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The Plant-Based Cyclist
The accessible, complete and practical guide to plant-powered cycling nutrition
If you want to ride simply powered by the goodness of plants, The Plant-Based Cyclist will help inspire, equip and empower you to do just that.
Written by the acclaimed cycling WorldTour nutritionist, Nigel Mitchell – the nutrition brains behind historic Olympic gold medals and multiple GrandTour wins – this coffee table-style book’s 244-pages cover everything to do with being a plant-based from diet, sports and cycling nutrition, micro and macronutrients, and gut health, to how to set up a plant-based kitchen, essential equipment and know-how, supplementation, travelling on a plant-based diet, fuelling for cycling races and events, and beyond – together with 23 great tasting and easy to make recipes for on and off the bike.
“Nigel’s approach takes the guesswork out of riding on a plant-based diet”
– Si Richardson, GCN Presenter
Whether you’re just starting out on your cycling journey or are already an accomplished gran fondo or road racer, The Plant-Based Cyclist’s recipes are all designed to deliver you the perfect balance of taste and nutrition from every day, easy-to-source from pre-ride breakfasts, smoothies, and light snacks, on-the-bike DIY energy drinks, energy bars/balls, post-ride meals, deserts, and many more.
Nigel’s many, many years of experience at the highest levels of elite sport have gone into the creation of this book – all with the hope that you won’t need to invest anywhere near as much time yourself, instead taking its shortcuts to reap the benefits of being a plant-based cyclist. After all, the less time faffing with the minutiae of diet plans, macronutrients, or trying to track down obscure ingredients is more time spent doing what we all riding bikes – purely and simply.
If you want to ride simply powered by the goodness of plants, The Plant-Based Cyclist will help inspire, equip and empower you to do just that.
Written by the acclaimed cycling WorldTour nutritionist, Nigel Mitchell – the nutrition brains behind historic Olympic gold medals and multiple GrandTour wins – this coffee table-style book’s 244-pages cover everything to do with being a plant-based from diet, sports and cycling nutrition, micro and macronutrients, and gut health, to how to set up a plant-based kitchen, essential equipment and know-how, supplementation, travelling on a plant-based diet, fuelling for cycling races and events, and beyond – together with 23 great tasting and easy to make recipes for on and off the bike.
“Nigel’s approach takes the guesswork out of riding on a plant-based diet”
– Si Richardson, GCN Presenter
Whether you’re just starting out on your cycling journey or are already an accomplished gran fondo or road racer, The Plant-Based Cyclist’s recipes are all designed to deliver you the perfect balance of taste and nutrition from every day, easy-to-source from pre-ride breakfasts, smoothies, and light snacks, on-the-bike DIY energy drinks, energy bars/balls, post-ride meals, deserts, and many more.
Nigel’s many, many years of experience at the highest levels of elite sport have gone into the creation of this book – all with the hope that you won’t need to invest anywhere near as much time yourself, instead taking its shortcuts to reap the benefits of being a plant-based cyclist. After all, the less time faffing with the minutiae of diet plans, macronutrients, or trying to track down obscure ingredients is more time spent doing what we all riding bikes – purely and simply.
244 pages, Paperback
Published November 15, 2019
13 people are currently reading
200 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 27, 2019
The most informative nutrition book I’ve read. Whether you’re plant based or not, this book will teach you about how to fuel yourself effectively. I also like how the recipes are simple, and quick to make.
