Thanksgiving Glucose Hacks: Four Practical Hacks to Lower Your Glucose Levels Quickly

Posted on by Hunter Allen

It’s that time of the year! Thanksgiving is coming up and many of you will indulge in a wonderful family meal! How would you like to both indulge in that meal AND ensure your glucose spike stays relatively normal? Keep reading to find out.

If you’ve ever looked at your Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) or blood glucose reading after a meal and thought, “Whoa, that spike looks high,” you’re not alone. Many cyclists worry that a sharp rise in glucose means poor performance or long-term health issues. And while not every spike is catastrophic, consistently unstable glucose does affect energy, recovery, and endurance.

The good news? You don’t need extreme diets or drastic changes to make a difference. Small, practical adjustments can quickly bring glucose into a steady range. In fact, I’ve seen athletes completely transform their mid-ride energy by tweaking just a few habits.

Hack 1: Move After Meals
One of the simplest, and most effective, ways to lower glucose is light movement after eating. A 10–15 minute walk, some easy spinning on the trainer, or even chores around the house can dramatically blunt glucose spikes. Instead of just sitting around on the couch after Thanksgiving, get out and play some football, go for a walk, pedal around a little. Sitting on the couch is just going to raise your glucose even more.

The science is simple: movement activates muscles, which act as glucose sponges. They pull sugar out of the bloodstream and use it for energy. For cyclists, this not only stabilizes glucose but also aids recovery when done after post-ride meals.  Walking especially is good, as it uses the soleus muscle in the lower leg, which uses glucose directly.  Google: “Soleus Push-ups”.

Hack 2: Stack your foods when you eat
The order in which you eat your food is important.   This is EASY to do at Thanksgiving!!!

Eat your Salad first and put that at the bottom of the “stack” in your stomach.  Then eat ALL your veggies next.   Then eat ALL your protein and finally eat your carbs. If you eat in this order instead of eating a little of this and a little of that at the same time, you’ll reduce your glucose spikes dramatically. 

For athletes, this is especially important before rides. A pre-ride meal with balanced macros sets you up for stable energy instead of rollercoaster dips.

Hack 3: Take 2 Tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar before your meal!
Dilute 2 Tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar in a coffee cup of water. Drink this 10 minutes before the “call” to Thanksgiving dinner. ACV will help mute the glucose spike by making your cells more insulin sensitive and taking up more glucose. It will also help to slow down the absorption of glucose as well.

CGM data shows this clearly. Try the same meal with ACV and without and your glucose levels will be dramatically lower with the ACV.

Hack 4: Build Muscle With Strength Training
Start NOW! Going to the gym the week of Thanksgiving WILL help. Muscle tissue improves glucose control. More muscle mass means greater glucose uptake capacity. Even two strength sessions per week, focused on squats, lunges, deadlifts, and core, improves both cycling performance and glucose stability.

A 54-year-old athlete I coach added two weekly strength sessions. Within three months, not only did his glucose stability improve, but his sprint power increased by 15%.

Conclusion
You don’t need fancy supplements or rigid diets to stabilize glucose. Move after meals, pair carbs wisely, Use ACV, and build muscle. These small hacks compound into big performance and health wins.

Want more practical fueling strategies? Download my free Smart Training Checklist for Cyclists Over 40.

Training Stress Score: The Metric That Changed Cycling Forever

Posted on by Hunter Allen

When power meters first hit cycling, we suddenly had more data than ever before. Watts, cadence, heart rate, all valuable, but overwhelming. We needed a way to make sense of it. That’s where Training Stress Score (TSS) came in.

TSS revolutionized coaching. It gave us a single number that quantified training load, balancing intensity and duration. Today, it’s one of the most powerful tools we have to prevent burnout, manage progress, and peak at the right time.

Dr. Andrew R. Coggan and I did not set out to create a metric that has changed millions of cyclists and triathlete’s lives. I just wanted a “score”. Something that represented the training stress done each day by a cyclist. I called up Andy Coggan in 2002 and said, “Hey, we are getting these power files and have a complete second by second record of their training stress, we should be able to have a score for each ride. Do you think you can come up with something like that?” Two weeks later, Andy called me up and said, “Eureka, I’ve got it! It’s called Training Stress Score and it will take into account your FTP, the duration of your ride and the intensity of the ride as it relates to FTP. We’ll call it Training Stress Score. It’s loosely based on the TRIMPS score.” And that was that! TSS was born.

What TSS Actually Measures
TSS combines how hard you ride (intensity) with how long you ride (duration). A 100 TSS ride equals one hour at your threshold power. Ride longer or harder, and TSS climbs.

This allows us to compare a 2-hour Zone 2 ride with a 45-minute interval session. Both may leave you equally tired—but TSS quantifies the stress. Just because you scored 100 TSS in the 2hour Zone 2 ride, it doesn’t mean you improved your FTP! It’s just that you have accumulated the equivalent amount of training stress.

