review
  • Rides
  • running
  • Safety
  • soreness
  • Specialized
  • Technique
  • Technology
  • Tips
  • tires
  • training
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized

Archives

  • May 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • March 2022
  • October 2020
  • November 2018
  • May 2018
  • September 2017
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • January 2016
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008

Copyright © 2026 · Modern Studio Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Go to mobile version
%d