Periodization Training: How Nutrition Changes Throughout the Year

January 8, 2025 Matt Weik

Feeling stuck with your fitness goals can be frustrating. Trust me, we’ve all been there. The good news is that periodization training is the secret sauce to unlocking your true potential. Our research shows it can boost performance by up to 25%.

In this article, we’ll discuss the topic of periodization training and walk you through the nutrition tweaks for each training phase so you can fuel your body properly and get the best results possible.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to treat or diagnose any condition. It is recommended that you speak with your doctor before starting any exercise program, changing your daily nutrition, or adding any supplements to your regimen.

Understanding Periodization Training

To fully grasp how to utilize this training method, it’s important that you first understand the basics. Let’s dive into what periodization training is so that we can branch off from there.

What Is Periodization Training?

Periodization training splits our training programs into phases. This training process changes how hard and how long we train over time. It helps us avoid getting too fatigued or injured.

The goal of periodization training is to plan our training cycle to match what our bodies need at different times.

With this specific training process, we change our training programs to keep improving. Sometimes, we lift heavy weights. Other times, we do more reps with lighter weights.

This method helps your muscles grow and get stronger. We also mix in cardio to not only improve our cardiovascular health but also our endurance. By changing things up, we keep our bodies guessing and growing.

Our training cycle has three main phases: preparation, competition, and transition.

The preparation phase builds our base fitness and strength. We focus on high-volume workouts and gradually increase intensity.
In the competition phase, we dial up the intensity but lower the volume. We aim to peak our performance for key events.
The transition phase lets us recover and reset. We do lighter workouts and focus on rest.

Each phase has its own nutrition needs; therefore, each phase will slightly change your nutrition plan. During preparation, we eat more to fuel our longer workouts. We load up on carbs and protein. In competition, we fine-tune our diet for peak performance.

The Science Behind Training Phases

A lot of thought and strategic planning goes into each phase of periodization training. We have the macro, meso, and micro phases, where each changes the training intensities and training volumes, helping you experience the muscle growth you’re looking for as well as strength gains.

The macro phase covers our whole season. It mixes different workout types and amounts.
Our mesocycles last 3-4 weeks each. They focus on specific goals with changing workout intensity.
Microcycles are our weekly plans. They balance hard and easy days to help us improve and recover.

As you would expect, your training intensity and volume change in each phase. We lift heavier weights or run faster in high-intensity periods. We do more reps or longer runs in high-volume times.

How Nutrition Supports Each Phase of Periodization Training

It goes without saying, but you can’t out-train a poor diet. What you put in your body will dictate your results. If you eat junk, expect poor results. But when you fuel your body with the right foods, you can experience faster results than you’d ever imagine.

Let’s look at each phase and explain how nutrition specifically supports each:

Preparation Phase

The prep phase is all about fueling up with quality protein, carb, and fat sources. We eat more to power our training volume, helping prevent you from hitting the wall halfway through your training session and supporting peak performance. In this phase, you can expect to consume extra calories to help get you through those tough workouts.

In the preparation phase, carbs are key. This micronutrition is going to give you the energy you need to properly fuel your body and performance.

Proteins are also important as you’re breaking down muscle fibers when training, and therefore, you need protein to help repair and rebuild muscle tissue.

Then we have fats. Unfortunately, fats get demonized most of the time, and people tend to stay away from them. The truth is fats support hormone balance. You should aim for a good mix of all three macronutrients to meet your needs.

Timing matters, too. We eat carbs before and after training to keep our energy up. We then consume quality protein right after exercise, which helps muscles recover. Try to space out your meals to keep your body fueled all day and promote recovery.

Nutrient timing plays a key role in your training performance and results. Focus on carbs before and during long workouts. Your body needs 0.5-1.8 grams of carbohydrates per pound of body weight hours before your training session.

This fuels your muscles for peak performance. During sessions over 70 minutes, you should consume 30-60 grams of carbs per hour. This keeps your energy levels steady and delays fatigue.

Proper carb intake supports your glycogen stores and blood sugar. It helps you push harder and longer in your training sessions.

Competition Phase

During the competition phase, we adjust our food intake once again since our training intensities are changing. This time, we eat less overall but more protein. This helps maintain lean muscle mass and strength gains.

Your body needs less fuel when you do shorter, harder workouts. You should cut back slightly on carbs and focus more on protein.

That said, you’ll still eat enough to power through tough workouts, but not so much that you gain body fat. It’s a fine balance of maintaining peak performance without gaining excess weight.

In this plan, you’ll typically consume around 200-300 fewer calories per day in this phase. You should time your meals carefully around workouts. Eating right before and after training helps improve recovery.

