The winter off-season presents an opportunity to relax and find time for much-needed rest. It’s also a time when one can focus on refining body composition and embrace lean muscle building.

But why now? Early season training typically involves extensive, low-intensity rides to bolster aerobic endurance. This kind of training not only improves fat oxidation rates (enhancing fat utilization for energy) but also boosts metabolic efficiency and stamina, which is crucial for carbohydrate conservation.

Optimal fat oxidation peaks between 59-64% of VO2 max, achieved at moderate intensity. This sets the perfect stage for fat loss. By combining aerobic training with a meticulously planned, periodized nutrition strategy, achieving fat loss becomes a more straightforward, almost effortless task.

Aligning Nutrition and Training

As cycling training is periodized to achieve specific goals, nutrition must align with the training phases. In 2024, we understand better than ever how exercise adaptations are significantly influenced, and often amplified, by nutritional strategies. Research suggests that diet plays a more decisive role in shaping body composition than training alone.

INSCYD Metabolic Profile representing Fat & Carbohydrate Combustion rates for a specific athlete (anaerobic threshold of 283w). Generally speaking, as the season progresses, training will move from lower intensities primarily utilizing fat for fuel toward high intensity training/racing requiring high carbohydrate utilization and replenishment.

For a periodized approach to training, we divide a plan into specific blocks geared toward improving one specific capacity at a time (for example, improving aerobic, anaerobic, or creatine/phosphate-ATP metabolic energy systems).

Research shows it is increasingly clear that adaptations initiated by exercise can be amplified or decreased by nutrition. Importantly, findings show that nutrition is the largest influencer of body composition compared to training. So, if you want to optimize training adaptations, you need to think about your diet and match it according to the purpose and demands of the specific workouts.

Shifting Nutritional Needs Throughout the Season

**An example of macronutrient intake shifts and recommendations from pre-season to competition season.**

As the season progresses, our nutritional requirements evolve. During peak race periods, high carbohydrate intake is crucial for high-intensity performance. However, in the off-season, a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet can significantly enhance fat burning, thus improving both body composition and power-to-weight ratio.

Leveraging Aerobic Training for Effective Weight Loss

Weight loss is more attainable during aerobic training periods. A diet rich in fats and low in carbohydrates supports better aerobic efficiency and facilitates fat loss. Unlike the challenging competition season, the off-season is ideal for weight loss without impacting performance negatively.

Your Personalized Nutrition Strategy

Your nutrition plan should be in harmony with your training and performance objectives. Forget quick-fix diets; instead, focus on sustainable daily behavioral changes that enhance body composition and overall health. Remember, the off-season is the golden window for fat loss, while the competition season demands a carbohydrate-rich diet for high-intensity performance.

When thinking about your nutrition strategy, begin with identifying goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, and time-sensitive.

Ex: Lose 5 lbs of fat in 8 weeks to improve power to weight ratio

Next, identify the primary limiters hindering progress.

Ex: Busy schedule and lack of meal preparation, frequent eating out, limited knowledge of healthy food choices, meal timing.

Then, create behavior goals that can be applied with every feeding opportunity. Practical and realistic changes to the daily routine.

Ex: Commit to “earning your carbs,” eating complex carbohydrates (excluding fruits & vegetables) soon after exercise. Commit to reducing alcohol & desserts to 2 drinks and 1 serving per week, respectively.

Matching these behavioral changes with regular body composition measurements every four weeks allows you to measure progress and determine plan effectiveness. Behavioral changes lead to long-term solutions.

Are You Interested in a Consultation?

Periodized nutrition is about aligning dietary habits with exercise goals. Different seasons demand different dietary approaches. The off-season aerobic training period is your best opportunity to improve body composition and reduce excess fat.

If you’re interested in a nutritional consultation and plan, contact Achieve.

Further reading:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15212756

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28332115

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14971438

https://www.olympiatoppen.no/fagstoff/idrettsernaering/artikler/fifa/media3889.media

INSCYD White Paper: How to Increase Maximum Fat Combustion

https://achieveptc.com/metabolic-efficiency-why-is-it-important/