If you’re in off season or not training as much as normal, that doesn’t mean you have to stop eating or go on a diet.

Your body needs food and fuel to thrive - even if you haven’t done any exercise.

Often the ways people want to change their nutrition are set with good intentions... but they aren't realistic and are doomed to fail. Nutrition needs to be REALISTIC for it to last.

Another year and more life lessons! These are some of the lessons I’ve learned and grown from during 2023, I hope you find them thought provoking to help you live your best life. Let go of your attachment to the outcome.

Why I won't recommend female athletes follow 1200-1600kcal diets as a sports dietitian. Whether it is intentional or not, low energy availability is no joke when it comes to your health, performance and body composition.

When it comes to race weight, 62% of female elite cyclists are unhappy with their current race weight and believed they would race better if they were an average 1.6kg lighter.

Carbs not only improve your cycling endurance performance - they also enhance any strength training you do.

Are you trying to lose weight as a cyclist to improve your power to weight ratio and frustrated by the rate of progress?As an advanced sports dietitian specialising in performance nutrition for cyclists, I regularly have conversations about weight, 'lack of progress' and the thoughts, feelings and emotional responses that follow on from that thought.

Muesli bars at the supermarket are a fantastic, cost effective fuel source as a cyclist. You don't need to spend a fortune on commercial sports drinks, bars and gels. There are plenty of affordable convenient options at your local supermarket to try.

Are you nailing your recovery nutrition as a cyclist? Remember the four R's for recovery nutrition when considering what you eat or drink after riding your bike:

Supplements are like the sprinkles on a cake.

They're one percenters that *may* glam up your performance a little bit, but on their own may not have that much an impact if you don't have a strong nutritional foundation to base it upon.

Whenever you are wondering if it's worth spending your hard earned cash on a supplement - take a moment to check out the AIS Sports Supplements Framework

With a range of alcohol free beers to choose from, you are bound to find a new favourite to satisfy your thirst without the hangover.

When it comes to energy drinks, there are many brands, all with different flavours, ingredients, unique properties and nutritional composition. How do you determine the best carbohydrate energy drink to fuel your cycling?

If you aren't already, I HIGHLY encourage you to start recording your menstrual cycle to help understand the unique patterns and challenges that you experience and how they can influence your food choices and intake.

How does a professional cyclist fuel the Vuelta? Professional cyclists adapt their carbohydrate intake both overall and in grams per hour to suit the demands of that stage (and what's on the cards tomorrow). Different days have different nutrition needs - whether that's in a training block or competition racing something epic like the Vuelta. Not every day is high carb or low carb.

Wondering what the best energy bar to use as a cyclist is? If you eat the same thing every ride, it’s pretty easy to get flavour fatigue fast. Keep your on-ride nutrition fresh by mixing it up. There are so many energy bars out there - which is your go-to energy bar as a cyclist?

Energy gels are a popular fuel choice used by cyclists in races and events. From an energy and carbohydrates perspective they can vary a lot in amount of carbohydrates, type of sugar used and how rapidly they are absorbed and available to fuel your effort. The only way to know which one works 'best' for you is to test it out in training.

International recommendations suggest that free sugar intake should account for no more than 5% of daily energy intake. But what are free sugars, just how much sugar is that, and what does it mean in day to day life?

Whether you already follow a plant based diet, are taking part in Veganuary or keen to learn more about a vegetarian or vegan diet it's worth being informed and intentional with your nutrition content of your plant-based protein food sources.

When I meet cyclists and other endurance athletes, it’s very common for them to tell me that they aren’t fuelling their rides because commercial bars, drinks, gels and other sports nutrition products are so expensive. What else can you eat on the bike? Dried fruit!