I used to wait for the perfect time to start making changes — whether it was improving my nutrition, getting back into strength training, or simply adding more balance to my routine. I told myself I’d start next week, or after a trip, or when life slowed down. But the truth is, the perfect moment never comes.

In this episode, I talk about how that mindset holds us back from real progress. I share my personal journey with strength training — how I kept putting it off because I didn’t want to be sore before big rides, and how that avoidance led to back pain and frustration.

I also explore how this same mindset shows up in nutrition. Many people wait until January to make changes, but I’ve found that starting during the messy, busy months like November can actually set you up for lasting success.

Through my own experience, I’ve learned that progress doesn’t come from perfection — it comes from taking the first imperfect step, then showing up again and again.

Key themes:

Why waiting for the “perfect time” stops progress

How pain and discomfort often become our biggest motivators

Why taking imperfect action builds consistency

How to identify what really drives your goals

Creating change that lasts through everyday life

--

BECOME A FUELLED CYCLIST

🧰 Get your free Nutrition Assessment: https://www.gemmasampson.com/ceacq

⛽️ Join The Fuelled Team: https://www.gemmasampson.com/join 

CONNECT WITH GEMMA

🌐 Website: https://www.gemmasampson.com

🎥 Youtube: www.youtube.com/@drgemmasampson 

📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/drgemmasampson

🎤 Podcast: https://www.gemmasampson.com/podcast/109

🚴 Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/5723475

What happens when you perfectly carb load for a big event… and then it gets cancelled halfway through?

In this episode, I dive into one of the most common fears cyclists face — “Have I eaten too much?” — and explain why one day, or one meal, won’t make you gain fat overnight. Using my own experience in Majorca, I share what happened when I prepped for a 320km ride, only to pull the pin after 100km due to storms and torrential rain.

We explore what happens inside your body when you carb load, why your weight might fluctuate, and how that’s often just water and glycogen — not body fat. I also break down what I actually ate before and during the ride, what I burned, and how the numbers show it’s almost impossible to “overeat” when you’re fuelling properly for performance.

This episode is all about understanding the difference between fuel and fear, and learning how to work with your body instead of against it. Because when you start viewing nutrition as strategy rather than punishment, that’s when you become a truly well-fuelled cyclist.

Key themes:

Why carb loading increases weight (and why that’s a good thing)

The difference between glycogen, water, and body fat

How to mentally handle unexpected race day changes

The role of fuel timing before, during and after training

Why using exercise as punishment never works

The importance of course correction, not restriction

--

BECOME A FUELLED CYCLIST

🧰 Get your free Nutrition Assessment: https://www.gemmasampson.com/ceacq

⛽️ Join The Fuelled Team: https://www.gemmasampson.com/join 

CONNECT WITH GEMMA

🌐 Website: https://www.gemmasampson.com

🎥 Youtube: www.youtube.com/@drgemmasampson 

📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/drgemmasampson

🎤 Podcast: https://www.gemmasampson.com/podcast/109

🚴 Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/5723475

In this episode, I’m joined by Isabella Bertold, a professional cyclist and former world-class sailor, to talk about what happened when she took a test to find out exactly how much carbohydrate her body needed to fuel her cycling - and the results surprised her.

Like many endurance athletes, Isabella assumed she was fuelling well enough. But after taking a metabolic fuel test using XO Analytics, she discovered she’d been significantly underestimating her carbohydrate needs. The test revealed she could absorb between 110–128 grams of carbs per hour, far more than the 75 grams she thought was her limit.

We discuss what that means in practice - how she’s adjusted her fuelling strategy, what she’s learned from trialling different products and ratios, and why individual testing can change everything about how you train, race, and recover.

Isabella also talks about her past experience with under-fuelling, her fascination with health tech, and how she now uses tools like Hexis and skinfold tracking to monitor performance and energy balance without obsession.

We dive into the ongoing misconceptions about fuelling in women’s cycling, why proper carbohydrate intake is crucial for performance, and how a data-driven approach can replace guesswork and fear with confidence and strength on the bike.

--

BECOME A FUELLED CYCLIST

🧰 Get your free Nutrition Assessment: https://www.gemmasampson.com/ceacq

⛽️ Join The Fuelled Team: https://www.gemmasampson.com/join 

CONNECT WITH GEMMA

🌐 Website: https://www.gemmasampson.com

🎥 Youtube: www.youtube.com/@drgemmasampson 

📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/drgemmasampson

🎤 Podcast: https://www.gemmasampson.com/podcast/108

🚴 Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/5723475

In this episode, I’m joined by GB track and road rider Kate Richardson, who shares how learning to fuel properly has transformed her performance and her enjoyment of racing. Kate recently won the National Elite Women’s Crit Race in the UK, just months after we started working together, and her progress has been nothing short of inspiring.

