We’ve covered fasted training in detail before but, in short, it enhances the adaptations that occur as a result of endurance training. More specifically new mitochondria are formed – the muscles’ ‘power stations’ where we burn fat for a fuel.

This improves the body’s ability to use fat as a fuel source during low to medium intensity exercise, sparing muscle glycogen for when it is most needed during the tough parts of a race or sportive, when carbohydrate is the fastest fuel source.

Nutrition: what is fasted training? 

Fasted training means exercising at a low to medium intensity in a low carbohydrate state (in the morning before breakfast, for example), teaching your body to use fat as the dominant fuel source.

But don’t complete every session fasted. The ‘train-low: compete-high’ model involves choosing a selected number of training sessions to complete in a fasted state to optimise training adaptations, while competing with high carbohydrate stores and availability to maximise performance.

It’s important to select shorter sessions (around 60 minutes) to complete fasted and others to complete in a carbohydrate-loaded state. This will ensure the body is well adapted to using both fat and carbohydrate for fuel during exercise.