Coachinginterview

TRANSFORM YOUR BODY: JOE FRIEL'S PRO TIPS ON FAT LOSS | RDMN CLIPS

with RDMN Clips

8:20·23 October 2023

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

Joe Friel's two-step protocol for masters fat loss: cut high-glycemic carbs (starches, sugars), raise protein to ~1.5g per kg bodyweight per day. Don't eliminate carbs — just reduce. Don't be a Buddhist monk about it.
Cited research: athletes who added 800 protein calories per day for 8 weeks gained zero weight. The same 800 calories from sugar/starch would have produced significant fat gain. Protein doesn't store as fat the same way.
Hitting the protein number crowds out high-glycemic carbs by default. 33g per meal × 3 meals leaves little space for refined carbs. The diet improves without explicit restriction.
Strength training is non-negotiable for aging cyclists. Hip fractures in older adults are linked to sharply elevated mortality rates — making muscle preservation a health priority, not an optional add-on.
Calculate your number: 1.5 g/kg = ~100g protein for a 70kg rider. That's ~33g per meal across three meals. Once you plan to eat that, the rest of the diet composition follows.

TOPICS

Joe Friel breaks down the science of fat loss for aging athletes, revealing that it's not just about cutting calories. Learn why reducing high glycemic carbs while increasing protein intake can actually help you lose weight without feeling deprived, and discover why your body becomes more injury-prone after 40 and what you can do about it.

Key Takeaways

Cut back on high glycemic carbohydrates (starches and sugars) rather than eliminating them entirely—this alone reduces your body's ability to store excess fat
Increase protein intake to 1.5g per kilogram of body weight; the research shows older athletes need significantly more protein than previously thought
Swapping high glycemic carbs for protein creates natural calorie deficit: a 33g protein target per meal leaves little room for high-carb foods without exceeding daily calorie limits
Protein has a fundamentally different metabolic effect than carbs—a study showed athletes could consume 800 extra calories daily from protein without weight gain, whereas the same from starch/sugar would cause significant weight gain
Tendons, joints, and muscles become less resilient with age and take longer to recover; even minor falls can have lasting consequences that wouldn't in younger years
Weight training and consistent cycling are crucial preventative strategies for maintaining bone density and mobility as you age

Expert Quotes

"There's a big difference between protein and carbohydrate, especially high glycemic carbohydrate. You need to realize that, and as you get older, especially focus more on the protein side and less on the carbohydrate, sugar, starch side."

"If you've been eating a lot of high glycemic and not much protein, making that change is probably going to cause you to lose weight because those two things fit together very nicely."

"Breaking your hip is one of the worst things that can happen to you as you get older... that's one of the reasons I suggest you do a lot of weight training to help prevent that sort of thing from happening."

CLAIMS FROM THIS EPISODE

Each tagged with the strength of evidence behind it.

EXPERT
Joe Friel, elite cycling coach and author of The Cyclist's Training Bible, recommends approximately 1.5g of protein per kg of bodyweight per day for masters athletes managing body composition.
Source: Joe Friel, referenced on the Roadman Cycling podcast
STUDY
Friel cites research where athletes consumed an additional 800 calories per day from protein for 8 weeks while keeping everything else constant — and gained no weight, illustrating the different metabolic handling of protein vs starch/sugar at equivalent caloric loads.
Source: Protein supplementation research, summarised by Joe Friel on the Roadman Cycling podcast
STUDY
Friel emphasises that hip fractures in older adults correlate with sharply elevated mortality rates, making strength training a non- negotiable health priority for aging cyclists rather than an optional addition.
Source: Geriatric / hip-fracture mortality research, summarised by Joe Friel on the Roadman Cycling podcast
PRO PRACTICE
Anthony's practical framing: hitting 1.5 g/kg protein automatically crowds out most high-glycemic carbohydrate from the day. ~33g protein per meal × 3 meals (a 70kg rider) leaves little caloric space for refined starches and sugars without explicit restriction.
Source: Anthony Walsh, Roadman Cycling podcast

KEY QUOTES

“the researchers took a group of athletes and for eight weeks they had them eat 800 more car calories per day from protein they kept their diet the same but they added 800 more carbo calories of protein per day after eight weeks they didn't gain any more weight their weight stayed the same now had they've been taking in a lot of starch and sugar I can guarantee you they would have gained a lot of weight with 800 calories per day being taken in”
Joe Friel — Elite cycling coach and author

