Nutritional Revolution Podcast · Kyla Channell, MSc Nutrition & Human Performance

From Durango to the World Stage: Riley Amos’ MTB Journey & the Nutrition Behind His Wins

·59 min·3 clips

Riley says he can “absolutely roast through carbs” and needs his race-day fueling dialed to his metabolism.

Kyla Chanel opens with a science first frame. She presents Nutritional Revolution as a place for research backed nutrition talk and client stories, not supplement hype. Riley's racing experience gives the interview its backbone. From there, the conversation shifts into how he prepares to race at a high level and what he actually fuels with in real time. The pre-race meal sits about three hours out. If he needs anything during warmup, he keeps it small, usually no more than 20 to 25 grams at a time, so he can handle hunger without overloading his stomach. A caffeine gel comes right before the start, about five minutes before he is called up. That last minute timing fits the start box routine and gives him one more push before racing begins. The host then asks about the short, intense placement race. That opens the door to sodium bicarbonate, which Riley says he has used for the last two years in short track and XC. He is thinking about backing off it, especially for XCR races. The hesitation comes from how much loading is involved when carbs, sodium, fluids, and bicarbonate all have to fit into the same prep window. The episode treats that as a real issue. Instead of reaching for a magic fix, Riley describes a system that has changed with experience and with help from Alan. Short track and XC do not ask for the same thing. That difference matters here because the conversation keeps returning to the way race format shapes fueling choices. The tone stays warm and practical. It keeps turning racing anecdotes into concrete details about timing, loading, and what actually gets eaten or drank before the gun. The episode closes with a quick plug for Riley's own channels. It leaves listeners with a clear sense of how a racing result is built from story, repetition, and a lot of careful pre-race math.

As heard by us

A focused look at race-day fueling, from the big meal to the caffeine gel.

This episode stays on practical race-day fueling, moving from a big meal about three hours before racing to small carb top-ups during warmup and a caffeine gel about five minutes before the start.

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Why you'd press play

You want a performance-nutrition take on pre-race fueling, from the three-hour meal to the five-minute caffeine gel.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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