Kate opens up about the confusion she felt around nutrition before seeking support—being overwhelmed by conflicting advice online and within the sport, unsure how to balance performance goals with health, and wrestling with the taboo that still exists around food and body composition in cycling. Together, we discuss how small but strategic changes have helped her train harder, recover faster, and race with more confidence.

From simple swaps like choosing Rice Krispies over oats before a stage race, to understanding how carb-loading really works, Kate explains how she’s learned to fuel smarter, not harder. We dive into her “lightbulb moments” around on-bike fuelling, the importance of planning ahead, and why food is never “good” or “bad”—it’s always context specific.

Kate also reflects on how her choices have had a ripple effect within her team, inspiring younger riders to fuel more and perform better. Her story is a brilliant reminder that eating enough is not just about surviving training—it’s about thriving in sport and life.

Key themes:

How positive change in one athlete influences a whole team

BECOME A FUELLED CYCLIST

🧰 Get your free Nutrition Assessment: https://www.gemmasampson.com/ceacq

⛽️ Join The Fuelled Team: https://www.gemmasampson.com/join 

CONNECT WITH GEMMA

🌐 Website: https://www.gemmasampson.com

🎥 Youtube: www.youtube.com/@drgemmasampson 

📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/drgemmasampson

🎤 Podcast: https://www.gemmasampson.com/podcast/107

🚴 Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/5723475

In this episode, I sit down with two-time Olympic windsurfer and sports psychology graduate Ted Huang to explore one of my favourite topics: behaviour change and mindset. Ted and I recently met on a cycling trip in Italy, and our conversations quickly turned to performance, fuelling, and how psychology underpins so much of what we do in sport and life.

Ted shares his fascinating journey from discovering windsurfing as a teenager, to competing at the Olympic level, and later transitioning into road cycling. He explains how running professional cycling teams and studying organisational behaviour helped him see that athletic performance isn’t just about physical strength- it’s also about headspace, coping mechanisms, and mindset under pressure.

We dive into why so many athletes still struggle with fuelling properly, the fears that hold them back, and the ripple effect that positive changes can have beyond sport. From overcoming the “I don’t need it” mentality, to learning to fuel training better, to understanding how curiosity and self-awareness drive behaviour change - this conversation covers the mental and physical strategies that help athletes (and everyday people) feel and perform at their best.

Whether you’re an elite competitor, a keen weekend rider, or someone curious about how psychology and nutrition intersect, you’ll take away practical insights on how to eat, think, and approach training more effectively - without fear, guilt, or restriction.

Key themes:

Why mindset is the missing link in performance

The role of self-awareness in lasting behaviour change

Fuelling strategies for endurance cycling and multi-day events

Fear, food, and why restriction rarely works

--

BECOME A FUELLED CYCLIST

🧰 Get your free Nutrition Assessment: https://www.gemmasampson.com/ceacq

⛽️ Join The Fuelled Team: https://www.gemmasampson.com/join 

CONNECT WITH GEMMA

🌐 Website: https://www.gemmasampson.com

🎥 Youtube: www.youtube.com/@drgemmasampson 

📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/drgemmasampson

🎤 Podcast: https://www.gemmasampson.com/podcast/106 

🚴 Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/5723475

In this conversation, I talk about the complexities of weight management and how fluctuations are often linked to things like water retention, hormonal changes, and dietary habits. I encourage you to look at weight as data rather than something to panic over, and I highlight the importance of building sustainable practices instead of chasing quick fixes. I also touch on the psychological side of how we perceive weight and why maintaining a healthy relationship with food and body image matters so much.

--

BECOME A FUELLED CYCLIST

🧰 Get your free Nutrition Assessment: https://www.gemmasampson.com/ceacq

⛽️ Join The Fuelled Team: https://www.gemmasampson.com/join 

CONNECT WITH GEMMA

🌐 Website: https://www.gemmasampson.com

🎥 Youtube: www.youtube.com/@drgemmasampson 

📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/drgemmasampson

🎤 Podcast: https://www.gemmasampson.com/podcast/105

🚴 Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/5723475

In this conversation, I share my practical tips for maintaining weight while traveling. I talk about the importance of making intentional food choices and focusing on weight maintenance rather than weight loss. I also highlight how to balance indulgence with good nutrition, prioritise protein intake, be mindful with alcohol, and keep active during trips. My goal is to help you enjoy your travel experiences without stressing about gaining weight.