“number one cut back in carbohydrate in your diet especially high glycemic carbohydrate that which means mostly starches and sugars you just need to cut back I'm not telling you cut them out I'm not saying become a Buddhist monk all I'm saying is just begin to cut back on eating that type of food”
Joe Friel — Elite cycling coach and author

“as soon as you're starting to become aware of your protein intake and you're looking to get you know 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight in and around that like for me that's around 100 grams of protein a day and if you break that into three Square meals you know 33 grams of protein per meal it actually doesn't leave a lot of space left for eating a lot of these high glycemic index carbs”
Anthony Walsh — Roadman Cycling podcast host

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT3 SECTIONS

Cutting Carbs and Boosting Protein

The last part of this sort of anti-aging little formula we're putting together was body fat it's you know as you say it's almost like a perfect storm because muscle volume is gone down as body fat is simultaneously coming up what strategies are we using to cope with that is it as simple as reducing our base caloric intake daily or is there more advanced strategies there's a lot to it if somebody's actually trying to lose weight as opposed to just maintain weight that's a different ball game altogether w't go all the details if we're just trying to maintain weight not gain weight as we age thing to do is number is is number one cut back in carbohydrate in your diet especially high glycemic carbohydrate that which means mostly starches and sugars you just need to cut back I'm not telling you cut them out I'm not saying become a Buddhist monk all I'm saying is just begin to cut back on eating that type of food because that's the sort of food that's going to cause your your your body to celebrate because it's it's going to be able to put on more fat that's you don't want that you want to reduce the options for your body to put on fat place to start is by cutting back on those are called high glycemic carbohydrates or high glycemic index carbohydrates so that's the first step number two is eat more protein to replace the carbohydrates you cut back on uh as we get older we need more protein in fact we're the research I'm now seeing and have been seeing for maybe the last 10 years or so suggests that we that older people do need to eat more more protein than what we thought 10 15 20 years ago we need more protein so give a good example so so we're GNA increase your protein intake but decrease your your uh high high glycemic carbohydrate intake what that's going to mean is you're actually going to you may be able to actually lose weight by doing that because that that's those two things fit together very nicely if you've been eating a lot of high glycemic and not much much protein making that change is probably going to cause you to lose weight I actually find as soon as you're starting to become aware of your protein intake and you're looking to get you know 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight in and around that like for me that's around 100 grams of protein a day and if you break that into three Square meals you know 33 grams of protein per meal it actually doesn't leave a lot of space left for eating a lot of these high glycemic index carbs without going way over your daily caloric guidelines that's that's true yeah one of one of the things I always recommend the athletes do is when they're doing a a long workout a hard workout um soon as they get done come back in and make a protein shake you start off then those usually have like 25 grams of protein in them right there so you're starting the day off if you're R in the morning you're

Protein's Edge Over Carbohydrates

Starting the day off pretty early with with putting some protein into your body uh right after workout which which some research has shown is beneficial for for helping to build muscle mass also um and and the nice thing about protein is it doesn't impact your body the same way carbohydrate does in terms of gaining weight there was actually a research study I just read a study theater is very interesting on this the researchers took a group of athletes and for eight weeks they had them eat 800 more car calories per day from protein they kept their diet the same but they added 800 more carbo calories of protein per day after eight weeks they didn't gain any more weight their weight stayed the same now had they've been taking in a lot of starch and sugar I can guarantee you they would have gained a lot of weight with 800 calories per day being taken in there's a big difference between protein and carbohydrate especially high glycemic carbohydrate need to realize that and as you get older especially focus more on the protein side and less on the on the carbohydrate sugar starch side excuse used a short Interruption but I wanted to find a way to bring our little Community together to problem solve to share training advice and to support each other in what can sometimes be a lonely road as we all Chase health happiness and Longevity through cycling to facilitate this I've set up a Discord Channel I'm going to leave a link in the description down below it doesn't cost anything to join it's totally free plus I'm also picking out random winners for spot prizes inside the Discord Channel if you'd like to join it click on the link down below another thing I've anecdotally noticed with aging athletes and I put this question up on my Twitter a few days ago kind of in advance preparing for this podcast it's the injury proness of athletes Post 40 is there a particular reason for this or is it like neglect of the body over a long period of time just as coming to this Crescendo where they're starting to pick up more niggly injuries yeah I think it's kind of a combination of both there there's the athlete typically as we get older um we have more problems with tendons for example or joints um they take more they're they're not as they're not as able to deal with the stress that they did when you were younger when you were younger you could do a lot of things that you can no longer do without putting stress on a joint or a tendon or a muscle um so you have to be somewhat more careful as you get older I I took a fall doing a a bike tour in France so about uh three years ago and I I took a fall coming down the stairs in the hotel we were staying in and injured my knee and to this day it still bothers me but I can guarantee if I was 25 years old it would have healed up and gone away yeah but now it still bothers me here what this like three years later

