Jeremy Powers is the current U.S. Cyclocross champion and top-ranked American rider in the world, and he listens to my podcast! I couldn’t believe it when I found out. Jeremy emailed me to say hi, and of course, I immediately invited him on so that I could probe deep into the diet, lifestyle, training and racing strategy that has enabled him to be National Champion four times. Our contact was minimal before the interview, and I had no idea that Jeremy has a delicate relationship with carbohydrates, or that he has experimented with the ketogenic diet.

Here’s the outline of this interview with Jeremy Powers:

0:04:02    Infectious mononucleosis (mono).

0:04:31    Northampton Cycling Club Elite Team

0:04:37    Alec Donahue and Mukunda Feldman.

0:05:48    Danny from Jelly Belly cycling team.

0:06:26    Philadelphia International Cycling Classic.

0:07:25    Kirk Albers.

0:08:54    Cross is 30-40 race days per year.

0:08:59    Road is an additional 70-80.

0:11:27    Tubular tyres.

0:11:30    SRAM eTAP wireless shifting, hydraulic brakes and 1X system with clutch derailleurs.

0:17:46    "Just go out there and flap your wings."

0:18:45    “Blackboard technique where I think about absolutely nothing”

0:22:18    Behind the Barriers documentary series.

0:26:28    Very low blood sugar: 40 mg/dL!

0:29:40    Workup at the Mayo Clinic included the blood marker C-peptide.

0:32:12    CHO intake of around 200g on a day included four hours of training.

0:32:48    Cross season is Sep - Feb.

0:32:55    Five week rest break in Feb.

0:33:11    Training 25-30 hours a week.

0:33:36    6-8 weeks of base.

0:36:53    Core, plank, side-plank.

0:37:36    3x12 15-25lb Bulgarian split-squat.

0:38:13    CrossFit style box jumps.

0:45:43    After Chris Froome cut back on carbs for more protein, he lost 20 pounds, started winning the Tour de France, and became a millionaire.

0:45:46    2016 Tour de France second place finisher Romain Bardet.

0:45:52    Breakfast of Champions article by Marty Kendall.

0:47:31    MCT oil. We make a powdered version.

0:51:24    Review: Ketone Bodies and Exercise Performance: The Next Magic Bullet or Merely Hype?

0:51:40    Nutritional Ketosis Alters Fuel Preference and Thereby Endurance Performance in Athletes.

0:55:04    Focus bikes.

0:57:18    Cyclocross camp in August with FasCat Coaching.

0:57:42    Ember: The World's First Non-invasive Haemoglobin Tracker.

0:59:28    Ferritin blood test.

0:59:55    Very low 25-OH-D.

1:01:05    The Daily Lipid Podcast 9: Balancing Calcium and Phosphorus in the Diet, and the Importance of Measuring Parathyroid Hormone (PTH).

1:05:18    JAM Fund Cycling.

1:07:41    Ellen Noble.

1:10:07    www.jpows.com

1:10:14    behindthebarriers.tv