There is a collective theme emerging this winter from the athletes I coach in that they are proactively taking control of their healthy eating and fueling habits, which coincides with the overarching goal of winter off-season training, namely, “trying new stuff!” For example, some of them have purchased books on this topic, and whether or not it’s a nutrition book specific to endurance sports is irrelevant. They’re setting specific goals in the diet/fueling category with tangible action plans. Whether the goals are related to body weight, body composition, and/or performance enhancement, the winter is the best time to experiment. As another example, much of this new approach starts at the grocery store (e.g., reading labels), and then carries over into your choices when dining out, such as choosing a healthy appetizer instead of dessert, or showing some restraint at holiday parties—but everything in moderation, right?
Another option to consider is scheduling an appointment with a nutritionist if you haven't ever explored that route, as it can be another tool for your overall health and fitness, not to mention an eye-opening experience. The winter is a time when many people claim to lose motivation, become less active, and increase body weight (in a not-so-good way). That's not the trend with DCRC/LARC, and that just one of the many reasons we shake up our routine at this time of year. Additionally, this is the time of year when your total workout volume is higher than other seasons in the year, especially if we’re not racing at all (or as often) and our weekend workouts aren’t consistently as long (part of the Periodization model). Change your diet as you change your routine. Experimentation is perfectly fine right now, and that can coincide with recommendations from a nutritionist.
In terms of nutrient intake, food always beats supplements, but I do support meal-replacement shakes (for example) if logistics and feasibility deem it necessary at certain times in the week. Additionally, as with most other off-season goals, this is a good time of year to schedule a routine doctor checkup, which might include some blood work. This particular info can reveal where you are deficient in vitamins and minerals (i.e., micronutrients) or any other checkpoints that aren’t top-of-mind on your radar when you’re otherwise fully engrossed in training during other months.
As you aim to increase your self-awareness regarding the mantra “you are what you eat,” think about how you can eliminate certain beverages and processed foods, or change your breakfast choices (i.e., does “fast-and-easy” in the morning mean “empty calories”?). Above all else, cut out the foods and beverages that have added sugars. If your weekly schedule forces you to eat-on-the-go, then consider meal-prepping on Sundays, or explore one of the many (many!) online meal delivery services in order to help jump-start your new diet. Also, you're going to want to add some protein to your diet since your ST volume and intensity is increased in the winter, so choose your protein sources wisely (e.g., lean meats vs. fatty meats).
On that last note, some of you have a body type that doesn’t have much room to improve, whether that’s in terms of body weight (i.e., you’re already as light as you can be) or body composition (i.e., you’re in a healthy/low range that can’t reduce much lower). Regardless, your goal with proper fueling can be framed in terms of what’s helping (or not helping!) your energy levels day-in and day-out, which is often associated with getting good (deep) sleep. In any case, put less mental stock into your workout paces this winter and more stock into the “off-the-field” aspects of your training.
To reiterate, the winter off-season is the best time for experimentation and to attack all the off-the-field elements of your training. Yes, we incorporate all aspects of training during the entire year (a holistic approach), but during the off-season we mentally prioritize (key word) the aspects of ST, PT, XT, technique, and (case in point) nutrition. To mentally prioritize everything at all times of the year means you’re going to drive yourself crazy(!), as this is often an effort in futility. The key to “finding balance” is not to reduce everything to the same level (same amount of priority) throughout the day, week, month, or year, but instead to focus/prioritize certain aspects more than others for a while (however long that needs to be) before switching focus/prioritization to something else, so that at the end of a month or year, the overall weight of everything has achieved balance.
Finaly, and to complement the main points above regarding nutrition, a PT visit this time of year also makes sense, not only in terms of getting your nagging injuries under control (if applicable), but also getting a head-to-toe assessment even if you are feeling 100%. Having a baseline measure when everything is seemingly under control provides a great benchmark (for future reference) if/when you have another visit down the road. In other words, 99% of the time, a PT is looking at someone who walks through the door with ailments; therefore, it's not always easy for the PT to pinpoint from where the problem is originating, as the body becomes clever in masking ailments by compensating or over-compensating. Yes, a good PT can usually get to the root cause, but you can imagine the difference in scanning an athlete's body who has zero complaints. In that way, the weaknesses (we all have them) are much easier to detect.
Eat Smarter, Not Harder!
Mike