109. I carb loaded but didn’t race as planned… Do I need to compensate today?
What happens when you perfectly carb load for a big event… and then it gets cancelled halfway through?
In this episode, I dive into one of the most common fears cyclists face — “Have I eaten too much?” — and explain why one day, or one meal, won’t make you gain fat overnight. Using my own experience in Majorca, I share what happened when I prepped for a 320km ride, only to pull the pin after 100km due to storms and torrential rain.
We explore what happens inside your body when you carb load, why your weight might fluctuate, and how that’s often just water and glycogen — not body fat. I also break down what I actually ate before and during the ride, what I burned, and how the numbers show it’s almost impossible to “overeat” when you’re fuelling properly for performance.
This episode is all about understanding the difference between fuel and fear, and learning how to work with your body instead of against it. Because when you start viewing nutrition as strategy rather than punishment, that’s when you become a truly well-fuelled cyclist.
Key themes:
Why carb loading increases weight (and why that’s a good thing)
The difference between glycogen, water, and body fat
How to mentally handle unexpected race day changes
The role of fuel timing before, during and after training
Why using exercise as punishment never works
The importance of course correction, not restriction
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TRANSCRIPT
Why One Day of Carb Loading Won’t Make You Gain Weight
It’s a familiar story for cyclists. You plan the perfect event, nail your nutrition in the lead-up, and then race day doesn’t go to plan. Maybe it’s the weather, maybe it’s your body, maybe it’s just life - but suddenly, you’ve fuelled up for a massive day on the bike that doesn’t happen.
Then comes the panic: “Did I eat too much?”
I’ve been there. Recently, I was set to do a 320km lap of Majorca - a 12-hour ride with over 4,000 metres of climbing. I carb loaded the day before, eating around 500–600 grams of carbohydrate (about 3,000 calories total) to make sure I’d have enough glycogen stored for the long day ahead. That’s around 10 grams of carbs per kilo of body weight - spot on for endurance performance.
But when the storm rolled in and the ride was cut short after 100km, I could feel that familiar doubt creeping in. Had I eaten too much? Should I train extra tomorrow?
The truth is - absolutely not.
Your Weight Fluctuates Because of Water, Not Fat
Carb loading causes temporary weight gain because for every gram of glycogen your muscles store, your body holds onto about three to four grams of water. That’s not fat - that’s energy storage. Those extra one or two kilos on the scale mean your muscles are fuelled and ready to go.
When we panic about that number, we’re misreading the data. One meal or one day in isolation can’t cause fat gain. Body composition changes happen over time through consistent habits, not through a single event.
Race Nutrition Isn’t Everyday Nutrition
On carb load days, my meals look very different — lower in fibre, lower in volume, and focused on quick-digesting carbs. Think rice bubbles, cornflakes, white rice, juice, rice crackers, and mashed potatoes. It’s not about “health” in the traditional sense — it’s about accessibility and storage.
That kind of fuelling isn’t sustainable daily, nor should it be. But when used strategically before a big event, it helps your body perform at its absolute best.
The Maths Doesn’t Lie
Even with a shorter 100km ride, I burned around 2,500–3,000 calories in four and a half hours. I consumed roughly 1,300 calories on the bike - far less than I expended. The “extra” carbs from the day before simply supported my ride and recovery.
So even though I didn’t complete the full 12-hour event, I was still in an energy deficit. My body used those stored carbs exactly as intended - to fuel performance.
The Danger of Punishment Thinking
Many cyclists fall into the trap of seeing food as something to “earn” or “burn off”. That mindset leads to restriction, fatigue, poor recovery, and eventually, burnout.
Your body isn’t a calculator - it’s a complex, adaptive system that knows how to self-correct. When you fuel properly, it uses that energy efficiently. When you restrict, it slows down, holds onto energy, and prevents you from reaching your potential.
The Big Picture
If there’s one takeaway from this experience, it’s this: fuelling is never wasted. The carbs you eat before a big ride don’t disappear into thin air - they support your performance today and recovery tomorrow.
One high-carb day doesn’t ruin progress. What matters is consistency, balance, and how you respond the next day. Instead of punishing yourself, trust that your body knows what to do.
Because being a well-fuelled cyclist isn’t just about nutrition - it’s about confidence, self-awareness, and understanding the real science behind your sport.
