Lionel Sanders’ Biggest Diet Mistake | Cycling Coach Reacts

Summary

Jesse Coyle reacts to triathlete Lionel Sanders’ account of recurring sacral stress fractures, fatigue, and other health problems. Sanders says he now believes chronic under-fueling contributed to his difficulty recovering and training consistently. Coyle agrees that inadequate energy intake is important, while adding nuance about how athletes should assess and address it.

Key strategies and takeaways

• Fuel throughout the day, not just at dinner. Sanders describes shifting more of his food intake earlier in the day and around training, rather than trying to make up for a shortfall with a large evening meal. He says a lighter dinner helps him sleep better.
• Plan for training demands in advance. Coyle recommends using training data and a structured plan to estimate energy and nutrition needs rather than guessing. He stresses that timing and distribution matter, not just the day’s total intake.
• Pay particular attention to post-workout recovery. Athletes may not be able to consume enough carbohydrates during a long, hard ride to match all the energy used. Coyle says they should refuel promptly afterward and continue replenishing in the following hours.
• Think in terms of nutrients as well as calories. Coyle cautions against focusing only on calorie totals. He recommends paying attention to carbohydrate, protein, and fat intake—especially carbohydrate needs, which rise with training load. He also notes that excessive protein may crowd out needed carbohydrate, and that simply adding protein does not replace adequate fueling.
• Use practical foods when intake needs are high. Sanders and Coyle discuss liquid calories and processed foods as potentially useful for athletes with very high energy needs. Coyle warns that supposedly “clean” or high-fiber choices can be difficult to tolerate in large amounts. He specifically advises against putting uncooked rolled oats in a shake and suggests cooked or easier-to-digest alternatives.
• Track health and training trends. Coyle suggests monitoring training performance, nutrition intake, and health markers over time. He mentions DEXA scans and blood tests as ways to assess bone density and relevant health indicators, rather than relying on guesswork or a single snapshot.
• Interpret body-fat levels cautiously. Coyle disputes the idea that having more body fat rules out low energy availability or related problems. Athletes can experience recovery and hormonal issues even if they are not very lean, and body-fat appearance alone is not a reliable guide.
• Treat recurring injuries and poor recovery as signals to investigate. Sanders describes repeated fractures, low energy, sleep issues, and abnormal blood-test results. Coyle argues that recurring problems warrant examining fueling, training load, and health data rather than simply pushing through.
• Don’t mistake food quality for adequate fueling. Coyle says Sanders’ earlier effort to “eat clean” may have further reduced his overall intake. The broader lesson is to consider whether an athlete is eating enough, and when, as well as what foods they choose.
• Build consistency before chasing performance goals. Coyle suggests that an athlete recovering from prolonged under-fueling may need to prioritize rebuilding and consistent training before pursuing ambitious race or muscle-gain goals.

Coyle also summarizes an observational study of male endurance athletes. Those with suppressed resting metabolic rates spent more time in substantial energy deficits during the day, despite having a similar 24-hour energy balance to the comparison group. He presents this as support for considering when athletes eat, not just their end-of-day totals.

Presenters and sources

• Jesse Coyle — cycling coach and commentator.
• Lionel Sanders — triathlete featured in the video being discussed.
• Study mentioned: “Within-Day Energy Deficiency and Metabolic Perturbation of Male Endurance Athletes.”
• Tools and platforms mentioned: TrainingPeaks, Hexus, Athletes Food Coach, ChatGPT, DEXA scans, blood tests, and Whoop.