Carbs, fueling, and metabolic efficiency – few topics create more confusion in endurance sports. Sports performance nutritionist Dani Hofstetter joins us to clear it up.
Fresh off the release of his new book Train, Eat, Repeat, Dani shares a practical, no-BS approach to nutrition – cutting through the noise of extreme diets, high-carb trends, and supplement hype.
You’ll learn why most amateur athletes don’t need 120g of carbs per hour, how pros actually fuel differently, and why training intensity, not just nutrition, determines your metabolism.
This conversation goes beyond gels and grams per hour. It’s about building a sustainable system that supports performance, recovery, and long-term health – without obsession or perfectionism.
Whether you’re an elite cyclist, racing ultras or Gran Fondos, or simply want to feel better on the bike, this episode will change how you think about fueling.
What You’ll Learn
CHAPTERS
00:00 – Intro
03:30 – Rapid fire: myths, carbs, and recovery
05:30 – Hydration mistakes and GI issues
06:20 – Why high performers often eat too little
10:00 – Use it or lose it metabolism explained
12:00 – Low-carb training and why it can backfire
13:30 – Perfectionism in endurance athletes
16:00 – Emotional + social role of food in performance
18:30 – Why carbs are still misunderstood
21:30 – Pro vs amateur fueling
23:30 – Why amateurs shouldn’t copy pro carb intake
25:00 – The engine analogy: amateur vs pro physiology
27:30 – How many carbs you actually need
28:30 – Gut training and fueling strategy
29:30 – Fat vs carbs: what really fuels performance
31:00 – The athlete who tolerates more fuel wins
33:00 – Why everyday nutrition matters more than supplements
34:30 – Why low-carb training is outdated
36:00 – Training zones mistakes (most athletes train too hard)
37:30 – Why fat burning depends on intensity
39:00 – Fasting: helpful or harmful for athletes?
42:30 – Structuring nutrition: rest days vs hard days
44:30 – Glycogen depletion and why recovery takes longer than you think
47:00 – Why most athletes underfuel their week
48:30 – The importance of planning nutrition
49:00 – Post-ride mistakes
50:00 – The real recovery window explained
51:10 – Outro
– LINKS –
TRAIN EAT REPEAT - The Endurance Cookbook
https://www.dorlingkindersley.de/buch/marlene-low-feride-dogum-dani-hofstetter-fabian-haefeli-train-eat-repeat-9783831050734
PREVIOUS EPISODES
Smart Nutrition for Hot Weather Riding
https://podcasts.apple.com/it/podcast/castelli-cycling-podcast/id1669906821?l=en-GB&i=1000722138953
RED-S Ep. 1
https://podcasts.apple.com/it/podcast/castelli-cycling-podcast/id1669906821?l=en-GB&i=1000671492861
RED-S Ep. 2
https://podcasts.apple.com/it/podcast/castelli-cycling-podcast/id1669906821?l=en-GB&i=1000672166132
Sports Nutrition: Winter Training, Indoor Riding
https://podcasts.apple.com/it/podcast/castelli-cycling-podcast/id1669906821?l=en-GB&i=1000639782748
Sports Nutrition: Race Day Fueling, Hydration Strategy
https://podcasts.apple.com/it/podcast/castelli-cycling-podcast/id1669906821?l=en-GB&i=1000638271631
Sports Nutrition: What is the Optimal Diet for Cycling Performance
https://podcasts.apple.com/it/podcast/castelli-cycling-podcast/id1669906821?l=en-GB&i=1000636862451
Sports Nutrition: Carbs, Fruits, Veggies for Everyday Performance
https://podcasts.apple.com/it/podcast/castelli-cycling-podcast/id1669906821?l=en-GB&i=1000635636881
– CONNECT –
Dani Hofstetter
Website:
https://danihofstetter.ch
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/dh_performance_nutrition/
Host: Soren Jensen
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjensen77
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