Masters Cycling: Why Nutrition Matters After 40
Masters Cycling: Why Nutrition Matters After 40
When I tell people that at 56 I’m the fittest I’ve ever been, the usual response is: “Really? Doesn’t fitness just decline with age?”
Yes, VO₂max and certain physiological markers naturally decline. But that’s not the full story. Performance isn’t just about VO₂max — it’s about how you train, how you recover, and crucially, how you fuel.
That’s where masters cycling nutrition becomes the real difference-maker for riders over 40.
When You’re Young, You Can Get Away With More
In your 20s and 30s, you can survive on late nights, dodgy takeaways, and fuelling half your rides with Haribo. You bounce back quicker, hormones are on your side, and the margin for error is bigger.
But once you hit 40, 50, or 60+, the equation changes. You can’t out-train poor eating habits anymore. Every meal either helps you adapt to training — or delays your progress. That’s why cycling nutrition after 40 is so important for long-term improvement.
Why Nutrition Matters More With Age
Here’s the sciencey bit:
Protein needs go up, not down. Sarcopenia (muscle loss) accelerates with age, so adequate protein intake (20–40g across 3–4 meals/day) is essential.
Carbohydrate quality counts. Masters riders don’t process glycogen as efficiently, so fuelling sessions with the right carbs and recovering with nutrient-dense meals makes a real difference.
Micronutrients matter. Recovery and immunity hinge on vitamins, minerals, and polyphenols — things you just don’t get from chips and pizza.
Hormonal shifts (testosterone, estrogen, growth hormone) make the body less forgiving of nutritional neglect.
This is why nutrition for older cyclists is less about indulgence and more about fuelling for performance and recovery.
A Real-World Example (and a Burrito)
Let me give you a simple example.
Last week, Claire and I went out for a steady ride. We came back, did some errands, and decided to treat ourselves to dinner out. Burritos. Delicious, fun, and a nice break from cooking.
Calorie-wise, I hit my daily target. But the composition was off: not enough protein, carbs not quite ideal for recovery. The next morning, I felt it — slightly under-fuelled, slightly under-recovered.
One meal isn’t a disaster (I just dialled back Monday’s session and ate better later). But if that becomes the pattern, you start to stall. Instead of adapting, your body just treads water.
This is a classic reminder of why recovery for masters cyclists depends on nutrition quality, not just calorie count.
The 6 Pillars of Performance
That’s why in my coaching, nutrition isn’t a side-note. It’s one of the six pillars of performance I use with athletes:
Consistency – showing up week after week, not boom-and-bust.
Structure – training that fits your goals, not random sessions.
Recovery – adapt, don’t just train harder.
Strength – because power and resilience matter at every age.
Nutrition – fuelling training, recovery, and long-term health.
Durability – the ability to keep performing hour after hour, season after season.
Each of these becomes more important as you age — but nutrition is often the one masters riders overlook most. And it’s also one of the easiest to improve with the right guidance.
The Takeaway
At 56, I’m not fitter because I train harder than in my 20s. I’m fitter because I train smarter — and I fuel smarter.
If you’re chasing cycling performance after 50, the biggest wins often come not from training harder, but from eating smarter. For older cyclists, fuelling properly is the difference between plateauing and progressing.
Yes, you can still enjoy a burrito. Just make sure the rest of the week, you’re fuelling like an athlete.
👉 If you’re tired of guessing, and want a training and nutrition strategy that works for your age, goals, and lifestyle — that’s exactly what I do as a coach.
Let’s make your next year your fittest yet. Book a call / Start coaching here