Not saying these are right or wrong for you but I do this :
Overall carb intake has to be very dependent on your lifestyle and training volume. I usually get ~75% of calories from carbohydrates though.
Hope this is useful.
Great info.
I ask the question as I’m sure under fuelling has been a real problem for me. Especially on the bike. In the last few weeks (after the TTE podcast with the Bora guy) I’ve upped my nutrition and found recovery better and workout quality has improved.
Thanks
Thanks. For some reason I have been very cautious about overdoing carbs. As if it will blunt the training effect or something.
Haha underdoing it will be blunting your legs that’s for sure.
Training with low carbohydrate availability has some promising beneficial effects on cell signalling, but there are no studies than show a benefit in performance so far. It also comes with many proven negatives such as increased cortisol/muscle breakdown and reduced immune function. It also is hard to balance with hitting your quality interval days with full stores to maximise those.
Personally there aren’t enough benefits to make me include any in my training anymore (I’ve done low carb training before and didn’t see much benefit apart from the negatives).
It might be more appropriate for ultra-cyclists or someone trying to win the GC in a three week grand tour but for most amateurs and elites I think it is overhyped. Just fuel up and push some watts.
Completely agree. Low-carb/fasted rides just aren’t worth the hassle for amateurs
Say what? 
My stomach cannot manage all the food I eat and fuel every ride on the bike to get somewhat close to energy expendure on the bike combined with everday life. If you try to eat “clean” getting enough carbs and kcal is basically a second job 
To add to the carb debate and the issues of not having enough…
Yesterday I did about 40 minutes on Z, basically getting warmed up with a few sprints etc then was going to do another hour at Z2 before I decided to do a 96km grand Fondo event. I had not factored in the amount of food I needed but figured I’d crack on.
After about 90 minutes (so over 2 hours total) and being in the front group of 16, down from a few hundred, (including pro Ali Brownlee) ,I started to suffer. Not because of the pace but lack of fuel.
Anyway, 30 minutes later as we approached the final climb the lights went out and a basically had a double leg puncture. Classic bonk!
But to my point, today I had to scrap my bike session due to leg soreness which always seems to happen after under fuelling!
Lesson learned: I’m entering that turbo room fully stocked whatever the session!
Number one reason why I fail workouts is because I didn’t eat enough the day before.
This is why I think the recovery drink switch has been so helpful recently. It has WAY MORE carbs.
Did you ramp into that amount of volume? How many 3-5 hour Z2 rides a week? Congratulations on hitting 5 w/Kg!
Not intentionally but it was a byproduct of a few factors, including Covid.
Z2 volume depends on the week and objective. No hard or fast rule, but I really enjoy it these days so I’ll usually fill extra time after intervals to ride to target duration with Z2.
I do a lot of steady endurance during recovery weeks.
This, always got to be one step ahead!
5 w/kg. I wish I could say I was there but I’m not. However, I’m on a good slope of improvement at the moment…+30W on threshold in eight weeks. Right now it’s about 290W for 20 minutes. I will need 350W at 20 minutes to claim 5 w/kg for FTP (335W at 67 kg). This probably won’t happen until some time in 2022. I don’t know how much I can gain this year but breaching 300W FTP is definitely the goal by the end of October. So that gives me plenty of time on the current slope of improvement. Not sure how long it lasts but, having not done any Z3/Z4 work for 18 months prior to last December, maybe the dreaded plateau can be avoided…at least for this year.
Right now it’s 18 - 20 hrs (more if the weather is good) on my off weeks and around 12 - 14 hrs on my work weeks. Heavy on upper Z2 (3 - 5 hrs at 75% FTP) with an 80/20 split. 2x/wk intensity at 2 hrs total time…10 min threshold repeats (88 - 91% mhr) are the current staple, with some longer 15 - 25 minute efforts at 90 - 95% sprinkled in.
Haven’t started any “real” Vo2 yet. Probably beginning in April.
I could probably do more Z3 and Z4 but (since I’m an ectomorph/slow-twitch build) I’m reticent to tamper with slow-twitch development afforded by Z2. Those fibers contribute to overall power so they shan’t be neglected at ANY COST. I’m actually on a progressive Z2 plan. Increasing power by 5 watts (ERG mode) every four weeks…as long as heart rate stays in the LT1 range (127 - 135 bpm…by lactate test).
My kryptonite !!!
Alcohol, junk food, candy, fried food, etc., I can avoid or say no to w/out even a second thought. But put a good scone, danish, donut, etc., in front of me and I’m sweating bullets to avoid the temptation!
A lot of people try to take shortcuts and follow ‘time crunched’ plans etc. There is no replacement for volume. The difference in my fitness between 10hrs, and 16-18hrs is night and day.
Another question If I could pick everyone’s brains.
I’ve done 1 x 70 mins @ 94% ftp in my sweetspot work. This was not as much as I could have done.
I was considering moving to a threshold block or would I bet better off working to extend this sweetspot further.
Currently 2 x SS per week, 1 x long zone 2, 3 x zone 2 60 mins.
Any advice welcome.
hard to say for sure without knowing your training history but 1x70 mins is a big stimulus. Could do 2x45’? but I think you are ready to move to some over/under workouts or classic vo2 max.
I’d say give 2x45 or 4x30 a shot and see how you do. Then go to over unders.
Same here. So…much…porridge! Seriously, I normally have a big bowl of it after dinner (which is usually some kind of pasta dish). And I think I’ve probably still been under-fuelling.
Even though they’re not my favourite thing from an environmental/packaging point of view, I like to have a couple of gels by the bike. I don’t really do unplanned rides, but it’s a good backup plan if you’re not feeling your best after the warmup or whatever and need something extra.
It really depends on what you are aiming for. You can definitely get to 5W/kg and beyond on a time crunched plan. I am not saying everyone can, but I think it is possible for many people. Nothing replaces volume, that is for sure, but a 8 hour high intensity program will (usually) result in A LOT more than 50% of the gain/ effect of a 16 hour plan.
Matt Stevens, former GCN presenter, became British Men‘s Elite National Road Champion on 6-ish hours a week. Again, not saying everyone can. What I want to say is probably: „Just because you don‘t find 16+ hours in a week to ride the bike, should not lead you to the conclusion you CAN‘T do it.“
(it being achieving a certain power or race goal)