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PHILOSOPHY.md

Nutrition — Coaching Philosophy

  • Owner: Nutrition
  • Last reviewed: 2026-10-18
  • Review cadence: Weekly minimum (Sunday/Monday planning cycle)
  • Knowledgebase entries informing this file: 2

Core beliefs

  1. Fuel the work. Training-day nutrition must match the training demand. Under-fueling key sessions wastes the adaptation stimulus and accelerates fatigue accumulation. The nutritional cost of a session includes fueling before, during, and after — not just the meal closest to the ride.

  2. Energy availability is the foundation. Chronic low energy availability (RED-S) is the single most dangerous nutritional failure for a female endurance athlete. It undermines recovery, adaptation, hormonal function, bone health, and performance. Preventing it is not optional.

  3. Recovery days are not restriction days. Recovery days require adequate fueling to support adaptation. "Lower load" does not mean "low calorie." The metabolic work of recovery — glycogen replenishment, protein synthesis, immune function — requires energy.

  4. Precision matters when it matters. On-bike carbohydrate targets, pre-race timing, and recovery meal composition deserve specific numbers. Daily macro distribution can be guided but not micromanaged. Use precision where it changes outcomes, not where it creates anxiety.

  5. Gut training is training. The ability to absorb high carbohydrate rates during exercise is a trainable adaptation. It must be practised during training to be available on race day. Never debut a fueling strategy in competition.

Current priority strategies

  • Twelve-plus-day nutrition data gap - re-entry fueling state unverified. Zero confirmed intake logged from May 5 through today. The Shanghai block and return day both carry no nutrition data. Pre-session fueling state for today's recovery spin is unknown. Fat floor correction (>= 100 g per day) outstanding and unconfirmed. Re-entry week priorities: rebuild the data stream, confirm fat floor is being met, and establish consistent pre/post-session fueling before load escalates.
  • Re-entry fueling baseline (active). Gut training continuity (no on-bike fueling during Shanghai) means carbohydrate tolerance must be re-established progressively. First sessions back: on-bike carbohydrate at 60 g/hr. Do not escalate to 75 or 90 g/hr until 60 g/hr is consistently tolerated. First fueling test opportunity is this week's sessions.
  • Protein distribution correction (ongoing). Recurring bridge-week pattern of protein back-loading to dinner. Three distributed protein windows per day (morning, midday, evening) is the standing target. Re-entry week meals should be structured accordingly.
  • RED-S vigilance - elevated for re-entry. Twelve consecutive days without confirmed intake data means EA monitoring is entirely inference-based. The first signs of disproportionate fatigue, mood disruption, or impaired recovery in re-entry sessions should be assessed against possible nutrition deficit before attributing them to detraining or jet lag alone.
  • Fat floor correction - first home-kitchen week. Home kitchen is fully available from May 17 onward. Salmon, walnuts, avocado, olive oil, and eggs are achievable fat sources. Fat >= 100 g per day is non-negotiable this week and the rest of re-entry.

Recent knowledge shifts

  • High-carbohydrate fueling (Jeukendrup, 2014): Confirms the current on-bike carbohydrate targets are appropriate. Reinforces the importance of glucose:fructose blends at higher intake rates and the need for gut training before attempting 90+ g/hour.
  • RED-S (Mountjoy et al., 2018): Establishes the EA monitoring framework. Reinforces that under-fueling can suppress thyroid function independently of Hashimoto's — critical for differential assessment in athletes with thyroid conditions.

Current athlete application

Current athlete-specific nutrition application notes live in ../../athlete/specialist-application-notes.md and ../../athlete/team/coach-luca/specialist-context.md.

Keep active-athlete fueling targets, food preferences, travel risk, and data-gap adjustments there rather than as reusable system defaults.

Decision rules and watch items

  • EA threshold: Maintain EA above 45 kcal/kg FFM/day during normal training, above 40 during high-load blocks. Flag to Coach Luca if EA appears to fall below 35 for more than 2 consecutive days.
  • Post-ride recovery meal rule: If a recovery meal is missed after a key session, flag it in the daily log. Two consecutive misses trigger a nutrition agent-to-coordinator alert.
  • On-bike carbohydrate compliance: Track whether the active athlete is hitting the prescribed rates. If they consistently fall short, investigate tolerance issues and adjust the delivery format before reducing the target.
  • Monday recovery-day fueling: Lower-load but not low-availability. ~300–340 g carbohydrate, ~125–140 g protein. Do not restrict.
  • Gym-day fueling escalation: When gym is placed after a key interval session (e.g., Week 2 Tuesday), increase pre-session fueling emphasis and ensure post-gym protein intake.
  • GI symptoms: Any GI distress during or after on-bike fueling should be documented with the intake rate, product type, and conditions. Use this data to personalise the fueling strategy.

Open questions

  • Active athlete daily intake vs. targets. When detailed food logging is not in place, the nutrition agent provides guidance based on training prescription. Actual compliance is unknown until logging is available.
  • GI tolerance ceiling. The active athlete's tolerance at 90g/hr should be tested incrementally as sessions get longer and more intense before committing to that rate in key sessions or races. Will not be tested during Shanghai; first Ghost build session is the earliest test opportunity.
  • Menstrual cycle tracking. When not currently available, cycle phase cannot be factored into energy needs, GI tolerance, or hydration status. Adding tracking would improve nutritional precision.
  • Shanghai dietary fat availability. Traditional Chinese cuisine uses sesame oil, fatty fish, meat, nuts, and eggs extensively. Most dishes are naturally GF/DF if wheat-based sauces are avoided. The practical question is whether Sidney can identify safe high-fat options reliably. No direct feedback yet.

What changed since last review

  • 2026-04-10: Initial philosophy authored from knowledgebase entries and MEMORY.md. No prior version.
  • 2026-04-26: Refined. Documented recurring underfueling pattern (Apr 22-25, 4 consecutive unlogged days) added to current priority strategies as active watch item. Extended travel food environment open question updated to reflect Shanghai urgency. Pre-China nutrition planning flagged as active deliverable before May 1. Governing beliefs and decision rules unchanged.
  • 2026-05-03: Bridge week complete. Seven consecutive days below fat target (April 27 - May 2) confirmed as the primary carry-forward nutrition concern. Shanghai food environment is the correction opportunity. Current priority strategies fully updated to reflect Shanghai active period, fat deficit correction as non-negotiable daily target, protein distribution pattern, RED-S vigilance, and on-bike gut training continuity planning for post-return. Governing beliefs and decision rules unchanged.
  • 2026-05-17: Phase transition. Shanghai maintenance complete. Post-return re-entry now active. Zero confirmed nutrition data for the full Shanghai block and return day (May 5 - May 17 arrival). Fat floor correction >= 100 g unconfirmed. Gut training continuity: no on-bike fueling for 14+ days; must restart incrementally at 60 g/hr before escalating. Current priority strategies fully updated for re-entry phase. RED-S vigilance elevated: 12+ days without data means EA is entirely inference-based and unexplained re-entry fatigue should be assessed against nutrition before training-load explanation. Reviewed: no material change to core beliefs or decision rules.
  • 2026-09-27: Reviewed, no operational change.
  • 2026-10-04: Reviewed, no operational change.
  • 2026-10-11: Reviewed, no operational change.
  • 2026-10-18: Reviewed, no operational change.