In this blog, Certified Sports Nutritionist Coach Sofi Marin (INSCYD user since 2017) explains how she translates INSCYD data into specific nutrition advice. After all, who knows better how to use INSCYD than an INSCYD user?
Translating INSCYD insights into specific nutrition advice
With INSCYD, I have clear and specific data to support and justify training and nutritional interventions. For example, I can see how many grams of carbohydrate and fat a rider is utilizing within each training zone and at each wattage.
“INSCYD enables me to provide evidence-based coaching and nutritional recommendations founded in an athlete’s precise metabolic capacities and energy utilization rather than an ambiguous FTP number.”
What’s great for the athlete is that they are able to see a visual representation of how fat and glycogen utilization shift according to exercise intensity and current metabolic capacities/limitations.
By understanding an athlete’s fat and carbohydrate combustion rates, I can manipulate nutrition strategies to maximize training adaptations as well as craft a specific race nutrition strategy.
For training, I can decide: How will I manipulate the athlete’s carbohydrate timing and intake and pair it with specific training to promote a particular physiological effect?
When it comes to racing, I have a very clear picture of how much the athlete needs to be eating every hour, as well as their pacing strategy.
Learn more about creating fueling and pacing plans using carbohydrate combustion rates via this article: How carbohydrate combustion determines pacing and fueling (whitepaper included!)
Cycling case study: BikingMan Ultra-Endurance
I’ve found the INSCYD PPD testing indispensable for athletes who participate in ultra-endurance and multi-day events where glycogen depletion is inevitable.
My client, Nico Faure, is one of the top riders in the BikingMan Ultra Endurance Race Series and the insights provided by INSCYD testing have been an essential element of his success.
“Simply identifying an athlete’s VO2max with a lab-test didn’t provide us with enough concrete information to create specific and personalized nutrition and training recommendations.”
During the training season, we apply a training and nutrition strategy to maximize his fat combustion and VO2max. The glycogen-sparing effect of having a strong aerobic engine is an essential component of ultra-endurance performance.
During a 4-hour ride, you can underfuel and get away with it. However, during a 48-hour event, it’s essential to pace yourself appropriately and spare glycogen for as long as possible, because the gut can only tolerate so much carbohydrate at a time.
With INSCYD testing, I can clearly see that for every hour at 195 Watts (3.5w/kg), Nico must consume 63g carbs. Understanding he has about 410g of stored glycogen when fully rested, we can begin to craft a very specific nutrition strategy for an event like BikingMan X, a 60-hour, 1,000km, 25,000 meters of elevation event.
“Without this data, you don’t realize that 10 watts above your zone is what’s going to make you bonk in 6 hours.”
Learn more about creating nutrition plans
Learn more about creating fueling and pacing plans using carbohydrate combustion rates via this article: How carbohydrate combustion determines pacing and fueling (whitepaper included!)
Coach Sofi Marin is a Certified Sports Nutritionist, experienced Cycling Coach and accomplished road cyclist with over two decades of experience in athletics and nutrition. She combines her expertise in evidence-based nutrition principles with exercise physiology and training techniques to help athletes optimize performance. In addition to working one-on-one with athletes, Coach Sofi worked half a decade with a UCI Women's WorldTour Team, USA Cycling Junior Development Program, and has consulted sports nutrition companies. Follow Coach Sofi on Instagram: @CoachSofi