Why Hip Fractures Predict Mortality

I'm still experiencing some some difficulty from that knee because of that fall so it we're just more prone to things as we get older so that that's that's a big part of this is our bodies just are more more U more um able more less able to to deal with the stress of something like that fall I took I seen a crazy statistic I'm not sure if you follow Peter aa's podcast the drive but he was talking about that I'll probably butcher the statistic but breaking your hip was the leading predicator of mortality if you break your hip there's a huge statistical chance that you'd be dead within 12 months it's like it's a bizarre statistic it's like there's a 25 or 30% chance that you're going to be dead within 12 months of you breaking your hip not related to the hip injury but it just shows it's a leading indicator of mortality when I heard this statistic I was blown away by it I agree in fact that's how my mother died my mother was a very active person in my entire life she was to go out for walks after after supper every night she was very active then she got to about her late 80s it's probably about 80 seven I think it was one winter she got out of her car at the shopping center and fell down on you know on some ice and broke her him and two years later she was she she was gone that was just a sort of thing that uh you I agree 100% that's one of the worst things that can happen to as you get older is breaking your hip again that's one of the reasons I Sugg yes you do a lot of weight trainings help prevent that sort of thing from happening and exercising like riding your bike help to prevent that also yeah I guess it's so our physical health and our mental health are so Inseparable I look at my dad who has some compromised mobility issues at the moment he has a clot in his leg and it's a relatively minor physical condition but I've watched the deterioration that's had on his mental health and it's profound yeah yeah it it really is my mother was not the same person after that um she began to have other other complications that set in health complications in her life and that's what eventually led her to eyes if you enjoyed this little clip from the podcast you can check out full episodes of the podcast on any podcast platform Apple Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts also you can click up here for another video that I know you're going to love and don't forget to subscribe to the channel see you next day

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How much protein should a cyclist over 40 eat to lose fat?+

Joe Friel recommends around 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day for masters athletes looking to manage body composition. Research he cites found that athletes who added 800 protein calories daily gained no weight over eight weeks, suggesting higher protein intake crowds out less useful calories without driving fat gain.

Should cyclists over 40 cut carbs to lose body fat?+

Joe Friel advises reducing high-glycemic carbohydrates specifically, meaning starches and sugars, rather than eliminating all carbohydrates. Pairing this reduction with higher protein intake creates a natural calorie deficit without requiring strict calorie counting.

Why is strength training important for aging cyclists?+

Joe Friel argues that strength training is non-negotiable for cyclists over 40 because muscle loss accelerates with age and directly increases fracture risk. He links hip fractures in older adults to sharply elevated mortality rates, making resistance work a health priority rather than an optional extra.

What does Joe Friel recommend for fat loss in masters athletes?+

Friel outlines a two-step protocol: cut high-glycemic carbohydrates such as refined starches and sugars, and raise daily protein intake to roughly 1.5 grams per kilogram of body weight. He treats these two changes as complementary, with the protein increase helping to preserve muscle mass while the carbohydrate reduction reduces overall energy intake.

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Key Takeaways

Cut back on high glycemic carbohydrates (starches and sugars) rather than eliminating them entirely—this alone reduces your body's ability to store excess fat

Increase protein intake to 1.5g per kilogram of body weight; the research shows older athletes need significantly more protein than previously thought

Swapping high glycemic carbs for protein creates natural calorie deficit: a 33g protein target per meal leaves little room for high-carb foods without exceeding daily calorie limits

Protein has a fundamentally different metabolic effect than carbs—a study showed athletes could consume 800 extra calories daily from protein without weight gain, whereas the same from starch/sugar would cause significant weight gain

Tendons, joints, and muscles become less resilient with age and take longer to recover; even minor falls can have lasting consequences that wouldn't in younger years

Weight training and consistent cycling are crucial preventative strategies for maintaining bone density and mobility as you age

Expert Quotes

"There's a big difference between protein and carbohydrate, especially high glycemic carbohydrate. You need to realize that, and as you get older, especially focus more on the protein side and less on the carbohydrate, sugar, starch side."