April 6, 2022
I learned a lot about gut health, macro- and micronutrient absorption, and some recipes are delicious, too. I will be increasing my tours so hopefully this advice I can take with me and improve performance and enjoyment. This aside, I became so tired of reading on every other page:
'[nutrient] is predominantly found in meat, and so a plant-based diet may be more difficult to achieve the required intake. That said, there are lots of plants packed full of [nutrient]'
Repeated statements like this made me feel quite cynical of the author. He didn't feel it necessary to mention some of the documented issues of a dairy and meat diet, including increased risks of heart disease and plenty of cancers. He spent far too long comparing plants to animal parts, and how they differ nutritionally, as if the reader of the book is merely choosing plant-based for fun and not because they're vegan. Most people going plant-based will be doing it for ethical reasons, and will be looking for nutritional advice like this to complement their understanding of their diet, and therefore don't need a constant comparison between the diets. If one were more interested in the easy intake of haem iron, then of course they would simply eat meat and they wouldn't need this book. I found this quite a strange fascination the author had and ultimately would have preferred to read advice based on actual vegan athletes.
The whole book fancied mentioning almost constantly that a plant-based diet is both adequate, but might not contain the same amounts of nutrients as animal-based foods. This is such an obvious difference between the foods and I really wasn't interested in learning about how calcium will come more easily from milk, when in actual fact it comes easily from soy, too. These phrases showed me that the author isn't too interested in a plant-based diet (despite supposedly using it in years previous). One of the recipes also contains honey. For these points - that the content seems disingenuine and the science somewhat conflated to the meat-eaters narrative - I have reduced two stars.
'[nutrient] is predominantly found in meat, and so a plant-based diet may be more difficult to achieve the required intake. That said, there are lots of plants packed full of [nutrient]'
Repeated statements like this made me feel quite cynical of the author. He didn't feel it necessary to mention some of the documented issues of a dairy and meat diet, including increased risks of heart disease and plenty of cancers. He spent far too long comparing plants to animal parts, and how they differ nutritionally, as if the reader of the book is merely choosing plant-based for fun and not because they're vegan. Most people going plant-based will be doing it for ethical reasons, and will be looking for nutritional advice like this to complement their understanding of their diet, and therefore don't need a constant comparison between the diets. If one were more interested in the easy intake of haem iron, then of course they would simply eat meat and they wouldn't need this book. I found this quite a strange fascination the author had and ultimately would have preferred to read advice based on actual vegan athletes.
The whole book fancied mentioning almost constantly that a plant-based diet is both adequate, but might not contain the same amounts of nutrients as animal-based foods. This is such an obvious difference between the foods and I really wasn't interested in learning about how calcium will come more easily from milk, when in actual fact it comes easily from soy, too. These phrases showed me that the author isn't too interested in a plant-based diet (despite supposedly using it in years previous). One of the recipes also contains honey. For these points - that the content seems disingenuine and the science somewhat conflated to the meat-eaters narrative - I have reduced two stars.
September 21, 2024
Bit of a mixed bag. There are some interesting insights from his varied career in nutrition:
- Working as an NHS dietician in palliative care informed his ideas of how to retain muscle mass when the body is chronically under-fueled and over-stressed, similar to athlete's bodies during a Grand Tour. Likewise, these patients' challenges with overwhelmed digestive systems showed him that it is possible for the digestive system to cope with the increased need for taking in nutrients, without resorting to the kind of (legal) injectibles doctors believed necessary in order to bypass cyclists' digestive systems in the '90s. This helped as part of the move to modern cycling's no-needles policy.
- There are a new generation of sports drinks that use hydrogel technology. By adding a seaweed-derived gelling agent, when the drink hits the stomach's acid it encapsulates the carbs, preventing total digestion in the stomach. When the capsules hit the alkaline environment of the gut, it breaks down more fully and the carbohydrates can be absorbed. This makes it possible to ingest carbohydrates (the best/only fuel for high-intensity exercise) at much higher concentrations than normal but still be tolerable for the digestive system.
- Cyclists are still particularly vulnerable to gut issues though. One of the causes seems to be excess acidity caused by acid forming and acidic foods. Modern diets are quite acidic as it is, which can, among other things, affect the small intestine by reducing the amount of nutrients extracted from food. This can also cause discomfort, bloating and some undigested food matter passing through into the bloodsteam ('leaky-gut syndrome').
