Nutrition & Performance

Lactate is having a moment: the Norwegian method, pocket-sized meters, pros pricking their earlobes. What it really is, why the pros test it, and why amateurs gain more from eating well than from measuring.

What an energy gel should contain and what it can do without: real fruit, a 2:1 ratio, salt and acid versus maltodextrin, flavourings and preservatives. With a recipe included as proof.

How to tell a genuinely natural energy gel from marketing: carbohydrate source, ingredient list and digestion. An honest guide from a cycling chef.

A complete fuelling plan for a gran fondo: what to have for breakfast, how many carbs per hour, what to carry in your pockets and the mistakes that ruin your race. From a chef who rides.