Mountain biking takes a great deal of fitness to enjoy to it's fullest extent, it is very important that you realise just how fit you will have to be and how much strength and stamina are required to fully enjoy mountain biking.
During a forty mile cross country bike ride you will use approximately the same amount of calories as you would if you had run a marathon.
It is therefore very important that you prepare for your ride correctly and also take the appropriate refuelling food and drink with you.
Before riding eat plenty of high carbohydrate based foods such as pasta, rice, dishes a couple of hours before starting out, drink plenty of fluids and take other high-carb foods with you including bananas.
It is important during your ride that you drink water often throughout the day.
DO NOT wait until you are thirsty before you drink.
There is quite a time lag before your brain will register that you are thirsty and by this time you could be dehydrated by as much as thirty percent.
Water loss of this magnitude will reduce your physical performance by as much as a quarter, so always drink as often as you can during your ride, I would recommend every fifteen to twenty minutes.
Stop at some point during your ride to take on fuel, over many years of bike riding the best fuels that I have found are chocolate milk and tinned peaches, yes I know that might sound weird but believe me they work.
To help you enjoy your mountain biking experience as much as possible you can learn more about the sport such as Training Competition Physical Characteristics Common Nutrition Issues Meeting carbohydrate requirements for training Body Fat Levels Fueling and hydration strategies before and during rides