- On top of this, many sports drinks are extremely acidic. When Nigel was working with British Cycling in the 2000s, a lot of mountain bikers were having stomach issues. One of the key issues he identified was the amount of sports drink they were consuming, which was measured at a very acidic pH of 3.5 (7 is neutral). Partnering in a study with the University of Portsmouth, they found that using a pH neutral sports drink almost completely eradicated the gut issues the riders were getting. He has always insisted on pH neutral sports drinks since then.
- A sub-optimally functioning gut, with symptoms like bloating, sluggishness, wind or acid reflux, can often fairly easily be addressed and cured. One rider who professed a self-diagnosed gluten intolerance due to flare ups was suspected by Nigel to have just a 'temporary gluten intolerance' due to a stressed and poorly functioning gut. After putting him on an easy-on-the-guts dietary protocol (low or no-gluten/dairy and easy digesting protein) the intolerance cleared up completely (apparently).
- Refined cane sugar often isn't vegan, as it can use bone char in its processing. Sugar from beet and coconuts doesn't use animal products. (My note - that is, if you ignore the animal products which are always part of organic and usually other fertilisers!).
On the negative side though:
- There are only a handful of ok recipes and way too many repetitive photos of the food from those recipes, of pro cyclists, and especially of the GCN presenters Dan and Simon cycling or eating.
- In terms of the nutritional information, I think he lets saturated fat way too off the hook. ("For many years, the simplistic approach that unsaturated fats were good and unsaturated fats were bad was accepted wisdom. However, now we know that we require a range of fats in our diet , and their relationship to health is far more complex.") Nowhere does he mention any of its problems, such as the overwhelming evidence of its link to LDL cholesterol and heart disease. While this is obviously a vegan book so he isn't pushing animal sources, he is a big fan of coconut oil, which is used in most of the recipes. That may be manageable for pros or high level amateurs, but I think it's much more questionable for the likely reader of this book.
- Working as an NHS dietician in palliative care informed his ideas of how to retain muscle mass when the body is chronically under-fueled and over-stressed, similar to athlete's bodies during a Grand Tour. Likewise, these patients' challenges with overwhelmed digestive systems showed him that it is possible for the digestive system to cope with the increased need for taking in nutrients, without resorting to the kind of (legal) injectibles doctors believed necessary in order to bypass cyclists' digestive systems in the '90s. This helped as part of the move to modern cycling's no-needles policy.
- There are a new generation of sports drinks that use hydrogel technology. By adding a seaweed-derived gelling agent, when the drink hits the stomach's acid it encapsulates the carbs, preventing total digestion in the stomach. When the capsules hit the alkaline environment of the gut, it breaks down more fully and the carbohydrates can be absorbed. This makes it possible to ingest carbohydrates (the best/only fuel for high-intensity exercise) at much higher concentrations than normal but still be tolerable for the digestive system.
- Cyclists are still particularly vulnerable to gut issues though. One of the causes seems to be excess acidity caused by acid forming and acidic foods. Modern diets are quite acidic as it is, which can, among other things, affect the small intestine by reducing the amount of nutrients extracted from food. This can also cause discomfort, bloating and some undigested food matter passing through into the bloodsteam ('leaky-gut syndrome').
- On top of this, many sports drinks are extremely acidic. When Nigel was working with British Cycling in the 2000s, a lot of mountain bikers were having stomach issues. One of the key issues he identified was the amount of sports drink they were consuming, which was measured at a very acidic pH of 3.5 (7 is neutral). Partnering in a study with the University of Portsmouth, they found that using a pH neutral sports drink almost completely eradicated the gut issues the riders were getting. He has always insisted on pH neutral sports drinks since then.
- A sub-optimally functioning gut, with symptoms like bloating, sluggishness, wind or acid reflux, can often fairly easily be addressed and cured. One rider who professed a self-diagnosed gluten intolerance due to flare ups was suspected by Nigel to have just a 'temporary gluten intolerance' due to a stressed and poorly functioning gut. After putting him on an easy-on-the-guts dietary protocol (low or no-gluten/dairy and easy digesting protein) the intolerance cleared up completely (apparently).
