Amgen riders consume 4,000 to 8,000 calories a day

At the 2016 Amgen Tour of California, the biggest and most prestigious pro cycling race in America, the young development team Axeon Hagens Berman is making a name for itself and its riders – and three of them share a look at what's for breakfast on the road.

The 144 pro cyclists (18 teams) in the 8-day race aim to consume the same amount of calories they burn on the bike, which at Amgen, depending on the length and toughness of the day, can be anywhere between 4,000 to a whopping 8,000 calories!

According to Judith Haudum, Team Nutritionist for Santa Rosa-based BMC Racing Team, who has master degrees in Exercise Science and Sport Nutrition, pro cyclists like to keep it simple and eat what is familiar. During race week, breakfast tends to be rich with carbs (oatmeal, pasta), and riders eat a mix of lean protein, whole grains and 7-10 servings of fruits and vegetables throughout the day. Not to mention and on-the-bike [often gels or bars] snacks they eat during the race and post-ride recovery drinks.

“Riders develop a routine and as they grow in cycling, they also learn how to fuel their body. That’s why riders don’t like to change their diet much and eat different, unfamiliar foods at races,” said Haudum. “People often wonder how riders can consume that many calories in a day but most of us always forget that riders do eat on the bike too. When they get on the bike they eat about 200-400 kcal per hour, depending on race intensity and stage. If you have a stage that is really hard and you consume up to 350-400 kcal every hour, you have consumed already 2000 kcal after five hours of racing. If you need to get up to 7000 kcal that day, you’ve 5000 kcal to cover with food off the bike. Usually you consume a fair amount at breakfast. Breakfast is more than just a bowl of cooked oats or a few slices of toast with syrup.”

“Riders from Axeon Hagens Berman burned approximately 3,000 calories each on each of the two opening stages of the eight-day race," said Reed McCalvin, Axeon Hagens Berman Cycling Team head soigneur and nutritionist. "Each night and morning, the riders consumed about 5,000-6,000 calories."

Oftentimes the guys will eat from the time they get off the bike at the finish, to the massage table at the hotel, to dinner, to a snack and then they will be back at it again in the morning, replenishing what they lost the day before. In addition to a complete breakfast, they will often be eating Honey Stinger waffles or energy chews while sitting around waiting for the start.

"Some of our riders are pretty particular when it comes to food," added McCalvin. "Tao Geoghegan Hart, for example, loves to eat oatmeal. He lives off of it. He wants to eat it at every meal."