Chocolate

sergen said:

I was watching a documentary of a long-distance time trialist who was trying to acquire energy to complete an 850 mile trip in under 48 hours.

The interviewer asked him if he ate lots of chocolate for energy, and his response was basically 'no, because the sugar high that it gives you is then followed by a low'.

Is this recognised wisdom in cycling? Should chocolate consumption be avoided on long rides as a means of acquiring energy?

Many thanks

uh yes; there are plenty of high calorie options sans the sugar that one needn't resort to chocolate

chocolate is nothinb but simple carbs, and that means you will crash after eating it. for a long ride that requires a lot of energy you are going to need complex carbs to give you energy.

This is recognised wisdom in cycling for any such product... take a look at what pros eat while riding, and it tends not to be chocolate...

Powerful Pete said:

This is recognised wisdom in cycling for any such product... take a look at what pros eat while riding, and it tends not to be chocolate...

Because it doesn't travel well in a jersey pocket?

Chocolate is high in fat which can be a useful energy source during the early part of long rides and races. It also contains a chemical (I forget which one) that can improve performance and the chemical is in its highest concentrations in dark chocolate. Even moreso in cacao beans.

In the early parts of races pros eat a fair amount of fats and switch to nearly all sugars for the finale.

During exercise the insulin response to sugar is virtually eliminated so the concern over a sugar low during exercise is largely unfounded as long as the consumption of a sugar isn't much more than a reasonable amount, like that found in any sports drink.

If you consume way too much sugar before or during the exercise you might tend more towards burning sugars for fuel which can cause a rise in blood lactate levels.