- Refined cane sugar often isn't vegan, as it can use bone char in its processing. Sugar from beet and coconuts doesn't use animal products. (My note - that is, if you ignore the animal products which are always part of organic and usually other fertilisers!).
On the negative side though:
- There are only a handful of ok recipes and way too many repetitive photos of the food from those recipes, of pro cyclists, and especially of the GCN presenters Dan and Simon cycling or eating.
- In terms of the nutritional information, I think he lets saturated fat way too off the hook. ("For many years, the simplistic approach that unsaturated fats were good and unsaturated fats were bad was accepted wisdom. However, now we know that we require a range of fats in our diet , and their relationship to health is far more complex.") Nowhere does he mention any of its problems, such as the overwhelming evidence of its link to LDL cholesterol and heart disease. While this is obviously a vegan book so he isn't pushing animal sources, he is a big fan of coconut oil, which is used in most of the recipes. That may be manageable for pros or high level amateurs, but I think it's much more questionable for the likely reader of this book.
February 24, 2021
I think the title choice is a bad decision for the content of the book. It does address nutrition for a plant-based cyclist, but the knowledge is applicable to any endurance athlete no matter the diet restrictions.
I expected more recipes, but I was very happy with the content of anything nutrition for cyclists. The book is an absolute treasure of information on nutrition. The content is easy to digest (pun intended) and very well structured. The only thing I would have liked to see more is more recipes. But there are plenty of other books on that topic out there.
I really enjoyed the read and learnt a lot in the process.
Again, this book is for all endurance athletes, don't get thrown back by the title.
I expected more recipes, but I was very happy with the content of anything nutrition for cyclists. The book is an absolute treasure of information on nutrition. The content is easy to digest (pun intended) and very well structured. The only thing I would have liked to see more is more recipes. But there are plenty of other books on that topic out there.
I really enjoyed the read and learnt a lot in the process.
Again, this book is for all endurance athletes, don't get thrown back by the title.
February 16, 2021
a great book not just giving gospel statements to live by but explaining the methodology and reason behind its advice. you can take the concepts from this and apply it to any diet, its basicaly a book about what micronutrients affect activity and energy levels all within a cycling context. whether youre a vegan, a veggy or a meat fiend, this book is invaluable for helping you figure out how to modify your nutrition to suit your life
February 17, 2022
In preparation for triathlon season I wanted to get my head around nutrition. This is a really useful guide on not only the science of sports nutrition but also the key differences when following a plant based diet and how to overcome those. I only wish that it had more recipes in it!
February 8, 2022
Excellent book: just the right amount of practical with the background/theoretical. Can't wait to try out recipes!
March 26, 2024
This book is full of very useful information for plant-based cyclist (and I think it can even be useful if you’re not a cyclist). The chapter about protein was very useful for me as I’m currently trying to gain muscle mass - I now know how to adjust my protein intake to do that. Also the recipes are great. I haven’t tried them yet, but I definitely will soon.
The book could have used another round of editing, since I found a lot of typos and incorrect sentences, which caused some confusion at times.
The book could have used another round of editing, since I found a lot of typos and incorrect sentences, which caused some confusion at times.
January 19, 2020
A great book if you're looking for diet tips to enhance your performance on the bike. Not only are the role of carbs, fats, protein, micro-nutrients all explained in detail, the book also gives many practical tips and simple recipes to make sure you're getting all the nutrients you need.
July 13, 2020
Great info and recipes
August 4, 2020
Goed boek over voeding encsport, en over alleen plantaardig eten.
March 16, 2023
Great information about nutrition in general and in sports
March 9, 2020
Great nutritional advice set in context, and plenty of easy, useful recipes!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews