Henrique Avancini has spent most of his career defining what elite mountain bike racing looks like. Recently, he transitioned to road cycling, bringing with him a deep understanding of endurance nutrition.
In the Nduranz podcast episode, we sat down with Avancini to talk about how his nutrition has changed between MTB and road cycling.
You can listen to the full podcast with Avancini here, or read on for his key nutritional insights.
Cooling Is More Efficient on the Road
In road cycling, you are more exposed to the sun and have heat coming from the tarmac. However, you are typically going at higher speeds than MTB. This gives you a huge physiological advantage: constant airflow.
The constant airflow means sweat evaporates almost instantly, helping to cool your body efficiently and keep your core temperature stable.
By contrast, MTB involves steep, technical climbs at lower speeds, so airflow is lower. Without the airflow effect, your body relies almost entirely on sweating to cool you. As a result, sweat rates tend to be higher with MTB, which increases fluid needs.
At the same time, the technical nature of MTB means it’s harder to grab extra bottles, which adds an extra layer of complexity to your hydration strategy.
Also read: Heat Management Strategies for Indoor Cycling
Osmolarity Matters More with MTB
Higher sweat rates don’t just mean more fluid loss. Sodium losses also increase, which is why Avancini says osmolarity is a critical factor in MTB.
If a fuel contains too many carbohydrates and not enough sodium, it becomes hypertonic. Gastric emptying slows, fluids sit in the stomach, and you can end up bloated.
On the other side of the spectrum, too much sodium can create a “reverse osmosis” effect where the body actually pulls water out of the bloodstream and into the intestines.
Both situations result in poor hydration, which is why Avancini says that getting osmolarity right is crucial for MTB.
Read more about osmolarity — and why the term "isotonic " can be misleading.
Fueling Strategy: Consistency vs. Adaptability
With MTB, Avancini says “you are on the gas pretty much the entire day.” While there are waves, overall intensity is consistent and high. Avancini describes it as "flirting with the red zone."
You stay at the limit for a long time, waiting for the fatigue to inevitably catch everyone. Because the effort rarely lets up, MTB fueling must be equally consistent.
MTB fueling strategy involves:
- Zero failure: Missing a fueling window at these intensities is not an option.
- Fast absorption: Fuel type and carbohydrate ratio matter more when intensity is continuously high.
- Simplicity: You don’t have “chill moments” for chewing bars. Gels and drinks dominate.
Road racing, by contrast, is less about sustaining high effort and more about being able to “go deep into the red zone” when it matters. Intensity changes frequently, but you also have more access to bottle points and feed stations.
As a result, rather than constant stability, road fueling is about preparation and response.
Road cycling fuel strategy includes:
- Fueling around opportunity: The unequal effort of road racing means you sometimes time fuel around availability or when you simply can get it in, such as taking an extra gel before a climb.
- Fueling for decisive moments: Avancini says you don't necessarily need to be at your best for the entire road race. Instead, you can adjust fueling based on effort or to have energy for when it matters most, such as climbs or sprints.
- Chewable fuel: Lower-intensity phases mean you have time to chew solid fuel, which can help fight flavor fatigue.
More Carbohydrates Per Hour in Road Cycling
One of the biggest nutritional changes for Avancini is that he consumes more carbohydrates per hour on the road than with MTB. He now typically targets at least 100 g/h. In road races where he knows it will be high-intensity from the start, his targets are even higher: 120-130 g/h.
His reasoning? Road cycling is won by performing at decisive moments. Fueling with higher amounts ensures he has extra fuel in the tank to perform in these moments.
By contrast, Avancini says MTB races are usually won in the final hour. It was less about having extra in the tank, but still having something in the tank.
The Avancini Pre-Race Breakfast
While his race nutrition has changed, Avancini’s pre-race breakfast has remained largely the same. He focuses on digestibility but also likes to have some protein in his pre-race meal to improve satiety. His typical pre-race meal may include:
- Eggs (omelette)
- Gluten-free toast or rice cakes with jam
- Fruit
- Smoothie with almond milk, berries, banana, honey
- Yogurt or fermented products for gut comfort
If the start is a bit later in the day, he will have a second meal before the race — typically rice and an omelette. For Avancini, these pre-race meals aren’t just about nutrition. They are a mental trigger telling him “it’s time to go deep.”
Also read: 14 Race-Day Breakfast Ideas
Low-Res Diet
Before races, Avancini follows a low-residue diet, removing fiber and cereals to clear the digestive tract. This tactic consistently improves race-day gut comfort.
He followed this diet as an MTB cyclist and now as a road cyclist. However, he notes that the impact of the low-res diet was more evident with MTB than on the road because his body mass was larger as an MTB cyclist.
The One Rule That Hasn’t Changed
When asked which nutrition rule made the biggest difference in his career — as both an MTB and road cyclist — Avancini is clear: Eat more during training.
According to him, this improves:
- Mood
- Consistency
- Recovery
- Training quality
- Burnout resistance
“The key advice I’d give to athletes at all levels is to eat more during training. The way you feed allows you to train. If you don’t feed properly, you’re done. You’re going to crack at some point.”
For more insights from Henrique Avancini, listen to the Nduranz podcast here.