Fuel, Ride, Recover: Ayurveda for Athletes

(featuring @LentineAlexis)
lentinealexis.com

Cycling Smarter: The Art of Energy Management

How tuning into your body can transform your ride

What if your best ride wasn’t just about watts and miles—but also about energy, recovery, and mindset? Too often, cyclists push hard without considering the bigger picture: how stress, nutrition, and recovery impact performance.

Enter Lentine Alexis—former pro cyclist, chef, and Ayurvedic practitioner—who helps athletes balance their training, fueling, and recovery for long-term success.

Lentine on Energy Management:

"Something we often overlook as cyclists and athletes is the mental/emotional impact of our lives on our efforts. I call this 'energy management' and it's one of the modalities I share with my clients (in addition to lifestyle practices, dietary practices, and herbal remedies).

Energy management is recognizing that "the way we feel about the thing IS the thing," and if we have a challenging feeling about something else in our lives—unrelated to cycling—it’s carried into our ride because stress is stress.

Intentional energy management, from an Ayurvedic perspective, has everything to do with heading out with appropriately placed expectations on how much gas we have in the tank and how much gas we plan to expend.

For example, on a morning when I wake up, check my biometrics, and see that my HRV/recovery or sleep scores are off, I know I might not have as much in the tank as I did yesterday. Adjusting my mindset around my ride—whether that means taking an easy coffee ride instead of intervals, or pushing hard today instead of tomorrow—is a key part of training smarter."

Recovery & Exploration: The Perfect Ride Includes a Cooldown

Why rest stops and post-ride rituals matter as much as training

Great rides aren’t just about where you go, but how you recover. Ayurveda focuses on balance, and sometimes that means adjusting your effort levels and prioritizing rest.

Lentine’s Favorite Recovery Stops in Boulder:

"Some of my favorite 'rest stops' or 'reward' rides are right here in Boulder!

• Summer Recovery: I plan rides around natural dunking holes—Boulder Creek, Lefthand Canyon, and St. Vrain are perfect spots to cool off and reduce inflammation.

• Winter Recovery: A spiced cacao or golden milk from Wonder Press keeps digestion strong and prevents post-ride fatigue.

• Indulgence Recovery: In the summer, a stop at Gelato Boy (vegan chocolate flavor, obviously) helps me cool down.

• Weekend Recovery Missions: I love Dragontree Spa for weekly sauna sessions and cold plunges. My hot/cold routine is 20 minutes in the sauna, 1 minute in the plunge, and repeat.”

Fueling Right for the Ride: Match Your Snack to the Route

Real food for real performance—because what you eat should fuel how you ride.

Many cyclists obsess over carbs, protein, and electrolytes, but Ayurveda suggests another key factor: flavor.

"The body doesn’t recognize macronutrients—it recognizes FLAVORS," Lentine explains.

"Flavors send bioenergetic messages to the digestive and nervous system, helping us digest, hydrate, and stay strong. So incorporating all six flavors (sweet, salty, sour, bitter, pungent, and astringent) is key to staying balanced on the bike."

But what should you eat based on the type of ride you’re planning? We used our Simple Cycling Maps route legend to match your ride intensity to the right fueling strategy.

🟢 EASY (Flat or Rolling Terrain)

Think light & refreshing. On mellow spins, you don’t need heavy fueling, but you do want to keep digestion running smoothly.
Best choice: A light coconut-date energy bite or a hydration mix with ginger & citrus.
🔗 Try Lentine’s DIY Electrolyte Flavor Aide recipe.

🔵 MODERATE (Rolling Hills & Mid-Grade Climbs)

Sustained energy without the sugar crash. You need complex carbs and a touch of protein to stay steady.
Best choice: A nut butter sandwich with chia jam + a sprinkle of ground ginger to aid digestion.
🔗 Get Lentine’s Chia Jam recipe here.

⚫ DIFFICULT (Climbing, Steep Hills, Narrow Roads)

Slow-burning energy to power you up. Your body needs balanced carbs, protein, and a salty kick to keep electrolyte levels in check.
Best choice: Za’atar Tahini Rice Cakes (salty + savory keeps digestion stable) or a handful of salted nuts & dates.
🔗 Fuel up with Lentine’s Za’atar Tahini Rice Cake recipe.

🔴 VERY DIFFICULT (Very Steep Climbs, Maximum Effort)

Fast-acting energy for all-out effort. You need quick-digesting carbs and hydration to keep from bonking.
Best choice: A banana with nut butter, maple syrup drizzle & a sprinkle of sea salt OR a rice cake with honey & sesame seeds.

🟠 DIRT PATH/TRAIL (Singletrack, Gravel Adventures)

Adventure fuel for sustained endurance. Gravel and dirt routes demand long-lasting energy + gut-friendly ingredients.
Best choice: A hearty oat bar, a rice cake with tahini & dried fruit, or a small sandwich with avocado & sea salt.
🔗 For hydration, try Untapped Maple’s Ginger Mapleaid

Community + Cycling: Bringing it All Together

Wouldn’t it be great to put these ideas into action? We’re teaming up with Lentine for a guided spring ride + fueling Q&A to talk about routes, nutrition, energy management, and training smarter—not harder.

📅 Spring 2025 – Want in? sign up here!