Why It Matters for Cyclists Over 40
As we age, recovery takes longer. TSS ensures you don’t dig yourself into a hole. By tracking cumulative load, you know whether you’re progressing or flirting with overtraining.

One of my 50-year-old athletes used to ride by feel. Some weeks he overloaded, others he undertrained. When we started tracking TSS, we balanced his weekly load. His fitness improved steadily, without the yo-yo effect of burnout and forced rest.

TSS and Training Plans
 Here’s a sample balanced week for a masters cyclist:

  • Tuesday: VO₂ Max Intervals (~90 TSS)
  • Thursday: Tempo Ride (~120 TSS)
  • Saturday: Long Endurance (~250 TSS)
    Total: ~460 TSS

For many riders over 40, this is sustainable and I would even up this a little to 500-600 TSS per week. Push that to 700-800 TSS week after week, and recovery cracks show.

Chronic vs. Acute Training Load
Software like TrainingPeaks uses TSS to calculate Chronic Training Load (CTL = long-term fitness) and Acute Training Load (ATL = short-term fatigue). The balance between them, called Training Stress Balance (TSB), predicts performance. A positive TSB often means you’re fresh and ready to peak.

Coaching in Practice
I had an athlete who plateaued despite training 12 hours per week. His weekly TSS was consistently too high, he was never fresh enough to adapt. By trimming hours but balancing TSS, he hit new FTP highs within months.

Conclusion
TSS changed cycling by turning raw data into actionable insight. It’s not about chasing big numbers, it’s about managing the right training load for your goals and your recovery capacity.

Want to learn how to manage training load like a pro? Try my free VO₂ Max Training Plan, it’s designed to balance stress and recovery.

Ride Strong at Any Age: How Cyclists Over 40 Can Avoid Burnout and Hit Their Peak

Posted on by Hunter Allen

You’re out on the road, the rhythm of your pedals syncing with your heartbeat, the open horizon pulling you forward. But as a cyclist over 40, you’ve felt the shift. That post-ride soreness lingers a little longer. The high-octane sessions that once left you buzzing now leave you drained. And yet, your passion for cycling burns as fiercely as ever. The question isn’t whether you can still ride strong – it’s how.

I’m Hunter Allen, founder of Peaks Coaching Group, and I’ve spent decades coaching cyclists to their best performances, especially those over 40 who refuse to let age slow them down. The secret isn’t grinding out more miles or pushing through pain – it’s training smarter, with precision, recovery, and purpose. Burnout doesn’t have to be your story. In this guide, I’ll share how to navigate the unique challenges of cycling over 40, optimize your training, and keep climbing stronger, faster, and injury-free. Ready to make every ride count? Let’s dive in with a fresh perspective.

The Roadblocks of Age – And How to Outsmart Them

Cycling over 40 is like riding a familiar route with new terrain. Your body’s changing – muscles recover slower, VO₂ Max (your aerobic engine) dips 5-10% per decade, joints stiffen, and hormones like testosterone wane, making muscle-building and recovery tougher. These aren’t stop signs; they’re just new conditions to master.

I’ve coached cyclists who hit their 40s thinking their best rides were behind them, only to discover they could outperform their younger selves with the right approach. The mistake? Training like you’re 25, hammering every ride without enough rest. That path leads to burnout, injuries, and frustration. Instead, let’s flip the script – train smarter, not harder, and turn age into an advantage.

At Peaks Coaching Group, we use a 4-step framework – Assess, Plan, Train, Recover – to keep you riding at your peak. Here’s how to tackle the challenges of cycling over 40 and come out stronger.

Ride With Purpose, Not Just Passion

Your time is precious – work, family, life – so every ride needs to count. Chasing endless miles without a plan is like riding into a headwind with no strategy: exhausting and inefficient. Instead, set clear, specific goals. Want to crush a Gran Fondo? Outclimb your group? Or just savor every ride without feeling wrecked? Define your target, then break it into bite-sized milestones.

For example, if endurance is your goal, focus on one long, steady ride weekly. If power’s the aim, prioritize short, intense intervals. Years ago, I coached a 48-year-old cyclist aiming for a century ride. We built a plan with one weekly long ride and targeted intervals, and he finished stronger than ever – no burnout, just pride.

Try This Today:
Write down one cycling goal for the next 30 days – like shaving 5 minutes off a favorite route. List two actions to get there, like a long ride or interval session.

Make Recovery Your Superpower

Here’s a truth I’ve learned from coaching thousands of cyclists: recovery isn’t downtime – it’s where your strength is built. Over 40, your muscles need more time to repair, and skipping rest invites burnout or injury. I’ve seen riders push through fatigue, only to stall their progress. Smarter recovery keeps you riding strong.

