I’m with @Bullseye in that I am not vegan for similar reasons as your issues… plus soy and I don’t really get along. I primarily get my protein from eggs, greek yogurt, fish, and chicken. I’ve never heard of Huel powder but that looks to be quite interesting. What about brewer’s yeast? I always thought that had a pretty high protein content, and isn’t terribly calorific.
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Having started to read Roar, I’m ditching fructose.
Does anyone have an effective recovery shake they use which does not contain fructose?
The alternative is to buy protein, maltidextrose and dextrose in separate forms and mix them.
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Right?! Maple syrup for days. Days and days. (And I’m really about thisclose to buying whey protein isolate because I don’t actually like greek yogurt.)
Roar also talks about how maltodextrin (maybe different from maltodextrose?) is problematic because it can overload a key gate in the small intestines, thus it creates the same high-osmolality environment as fructose–complete with the same increased lag time. It’s not super clear to me what “overload a key gate” means and she never really talks about it again, so I don’t know how critical it is to avoid that too. If it’s not getting soaked up by the liver it can’t possibly be as bad, right?
[e] To actually address your topic, microwaved sweet potatoes work surprisingly well in smoothies, and they’re a great source of starchy carbs.
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Thanks for that Ellotheth.
I think I need to read Roar cover to cover before making the changes😉
I do like sweet potatoes quite alot. I blame Nate 
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In scanning this:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/fructose
it sounds like fructose can just be absorbed so quickly that all other things are not going to be absorbed well–you’re overwhelming the cells with fructose, and the other stuff won’t be absorbed as easily, so that’s the lag she’s maybe referring to. I’d guess maybe she’s saying maltodextrin can lead to the same effect?
I also found this which seems to support that idea:
It also appears that maltodextrose isn’t a real thing?? There’s maltodextrin and dextrose, but when I search on maltodextrose, it just points me to dextrose and maltodextrin. Weird.
I happen to love greek yogurt, so I eat a lot of it, and honey is my go-to sweetener–I use local honey for its anti-allergy properties.
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So at the moment I have whey protein concentrate and dextrose plus BCAA supplements for recovery.
I’m not well at the moment. I raced Enduro with a cold and I have no chance of being ready for a 6hour xc this weekend. But I really think I wouldn’t have been able to do the Enduro without working on my nutrition and stopping using training as an excuse to eat biscuits!!
I’m struggling with sleep at the moment - combination of a few life stressors, SI joint issues and the menapause
I was thinking of trying valerian. Has anyone had experience of it?
My SO has tried it; I have not. His comment was that it felt a bit like valium though shorter-acting (4-5 hours), but he had to take something like 10 pills to get the effect. So, if you try it but don’t get any effect, you might just need to increase dosage. I’d start small and build from there. It sounds pretty promising, though. Beware of the smell.
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This works for me (50 and on HRT!)
Puori- dark choc organic whey protein
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Is it safe to take so much?
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Hard to say what the max amount is. Looks like there’s only been one study showing that at 900 mg there was an increased “hangover” feeling. When I take valium, I have that same feeling the next day, but xanax doesn’t give it to me, so it may depend on your personal metabolism.
My SO took valerian quite awhile ago and doesn’t remember what mg the pills were.
Below are a couple of articles with info regarding recommendations for dosages to try.
I have been vegan for the past 6 years, strictly lacto-vegetarian before that for about 10 years or more. I get about the same amount as you when I track my nutrition (which I don’t do for very long or very often). I do know that my performance athletically has only been improving since going vegan and I can handle a large training load with no problem, in my mid forties, about 700-800 TSS per week unless it’s a rest week (then it’s 500-600). I have nowhere near the dreaded female athlete triad. I am trying out taking BCAA’s pre/post workout as Dr. Sims prescribes, but really I feel no difference from before I started taking them. Perhaps the protein thing is overrated, in my case anyway.
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Thanks for the info dhellman
It’s tricky to compare isn’t it. As they say, all TSS is not created equal.
And is it being vegan, or being extra careful about nutrition?
It’s the menopause which really creates the need for higher protein, which won’t catch you for a few years yet, with any luck 
I struggle with too much high intensity and have found the 80/20 approach supports me well. the last month has been all over the place in terms of schedule and having broke my 80/20 rule i am likely to be on bad form for next weekends 6 hour mtb race - recovering from illness right now.
I know a great athlete who’s a vegan and does 80/20 approach. That’s just how his body works.
I could not do weeks of 700-800 on a mtb on a regular basis, regardless of intensity or diet!!!
so enjoy…
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Indeed, I am a study of 1, as noted, and I was replying specifically to another vegan who had a question.
To clarify: My TSS includes 2-3 structured interval sessions during the week (Vo2, sweet spot, etc.), 1, and long unstructured outdoor rides on the weekend. I am definitely peri-menopausal, and Dr. Sims’ add extra protein advice still applies. It would be really helpful to me if more studies were done on vegans. ROAR has examples of vegans, but Dr. Sims’ meal recommendations for them include some small amounts of dairy and fish.
I’m not going to add meat and dairy products back to my diet. Been there/done that, consistently, for quite a long time. I have long periods of time to compare each approach in my case, and the improvements I am experiencing are not due to just eating healthier in general, unless by healthier you mean eating more plants. I definitely indulge in some unhealthy vegan foods as a part of my diet. It’s part of what makes life enjoyable.
What do you mean by 80/20? I think I was confusing that with the 80/10/10 approach - Dr. Doug Graham’s high carb/low fat mostly fruititarian vegan diet. I find that I am hungry literally all day long if I’m eating mostly fruit. I do well adding legumes, pulses, starchy cooked squashes and potatoes and cooked grains like oatmeal, quinoa, brown rice, bread, etc.
I wish they would do more studies on vegan’s too. It is fascinating.
Sorry not to be specific. I was referring to 80/20 training. So 20 % of my training time would be high intensity - VO2 Max, neuro muscular- and 80% would be low intensity.
It adapts a little as the season progresses, but that’s the basics of a polarized approach. (Of which there is loads on the forum)
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I’m always interested to hear feedback from cyclists/athletes who adopt a vegan diet and I too wish there were more studies. I’ve been vegan since I was a kid so I can’t really compare the before and after in terms of performance, recovery etc. I did track my macros for a few weeks after reading Roar, just out of curiosity but don’t really plan to change much because I feel good. I trained for a bunch of endurance stuff this summer (6-10 hour events) so my weekly TSS was pretty high for months, and I honestly think that is my happy place. I’m curious to see how my body handles the lower volume/higher intensity stuff as I head into the 2020 road season for crits and road races 
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I don’t have much personal experience to offer as someone who eats it all, but I’d look into some of what Sonya Looney produces. She’s a professional endurance mountain biker and vegan. She has a great podcast that covers a lot on plant-based nutrition, as well as a facebook group and instagram handle specifically devoted to plant-based nutrition and athletes.
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Totally agree - I CAN do it, but feel way, way better if I eat properly beforehand and during. Currently experimenting with a “Super sandwich” 3 hrs before training and nuts / dates during. Seems to be working quite well but planning to try salted potatoes tonight 
Loving this thread!
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