 ------

BECOME A FUELLED CYCLIST

🧰 Get your free Nutrition Assessment: https://www.gemmasampson.com/ceacq

⛽️ Join The Fuelled Team: https://www.gemmasampson.com/join 

CONNECT WITH GEMMA

🌐 Website: https://www.gemmasampson.com

🎥 Youtube: www.youtube.com/@drgemmasampson 

📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/drgemmasampson

🎤 Podcast: https://www.gemmasampson.com/podcast/104 

🚴 Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/5723475

 In this episode, I sit down with Australian pro triathlete Grace Thek to talk about her transition from middle distance to full distance triathlon. Grace recently made her debut at Challenge Roth, and she opens up about how her training and nutrition had to shift to meet the demands of racing long distance. She shares what it was like overcoming injuries, how she gradually built up her fueling strategy to hit 94 grams of carbs per hour, and why consistency was key to maintaining energy right through to the finish. We also chat about the lessons she’s learned along the way, the importance of practicing nutrition in training, and her advice for new triathletes — from enjoying the journey to being well-prepared on race day. 

------

BECOME A FUELLED CYCLIST

🧰 Get your free Nutrition Assessment: https://www.gemmasampson.com/ceacq

⛽️ Join The Fuelled Team: https://www.gemmasampson.com/join 

CONNECT WITH GEMMA

🌐 Website: https://www.gemmasampson.com

🎥 Youtube: www.youtube.com/@drgemmasampson 

📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/drgemmasampson

🎤 Podcast: https://www.gemmasampson.com/podcast/103

🚴 Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/5723475

In this episode, I unpack one of the most common phrases I hear from athletes and active individuals: “I don’t need it.” Whether it’s a short ride, an easy session, or a busy day, the assumption that fuelling isn’t necessary can come at a significant cost.

I share insights from years of working with clients who underfuel - not intentionally, but because they believe it’s the ‘right’ thing to do. From sugar cravings and poor sleep to stalled progress and mid-ride energy crashes, this episode explores the very real consequences of skimping on training nutrition.

You'll learn why eating less doesn’t always mean weight loss, how poor fuelling habits can sabotage your results, and why performance nutrition isn’t reserved for elite athletes. I also touch on the mental side of nutrition - the thought patterns and beliefs that often hold us back - and offer practical strategies for identifying and shifting them.

If you’ve ever skipped fuelling a ride thinking “I’ll be fine” or tried to save calories for later, this episode is for you. It’s a call to get curious, test different strategies, and understand what it’s really costing you when you say, “I don’t need it.”

Key Themes:

The hidden cost of underfuelling rides and training sessions

How fuelling habits affect energy, sleep, cravings and weight

Mindset myths that sabotage athletic performance

Real-world examples from client transformations

Why more food (not less) is often the key to progress

Strategies to test, track and rewire your fuelling approach

--

BECOME A FUELLED CYCLIST

🧰 Get your free Nutrition Assessment: https://www.gemmasampson.com/ceacq

⛽️ Join The Fuelled Team: https://www.gemmasampson.com/join 

CONNECT WITH GEMMA

🌐 Website: https://www.gemmasampson.com

🎥 Youtube: www.youtube.com/@drgemmasampson 

📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/drgemmasampson

🎤 Podcast: https://www.gemmasampson.com/podcast/102

🚴 Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/5723475

In this episode, I sit down with Brookmyer McIntyre, a dedicated cyclist and social media strategist, to delve into her experiences and learnings in the world of cycling and nutrition.

Brookmyer shares her journey from university rowing to cycling, discussing the pivotal moments and challenges she faced along the way. We explore her nutritional mistakes, the importance of proper fuelling, and the psychological aspects influencing diet and performance. Brookmyer sheds light on the transformation in her performance once she started to properly fuel her training, highlighting the significance of a balanced approach to food.

--

BECOME A FUELLED CYCLIST

🧰 Get your free Nutrition Assessment: https://www.gemmasampson.com/ceacq

⛽️ Join The Fuelled Team: https://www.gemmasampson.com/join 

CONNECT WITH GEMMA

🌐 Website: https://www.gemmasampson.com

🎥 Youtube: www.youtube.com/@drgemmasampson 

📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/drgemmasampson

🎤 Podcast: https://www.gemmasampson.com/podcast/101

🚴 Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/5723475