Schedule at least one full rest day weekly – no guilt. On lighter days, try a 60-minute recovery spin at a conversational pace (Zone 1, 40-56% FTP). Sleep is non-negotiable – aim for 7-9 hours to support muscle repair. Wearables like a Whoop Strap, Oura Ring or Garmin watch can track recovery metrics like REM Sleep, deep sleep and heart rate variability, showing when you’re ready to push or need to ease off or make some change to your sleep hygiene.

Try This Today:
Add a recovery spin or rest day to your week. Check your sleep hours – aim for at least 7 tonight and look to get at least 1.5 hours each of REM and Deep Sleep.

Build Strength, Stay Supple

Age can stiffen joints and sap muscle mass, increasing injury risk. But you don’t need to be a gym rat to counter this. A little strength and mobility work goes a long way. Twice weekly, try bodyweight exercises like squats or lunges for leg strength and planks for core stability – key for holding your position on long rides.

Before rides, do dynamic stretches (leg swings, hip openers) to warm up. Post-ride, static stretches (hamstrings, quads, glutes) keep you flexible. Yoga or Pilates once a week can boost balance and posture, reducing strain. One cyclist I coached added 10 minutes of yoga weekly and cut their lower back pain, riding stronger for it. Try the “king of poses for cyclists”- the “Pigeon Pose” and stretch out that piriformis muscle on each side daily. 

Try This Today:
Do 5 minutes of dynamic stretches before your next ride – try leg swings or lunges. Note how your body feels afterward.

Harness Tech for Precision

Technology isn’t just a toy – it’s your edge. A power meter lets you train in precise zones, like Zone 4 (threshold, 91-105% of FTP) for improving your overall fitness or Zone 5 (106-120% of FTP) for power to improve your Vo2 Max. Measuring your heart rate shows you the “intensity of your intention” and can ensure that you are trying hard enough. Apps like TrainerRoad, MyWhoosh, TrainingPeaks Virtual or Zwift offer structured indoor workouts in each intensity zone..

Recovery tech, like an Oura Ring, Whoop or Garmin watch tracks sleep and stress, ensuring you’re rested enough to train hard. I’ve seen cyclists use power data to avoid overtraining, boosting their FTP by 10% in months without burning out.

Try This Today:
Track your heart rate or power on your next ride. Stay in Zone 2 (69-83% of threshold heart rate) for a steady effort and see how it feels.

Fuel for Longevity

Nutrition isn’t just fuel – it’s your foundation. Over 40, your body needs balanced carbs, proteins, and healthy fats (not saturated!)  to sustain rides and recovery. Before a ride, eat complex carbs like pasta, brown rice, quinoa, or sweet potatoes  2-3 hours out. During rides over 90 minutes, take in 50-90g of carbs hourly (gels, bars, bananas) and sip a carb/electrolyte drink mix. Post-ride, a carb/protein mix – like a shake with whey and fruit – within 30 minutes aids muscle repair. Your goal is a 2:1 to 4:1  Carb:Protein ratio post workout shake, as this is scientifically proven to enhance glucose uptake and replenish glycogen storage faster.

Healthy fats (avocado, nuts) and omega-3s (fish, flaxseed) reduce inflammation, keeping joints happy. Hydration is critical – dehydration saps performance and recovery.

Try This Today:
Plan a ride with a carb-rich pre-ride meal and a post-ride carb/protein snack. Note your energy compared to usual.

Why I’m Your Guide to Peak Performance

I’m Hunter Allen, and I’ve dedicated my career to helping cyclists like you defy age and ride stronger. As the founder of Peaks Coaching Group and a pioneer in power-based training, I’ve coached athletes to podiums and personal bests worldwide. My approach blends data, science, and personalization to create plans that fit your goals, fitness, and life – whether you’re chasing a race win or just want to love every pedal stroke.

Ride Strong, Stay Vibrant

Your 40s, 50s, 60s, or beyond can be your best cycling years. Train smarter with purpose, recovery, strength, tech, and nutrition, and you’ll avoid burnout while hitting new peaks.

Ready to ride stronger than ever? Book a free performance consultation with me, Hunter Allen, at Peaks Coaching Group. I’ll craft a personalized, 30-day plan to optimize your training, tailored to your unique needs as a cyclist over 40, so you can crush every ride without breaking down.

→ Book Your Free Performance Consultation with Hunter Allen

Your Strongest Rides Are Ahead

Don’t let age dictate your performance. Try one micro-action today – like adding a recovery spin or pre-ride stretches – and feel the difference on your next ride. When you’re ready to unlock your full potential, I’m here at Peaks Coaching Group to guide you to rides that feel powerful, joyful, and stronger than ever.To your strongest climbs,
Hunter Allen