Adherence

Implementing a one-week 'sleep-low' carbohydrate periodization strategy (periodizing intake to create low glycogen recovery and fasted morning training) improves endurance performance in well-trained cyclists by approximately 3.2%, primarily through altered pacing strategies rather than metabolic changes.

If you are a well-trained cyclist, try a 'sleep-low' strategy for one week before a key event. Eat your usual carbohydrates (around 6g/kg/day), but time them so you have high energy for your hard interval sessions in the late afternoon. Then, skip carbohydrates after that workout and train lightly the next morning on an empty stomach. This may help you pace better and perform ~3% faster in time trials, likely by changing how you manage effort rather than changing your metabolism.