Depends
When nutrition is a focus of his research, he’s a senior lecturer in sports nutrition, and he’s the nutritionist for a worldtour cycling team, I’d say he knows quite a bit!
4 Likes
You’re on to something.
I’ll patent the Beer & Pizza ™ endurance diet, you figure out the details and we’ll be 
2 Likes
Hi Sarah,
I don’t know if this feedback is useful, but I’m tired, middle aged, training lots, mostly working from home. I need someone to tell me what to order from the supermarket every week, then I will happily shovel it in.
Literally, an order list with no bizarre stuff on it so when I get off the bike at 8:30 I can shovel something in before work at 9:00.
Same for lunch, I don’t have time to think and if I missed the am workout I’ll do it then. The family usually dictates dinner, but assume there’s a workout then too.
Thanks.
And don’t give me no air-fryer-Nate-specialities neither 
1 Like
Noticing that lack of sleep has a far greater effect on my health/life than alcohol per se was a life changing event for me:
Drink less and drink earlier. And drink water afterwards.
3 Likes
You’d probably be better off if you actually made time to find, prepare, and eat healthy food regularly even at the expense of exercising less.
1 Like
Probably.
But…
I get what your’re saying… and don’t know if you are being serious or sarcastic… but everyone places different value on performance. For some that sanity beer is just fine because they will never be pro. Others go all in for an arbitrary performance, though they too will never be pro. Both are OK. And oddly both sides seems to criticize the other for some reason. (Been on both sides as in my youth I was the later as I wanted to push my limits and see how good I could be, now I am the former, though enjoy a super burrito & Mexican coke rather than a beer).
I think life is about balance. You need to enjoy it, and if that is a beer now and then or finding enjoyment in a plant based diet good for you!
4 Likes
Polarized plans aren’t available in plan builder, as far as I know.
I love the idea of plan builder, but I want some more customization of the output. The post by @Pbase sums it up well.
2 Likes
They aren’t visible on the app for some reason but you can choose one and add it to your calendar from the web site. Log In to TrainerRoad
2 Likes
That is my current plan
1 Like
And miss all the other functionality of plan builder.
At age 54, alcohol really screws with my sleep and recovery. It’s a shame but so true!
2 Likes
At 53 this whole subject is of great interest and I got some valuable insights. Thanks! Great episode and content, keep them coming!
1 Like
They are.
First you have to have early access polarized plans enabled in your account settings. Once they’re enabled they stay enabled and appear as an option.
Use Plan Builder as you normally would, pick the date range, volume, what you are training for, etc.
When it gets to schedule and you get the opportunity to “Set Default Training Days”, toggle on the “Customize training days for each block”.
From the Base Phase 1 drop down select “(Experimental) 6 Week Polarized Base” and do the same for the Base Phase 2 drop down. For the Build Phase, select “(Experimental) 8 Week Polarized Build”. Specialty is Specialty, leave as is.
This may seem a bit muddy, but after you do it once it’s simple.
Then after creating the plan, when you open your calendar the AT will assess the plan workouts against your current workout levels and offers to adapt the “polarized plan” accordingly.
This is all done from the web interface.
4 Likes
It’s possible to apply the POL plans from within the Plan Builder. Bit of a hidden option, but Sarah has it described here.
1 Like
As @Mikewpg1ca helpfully points out and explains, they are!! 
I’ll share this post here as well: Adaptive Training and the Polarized Plans - #41 by SarahLaverty.
I encourage you to use Plan Builder while making use of the Polarised plans.
We have two types of Polarised plans - one for the Base phase and one for Build phase. You can swap these in for the normal Base & Build phases during the Plan Builder process.
When you get to the Schedule section of Plan Builder, you will see the option to “Customize training days for each block”. See the screenshot below. Toggle this on (green).
Then you will see the following option:
Use the drop down menu to switch out the Base and Build for the Polarised Plans.
This way you can use Plan Builder to get the perfect schedule heading into your events and still use Polarised plans.
2 Likes
Oh Chad beat me to it! 
Thanks @mcneese.chad!
1 Like
We hit that nearly simultaneously. Well done!
1 Like
Oh I totally feel that!
To be clear, I am not a a registered dietitian. However, based on my conversation with Dr. Louis, and my experience of feeling this way myself, I will offer my two cents.
When I have struggled with the decision- making process while trying to eat enough high quality food, I have followed these principles/ guidelines (I am not a vegan or vegetarian).
At every meal, I will eat a source of high quality carbohydrate, fat, protein and ensure to include an abundance vegetables. Trying to eat whole food (food coming straight from the earth with minimal processing) is great but flexibility is better 
.
Examples:
Carbohydrates:
Rice - white, brown, wild rice
Quinoa
Sweet potato
Potato
Oats
Dried fruit
Fresh fruit
Bread
Oat milk
Protein:
Eggs
Milk
Fish
Chicken
Turkey
Yogurt
(most meat)
Fats:
Fatty fish/meat
Olive oil
Coconut oil
Hemp seed oil
Flax seed oil
Avocado
Nuts/ nut butter
Seeds
Egg yolk
Vegetables:
Any and all!!
No one food consists of a single macro-nutrient. Most foods are made up of carbohydrates, fats and proteins but most food offer more from one macro nutrient than another. When I have struggled with a shopping list or the decision making process, I have simplified it and ensured to include one from each group at each meal. This list is simply an example and is far from complete or extensive.
Variety is key!
Some other principles:
- Determine your protein requirements using your body weight. This should be consistent regardless of your activity status.
- Eat as much vegetables as you can/ enjoy!
- You carbohydrate intake will adjust based your activity status. You will begin to tune into this using hunger cues.
- Your fat intake should remain consistent regardless of activity status. I find that the fat component offers satiety and makes meals taste wonderful! This will become intuitive too.
- I will use this as a template and then add snacks using similar principles. As Dr. Louis mentioned in this episode, it is important to eat protein every 3-4 hours as a masters athlete.
Variety is the spice to life. I have found that using this as a guide makes the decision making and food shopping process easier! I hope it helps you too 
.
6 Likes