Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast - Presented by TrainerRoad

chevron_right

REAL WAYS TO LOSE WEIGHT FOR CYCLISTS | Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast 573

whatshot 51 snips

Feb 5, 2026

Guest

Alex Larson

Alex Larson, a registered dietitian who coaches endurance athletes on practical fueling and recovery. She tackles real reasons weight stalls, why underfueling and recovery timing matter, and how simple meal systems and on-bike carbs improve training and body composition. Short, actionable strategies are shared for managing hidden calories, hunger, and sustainable nutrition habits.

01:26:13

forum

Ask episode

web_stories

AI Snips

view_agenda

Chapters

auto_awesome

Transcript

info_circle

Episode notes

volunteer_activism

ADVICE

Fuel Your Workouts

Fuel workouts; do not diet on the bike because underfueling worsens performance and later cravings.
Take carbs before/during rides to preserve watts and recovery capacity.

insights

INSIGHT

Fatigue Occurs Well Before Zero Glycogen

Performance drops long before glycogen hits zero; partial depletion causes fatigue.
Feeding during rides protects both immediate power and post-ride recovery.

volunteer_activism

ADVICE

Support Without Pressure

Support friends by reducing stress: offer nourishing meals, meal-prep help, or grocery runs.
Avoid commenting on weight or unsolicited advice; listen and ask whether they want help.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Why recovery timing matters

00:03 • 3min

chevron_right

Balancing strength training and rides

03:32 • 1min

chevron_right

Prepping and fueling for workouts

04:35 • 2min

chevron_right

Common reasons diets fail: inconsistency

06:28 • 3min

chevron_right

Trusting the process and weight fluctuations

09:20 • 6min

chevron_right

Practical nutrition: audits and minimal-effort meals

15:33 • 6min

chevron_right

Leftovers, batch cooking and systems

21:14 • 2min

chevron_right

Hidden calories and managing fats

23:04 • 3min

chevron_right

Recovery drinks, shakes and lower-fat swaps

25:50 • 3min

chevron_right

Fuel workouts to control hunger

29:11 • 2min

chevron_right

Why carbs during training help performance

31:23 • 12min

chevron_right

Responding to social-media nutrition claims

43:52 • 4min

chevron_right

High-carb fueling: tolerance and progression

47:39 • 6min

chevron_right

Choosing carbs sources and DIY mixes

53:25 • 4min

chevron_right

Leadville plan overview and goals

57:14 • 6min

chevron_right

Race-day nutrition pitfalls at Leadville

01:02:57 • 3min

chevron_right

Power increases and realistic expectations

01:05:55 • 2min

chevron_right

Time constraints and practical nutrition systems

01:08:22 • 6min

chevron_right

Appropriate calorie targets for training

01:14:47 • 4min

chevron_right

Macro targets, timing and satiety

01:19:03 • 3min

chevron_right

Managing convenience, variety, and sustainability

🚀Try TrainerRoad risk-free! 👉 ⁠www.TrainerRoad.com⁠

🤝Join the TrainerRoad Zwift Club 🚴 https://trainerroad.cc/TRzwiftclub

// SHARE AND RATE THE PODCAST!

iTunes: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/apple2⁠

Spotify: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/spotify2⁠

Google Podcasts: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/google⁠

// TOPICS COVERED

(00:00:00) Welcome & Why Recovery Between Hard Workouts Matters More Than You Think

(00:02:00) How Training Timing and Recovery Windows Affect Performance

(00:06:25) Listener Question: Why Am I Struggling With Body Composition Despite Training?

(00:07:55) The Biggest Reason Athletes Don’t See Nutrition Results: Inconsistency

(00:11:40) When Underfueling and Hormonal Stress Stall Fat Loss

(00:13:20) Why Daily Weight Fluctuations Can Derail Progress

(00:15:30) Practical Nutrition Habits That Actually Work Long-Term

(00:17:10) Building “Minimal Effort” Meals for Busy Training Weeks

(00:20:55) How Meal Prep and Portion Awareness Prevent Missed Fueling

(00:23:05) Managing Hidden Calories From Oils, Fats, and Cooking Methods

(00:27:55) Fueling Workouts to Control Hunger and Improve Body Composition

(00:31:10) Why Carbs During Training Improve Both Performance and Recovery

(00:36:30) How to Support Friends Working on Nutrition and Weight Goals

(00:44:05) The High-Carb Fueling Debate: Is 90–120g per Hour Safe?

(00:49:00) Individual Carb Tolerance and Why Fueling Isn’t One-Size-Fits-All

(00:57:20) Jonathan’s Leadville Weight, Power, and Nutrition Strategy Breakdown

(01:08:45) Making Nutrition Sustainable Without Perfect Meal Prep

(01:18:10) Setting Calories, Protein, and Macros Without Chronic Hunger

(01:24:35) Final Takeaways: Performance First, Weight Follows

In this episode, Alex Larsen and Coach Jonathan focus on fueling, recovery, and consistency as the real drivers of endurance performance and body composition. They explain why underfueling, poor carbohydrate intake, and not allowing enough recovery time leave athletes feeling flat, and how high-carb fueling, smarter meal planning, and simple, repeatable nutrition habits improve workout quality and long-term progress. The discussion covers weight management without obsession, scale fluctuations, busy-athlete nutrition strategies, and how to fuel training and racing properly so workouts feel sustainable, productive, and repeatable. At the end they go over Jonathan’s Leadville plan and what he’ll need to do from a nutrition front to make his goal of 7hrs.

// RESOURCES MENTIONED

- Alex’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexlarsonnutrition

- Alex’s Nutrition Coaching Services: https://alexlarsonnutrition.com

- Sign up for TrainerRoad! ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/GetFaster⁠

- Follow TrainerRoad on Instagram 📸 https://www.instagram.com/TrainerRoad

- Join the TrainerRoad Zwift Club 🚴 ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/trzwiftclub⁠

// TRY TRAINERROAD RISK FREE FOR 30 DAYS!

https://trainerroad.cc/GetFaster⁠ TrainerRoad is the #1 cycling training app. No other cycling app is more effective. Over 17,000 positive reviews, a 4.9 star App Store rating.

// HELPFUL LINKS

- Have a question for the podcast? Ask here: https://www.TrainerRoad.com/podcast

- TrainerRoad on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/trainerroad/⁠

- TrainerRoad Forum: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3uHvLnE⁠

- TrainerRoad on Strava: ⁠https://www.strava.com/clubs/trainerroad⁠

- TrainerRoad on Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/TrainerRd⁠

- TrainerRoad on X: ⁠https://www.x.com/TrainerRoad⁠

- Learn more about TrainerRoad: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3LBb5Ur⁠⁠

- Listen to the Successful Athletes Podcast: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3JmKrN5⁠

- Listen to the Science of Getting Faster Podcast: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3LpuIhP⁠

- Training Blog: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3gCdNdN

Home Top podcasts Popular guests Top books