Off-Season, Not Off-Duty: Why Winter Fueling is Key to Your Season
By Carson Beckett
Writer, Pro Cyclist
This article dives into why fueling your winter training is just as important as fueling your in-season training. Often, athletes view winter training as a time when they don’t need much or they can just “get by.” I’m here to show you why this is a mistake and how proper fueling now will have you flying in the Spring.
The winter season, for many athletes on the generally Western side of the world, is marked by short days and long rides. It is a season of cold weather and hot meals. The “Base Season” is a dichotomy of moving slow to go fast in the spring, when you really want to do anything other than pedal into those cold, dark evenings.
Nevertheless, it can be one of the most rewarding and productive phases of your training where you have the opportunity to make leaps and bounds in your fitness. We know that, for most summer-competitive athletes, it is a vital time to lay the foundation upon which you will build come spring. If you are curious about how to do that, revisit this article to learn how to plan your winter training.
In this article, I want to address the importance of fueling your winter training and how it has compounding effects on your future fit self. We will discuss why fueling your workouts this winter, with the same intention and respect as your in-season workouts, will make this your best winter yet.
Why You Should Fuel Your Base Training
1. Carbs Are Still King
As we know, carbohydrates are the body’s preferred source of fuel for moderate to high-intensity activities. Even during base training, which often focuses on building endurance through longer, lower-intensity workouts, carbs are necessary to maintain adequate energy production over time. Just because the effort level is lower does not mean we don’t utilize and prefer carbohydrates. We do not “switch off” to fat completely.
Even in Zone 2, the body can mobilize and consume a large amount of carbohydrates over an hour. Think about this: at ~70% of FTP, a standard base ride, you will still be burning considerable amounts of carbs per hour. If you are training for 3, 4, or 5 + hours, staying ahead of this caloric expenditure is key. It can make a huge difference in sustaining your goal power over time, how you feel during the ride, and how your body recovers from it.
Exercising in cold weather also increases the body’s energy demands as it works to maintain a stable core temperature. Staying fueled is akin to keeping your fireplace fed with more wood. If you let it run out of fuel and die down, the temperature will start to drop as well.
2. Better Recovery
Exercise depletes glycogen stores in muscles and the liver, which we aim to replenish afterward with recovery shakes and good meals. Adequate carb intake after workouts supports recovery by speeding up muscle repair and adaptation processes, as well as refilling those “tanks”.
However, consuming enough carbohydrates ON the bike ensures these stores aren’t nearly as depleted, your body doesn’t enter a deeper stress mode, and you can recover more easily for the next day. This is especially important during base training when athletes are building foundational fitness through big training weeks, where the consecutive days add up.
After all, five consistent quality training days per week are more productive than three subpar big days. Think about how that adds up over the course of the winter months.
3. Immune Support
Winter is a common time for colds and flu. Carbohydrates (or adequate amounts of them) help regulate cortisol levels (a stress hormone), This supports immune function and reduces the risk of illness during these more sick-prevalent months. [source] When your body isn’t fighting on two fronts (training demands and illness-related stressors) and has the energy to support higher levels of functioning, you can stay a little more sick-proof.
4. Mental Clarity & Acuity
The brain demands roughly 20% of our energy, yet is only 2% of total body weight. [source] This makes it the most energy-demanding organ in the body relative to its size. Think about that!
Low carbohydrate availability can impair mental clarity and focus, which are essential even in training sessions for maintaining proper form, desired workout intensity, motor control, and avoiding injury. Additionally, it will likely leave you less productive when it comes to work and life needs after training. Have you ever bonked on a ride, come home, and then just felt like sitting on the couch the rest of the day? Yes.
5. Stacking the Bricks
While base training is typically lower intensity, it sets the stage for higher-intensity phases later. Ensuring adequate carbohydrate intake helps train the body to efficiently use glycogen stores and sustain higher workloads in the future. If carbohydrate availability is consistently low, your body may adapt by reducing the reliance on carbohydrate metabolism and increasing fat oxidation. This can dampen your ability to efficiently utilize carbohydrates when they are needed.
What does that mean? It means you have trained while under-fueled, so your body learned not to rely upon and convert glucose into energy well. So, you have to help it relearn in the spring when you start ratcheting up the intensity. It also gives you the ability to stack more high-quality consecutive days, per our Recovery section above, and build your fitness more effectively.
While some athletes use “train low” strategies (low carbohydrate availability) to enhance fat ox., this approach should be used strategically and not for all (or many) training sessions. Adjusting carb intake to match training volume and intensity can help you maximize the benefits of this crucial training period.
How to Fuel Winter Workouts:
Now, curious about how to adapt your winter fueling? In this article, we’ve laid out some easy ways to fuel this winter. However, here are the finer points and some great products you can try for yourself!
Fuel:
While more training is going to take place in Zones 1-3 (aerobic), you may experiment with fuel type to mix things up and enjoy more satiating options. I often “polarize” my fueling to match that of my seasonal demands.
For example, you can get more complex carbs and calories in via bars or natural products this time of year. Some great examples from my end are Betty Lous, Maurten Solid, and Styrkr Bars. Want to keep it simple? There are also real-food gel options, like Endurance Tap and BPN’s Go Gel. They provide alternative and satisfying options for those big hours and are “real food-friendly” for those looking for it.
Hydration:
Cold weather tends to reduce our drive to drink and fuel. Yet, fluid requirements can be at least equal in the cold compared to more mild temperate conditions. Cold, dry air leads to greater respiratory water loss and at the same time increases urinary output. Plus, since we are not actively, or obviously, sweating as we do in hot/humid conditions, we also lose that visual reminder to keep up our fluids.
Stay hydrated. Despite what you think, electrolytes are just as valuable in the winter. I use products like LMNT or Mortal Hydration during the day around training. For training, use products like Skratch Labs, Maurten, or Precision that balance sodium with more carbs to fuel the workout.
Recovery:
Carbohydrates are key still, but don’t neglect the power and necessity of protein. Adequate protein will support your recovery, strength gains, general health, and immunity. Add a scoop of Momentous Whey into smoothies or pancakes in the morning. For post-ride, you can grab something like Tailwind Recovery or Skratch Labs Recovery.
All in all, just fuel the work. You will go farther, ride stronger, and feel better. Your fit Spring self will thank you.
Photo Credits: Garrett Payer