"If you've been eating a lot of high glycemic and not much protein, making that change is probably going to cause you to lose weight because those two things fit together very nicely."

"Breaking your hip is one of the worst things that can happen to you as you get older... that's one of the reasons I suggest you do a lot of weight training to help prevent that sort of thing from happening."

KEY QUOTES

“the researchers took a group of athletes and for eight weeks they had them eat 800 more car calories per day from protein they kept their diet the same but they added 800 more carbo calories of protein per day after eight weeks they didn't gain any more weight their weight stayed the same now had they've been taking in a lot of starch and sugar I can guarantee you they would have gained a lot of weight with 800 calories per day being taken in”
Joe Friel — Elite cycling coach and author

“number one cut back in carbohydrate in your diet especially high glycemic carbohydrate that which means mostly starches and sugars you just need to cut back I'm not telling you cut them out I'm not saying become a Buddhist monk all I'm saying is just begin to cut back on eating that type of food”
Joe Friel — Elite cycling coach and author

“as soon as you're starting to become aware of your protein intake and you're looking to get you know 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight in and around that like for me that's around 100 grams of protein a day and if you break that into three Square meals you know 33 grams of protein per meal it actually doesn't leave a lot of space left for eating a lot of these high glycemic index carbs”
Anthony Walsh — Roadman Cycling podcast host

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How much protein should a cyclist over 40 eat to lose fat?+

Should cyclists over 40 cut carbs to lose body fat?+

Why is strength training important for aging cyclists?+

What does Joe Friel recommend for fat loss in masters athletes?+

TRANSFORM YOUR BODY: JOE FRIEL'S PRO TIPS ON FAT LOSS | RDMN CLIPS

Key Takeaways

Expert Quotes

CLAIMS FROM THIS EPISODE

KEY QUOTES

1.Cutting Carbs and Boosting Protein

2.Protein's Edge Over Carbohydrates

3.Why Hip Fractures Predict Mortality

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

NEVER MISS AN EPISODE

READ THE GUIDE

RELATED EPISODES

THE TRAINING SECRET TO GOING FASTER AFTER 40 | JOE FRIEL

RIDE YOUR BIKE TOO MUCH AND THIS HAPPENS (FRED WRIGHT) | RDMN CLIPS

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RELATED CONTENT

THE TRAINING SECRET TO GOING FASTER AFTER 40 | JOE FRIEL

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IS STRENGTH TRAINING ESSENTIAL FOR CYCLING? | RDMN PODCAST CLIPS

TRANSFORM YOUR BODY: JOE FRIEL'S PRO TIPS ON FAT LOSS | RDMN CLIPS

Key Takeaways

Expert Quotes

CLAIMS FROM THIS EPISODE

KEY QUOTES

1.Cutting Carbs and Boosting Protein

2.Protein's Edge Over Carbohydrates

3.Why Hip Fractures Predict Mortality

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

NEVER MISS AN EPISODE

READ THE GUIDE

RELATED EPISODES

THE TRAINING SECRET TO GOING FASTER AFTER 40 | JOE FRIEL

RIDE YOUR BIKE TOO MUCH AND THIS HAPPENS (FRED WRIGHT) | RDMN CLIPS

THE ONLY TYRE SEALANT DYLAN JOHNSON WILL USE | RDMN CLIPS

RELATED CONTENT

THE TRAINING SECRET TO GOING FASTER AFTER 40 | JOE FRIEL

HARD TRUTH: WHY CYCLISTS OVER 40 SLOW DOWN & HOW TO BEAT IT | RDMN PODCAST CLIPS

IS STRENGTH TRAINING ESSENTIAL FOR CYCLING? | RDMN PODCAST CLIPS

Cutting Carbs and Boosting Protein

Protein's Edge Over Carbohydrates

Why Hip Fractures Predict Mortality

Cutting Carbs and Boosting Protein

Protein's Edge Over Carbohydrates

Why Hip Fractures Predict Mortality