The Honest Read
These two apps solve different halves of the same problem, and most cyclists confuse which half they're actually struggling with. The rider who says "I don't know what to eat" usually means one of two things: they don't know *how much* to eat on a training day versus a rest day (that's a Hexis problem), or they don't know *what foods* to put on the plate that match their training demands (that's a FoodCoach problem). Getting the diagnosis right saves you paying for the wrong tool.
What Hexis does. Hexis is a periodised macro engine built on Dr Sam Impey's Fuel For The Work Required methodology. It calculates your daily carbohydrate, protein and fat targets based on your training session — type, intensity, duration, fuel category — and adjusts them automatically. Rest days get fewer carbs. Threshold days get more. Competition days get a carb-loading protocol. The output is numbers: eat this many grams of carbs, this many grams of protein, this many grams of fat. What you put on the plate to hit those numbers is up to you.
What The Athlete's FoodCoach does. FoodCoach — built on the nutrition principles behind Team Visma | Lease a Bike — gives you 1,500+ performance recipes that adapt to your training schedule. It connects to Strava and Garmin, reads your training load, and adjusts the meal plan accordingly. The output is meals: cook this recipe for breakfast, this one for lunch, this one for dinner. The macro guidance is there but it's secondary to the meal structure. It's a kitchen tool first, a tracking tool second.
Where each falls short. Hexis gives you targets without telling you what to cook — if you're not confident in the kitchen, hitting 157g of carbs on a training day is an abstract instruction. FoodCoach gives you recipes that adapt to training load but doesn't periodise macros with the same granularity — the carb coding, fuel categories, and competition carb-loading that Hexis builds from the FFTWR research aren't replicated at the same depth.
For most cyclists. If you can cook and your problem is the numbers, Hexis. If your kitchen skills are the bottleneck and you want someone to tell you what to make, FoodCoach. If budget allows both: use Hexis for daily macro targets and FoodCoach for meal ideas that hit those targets. That combination — the precision of periodised macros with the practicality of structured recipes — is what a sports dietitian would give you, split across two apps at a fraction of the cost.
The price difference matters. Hexis runs around $20/month. FoodCoach is roughly €10/month or €50/year — meaningfully cheaper. For a rider whose primary barrier is meal ideas rather than macro precision, FoodCoach is the better-value entry point. For a rider who already cooks well and wants their nutrition periodised to training with full FFTWR methodology, Hexis earns the premium. The fuelling calculator gives you the periodised numbers for free if you want to test the Hexis approach without the subscription.
Roadman readers get 25% off Hexis with code CARBS25 — try it here.
FAQ
Does The Athlete's FoodCoach adjust for training days?
Yes — it connects to Strava and Garmin and adapts your meal plan to your training load. The adaptation is real but less granular than Hexis's fuel-category system. FoodCoach adjusts the overall plan; Hexis adjusts each macronutrient independently based on session type, intensity and duration using the FFTWR methodology.
Can I use Hexis macro targets with FoodCoach recipes?
Yes, and that's a strong combination. Use Hexis to set your daily carb, protein and fat targets based on your training. Use FoodCoach to find recipes that hit those targets. It's more work than using either app alone, but it gives you both precision and practicality — the same approach a sports dietitian would take.
Which is better for weight loss?
Hexis, if your goal is body composition alongside training. Hexis applies a controlled deficit on rest and low-intensity days while protecting fuelling on hard training days — the FFTWR model that took Anthony from 86kg to 79kg while eating more on training days. FoodCoach helps with meal quality but doesn't periodise the deficit to your training calendar with the same precision.
Which understands cycling-specific nutrition better?
Hexis. Its methodology was developed by Dr Sam Impey specifically for endurance athletes and is used by WorldTour cycling teams including Ineos Grenadiers and EF Education-EasyPost. FoodCoach comes from the Team Visma | Lease a Bike nutrition programme and understands cycling well, but its primary output is recipes and meal structure rather than periodised macro targets.
Is The Athlete's FoodCoach worth it if I already use Hexis?
If you find yourself hitting your Hexis macro targets but struggling with what to actually cook — yes. FoodCoach's recipe library is built for performance athletes, and having structured meal ideas makes it easier to hit periodised targets consistently. If you're already cooking well and hitting your numbers, FoodCoach adds less value.