WHO THIS IS FOR
IS THIS YOU?
The rider eating the same way in January as in June
Your nutrition doesn't match your training load and you're likely under-fuelling your hard sessions.
The rider trying to lose weight while training hard
Understanding nutrition periodisation shows you the right time and wrong time to create a calorie deficit.
THE ROADMAN VIEW
The Roadman view
The cycling nutrition conversation used to be dominated by two camps: eat everything or eat nothing. The modern position — which Anthony covered with David Dunne and Sam Impey on the podcast — is more nuanced. Nutrition should change with training load the same way training changes with the season. In base, when most rides are easy, some low-carb sessions are a legitimate adaptation stimulus. In build, when the hard sessions hit, under-fuelling them is a guaranteed way to cap your gains.
What David Dunne calls 'fuelling for the work required' is the key principle. In the build phase, threshold and VO2max sessions need full glycogen stores to be done properly. An athlete who eats for base throughout their build phase is effectively doing every hard session at sub-maximal effort, and wondering why their FTP isn't moving. The adaptation signal is limited by the fuel available to generate the effort.
Race phase nutrition is the simplest: eat carbohydrates, load them across the 36–48 hours before the event, and take enough on the bike to never bonk. This isn't the time for calorie restriction or low-carb experimenting. Race phase nutrition can take you from a mediocre performance to your best — but only if you've also periodised it through base and build.
EXPERT EVIDENCE
WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY
- David DunnePerformance nutritionist to INEOS Grenadiers, EF Education, and Uno-X
Fuelling for the work required means carbohydrate availability should match the intensity demands of the session. Low-carb strategies have a place in base training around genuinely easy rides. High-carb fuelling is non-negotiable in build and race phases where intensity and performance are the goal.
Hear it: World Tour Nutritionist - “We Got Weight Loss Wrong” - Dr Sam ImpeyWorld Tour nutritionist
The most consistent nutrition periodisation error in amateur cyclists is failing to raise carbohydrate intake when training intensity increases. Athletes who maintain a base-phase calorie deficit through the build phase systematically cap the quality of their hard sessions and blunt adaptation.
Hear it: Why Pros' 120g Carb Rule Fails Amateurs | Roadman Cycling
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
DO THIS WEEK
Low-carb easy sessions in base only
In the base phase, two or three easy zone 2 sessions per week can be done with low carbohydrate availability — morning fasted rides under 90 minutes, or rides where you deliberately reduce carb intake. Keep this to genuinely easy sessions only. Never do a threshold or VO2max session in a low-fuel state.
Raise carb intake when the build starts
As hard sessions enter the plan in the build phase, increase daily carbohydrate intake to 5–7g per kg of body weight on training days. The fuel has to match the effort. Use a nutrition tracking app for two weeks to check you're actually hitting target.
Carb-load in the 36–48 hours before an A-event
Eat carbohydrate-rich meals across the 36–48 hours before a major event, targeting 8–10g of carbs per kg of body weight daily. Keep fat and fibre lower to avoid digestive issues. This is about glycogen, not overeating — steady volume, high carb density.
COMMON MISTAKES
WHAT CYCLISTS GET WRONG
MISTAKEEating base-phase food while doing build-phase training.
FIXRaise carb intake when intervals start. Under-fuelled hard sessions produce weaker adaptation — the intensity should feel properly hard, which requires glycogen.
MISTAKETrying to lose weight during the build or race phase.
FIXCalorie deficits belong in the base phase when intensity is low and the risks of under-fuelling are minimal. The build and race phases are for performance, not weight loss.
MISTAKEEating the same amount on rest days as on hard training days.
FIXRest days need less fuel than hard-session days. Cycle carbohydrate: high on hard days, moderate on easy days, lower on rest days. Protein stays consistent.
FAQ
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the 'fuel for the work required' principle?
Should I eat more carbs in winter base or summer build?
Can I lose weight in the build phase?
How many carbs should I eat on a hard training day?
Does nutrition periodisation apply to protein too?
What does race-week nutrition look like?
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