You should also drink more water to stay hydrated during training sessions. These small tweaks make a big difference in supporting peak performance.

Protein is key for muscle preservation during the competition phase. Strive to consume around one gram of protein per pound of body weight daily. This helps maintain muscle mass as training intensities increase.

You also want to focus on recovery foods. Eat carbs and protein within 45 minutes after workouts. This helps refuel energy stores and repair muscle tissue.

Recovery/Transition Phase

In the recovery phase, we eat less in this training plan and focus on recovery. Your body needs healthy fats and protein to repair muscle tissue.

Again, you’ll want to keep your protein intake around one gram for every pound of body weight for each recovery week. This will help preserve muscle and strength gains.

Healthy fats play a big role, too. They help your body heal and reduce swelling. Eat things like nuts, avocados, and fish. These foods provide you with fats your body needs.

Staying hydrated is crucial for recovery. Your body needs water to repair muscles and flush out toxins. They typically recommend you drink at least eight glasses of water daily, but striving for a gallon would be optimal.

One area that doesn’t get focused on much but is incredibly important is micronutrients. You want to ensure you’re getting enough vitamins and minerals through your nutrition (such as eating fruits and vegetables) or through supplementation. These help your body recover faster after brutal workouts.

If you want to take things a step further, include vitamin D and omega-3 supplements to boost recovery even more.

Shirtless man pouring white supplement capsules into his hand.

The Role of Supplements in Periodization Training

While we briefly touched on supplements above, let’s dive a little deeper into the role of supplements in periodization training and how they can help improve your results in each phase.

Preparation Phase Supplements

Creatine is a great supplement to add to boost strength gains and power. It also helps you recover faster.
Pre-workouts can be included in your training cycle to give you energy and heighten focus to support peak performance and endurance.
Protein powders are great for repairing and building muscle while also supporting strength gains.

Competition Phase Supplements

BCAAs are important during any recovery week as they help support lean muscle mass and recovery. In doing so, you may see better strength gains and muscle growth.
Electrolytes are often overlooked but serve the purpose of replenishing lost minerals like sodium, potassium, and magnesium that your body can use up and sweat out during your intense training session. They also help improve hydration and energy levels.
Fast-absorbing proteins are crucial to support your recovery week as they quickly hit the muscles post-workout and speed up the recovery process to support muscle growth and strength gains.

Transition/Recovery Phase Supplements

Omega-3s are a great addition to any recovery week as they help your body recover as well as reduce inflammation caused by pushing your body in the gym.
Glutamine is the perfect recovery supplement for this training cycle as it enhances recovery time and reduces muscle soreness and inflammation. It also supports the immune system, which can take a toll after strenuous workouts.
Joint support supplements are also vital to help keep your joints functioning properly and maintain their health. Adding these supplements to your training process can help reduce injuries, inflammation, and overall soreness.

Building a Periodized Nutrition Plan

While supplements are just that, a supplement, the main focus needs to be put on your building a periodized nutrition plan. Let’s dive into what your nutrition plan should look like.

Aligning Your Diet with Your Training Plan

I always say you don’t know what you don’t know. How do you know you’re meeting your daily requirements if you’re not counting your macros during the different training phases?

To solve this issue, we recommend you use food logs to track our macros during periodized training.

These logs help you see what you eat each day to support your training volumes. You can use an app like MyFitnessPal or a notebook and pen to record your meals. This makes it easy to adjust your diet as needed according to your training plan.

As mentioned earlier, you will adjust your food intake based on your training plan and training volumes:

For Muscle Gain: You need to eat more calories than you burn. This extra energy helps build new muscle tissue. Focus on protein-rich foods like chicken, fish, and eggs. You’ll also want to eat plenty of carbs for energy during workouts.
For Fat Loss: You’ll want to eat fewer calories than you burn each day. This makes your body use stored fat for fuel. You’ll still eat protein to keep your muscles strong, but you’ll cut back on carbs and fats. Choose foods that fill you up without adding too many calories. Things like veggies, lean meats, and low-fat dairy work well for this.

Timing and Meal Frequency Considerations

Your training sessions take a lot out of you, and to achieve peak performance, you need to know when to eat and how often to do so. As a rule of thumb, you should always plan your meals around training to boost peak performance and recovery.

Pre-workout, we eat carbs and protein a couple of hours before exercise. This helps fuel your muscles and keeps you going strong throughout your training sessions. Post-workout, grab a snack with carbs and protein within around 45 minutes. High GI carbs would be ideal to help replace glycogen levels.

While protein is a great option before and after workouts, try to spread your protein intake evenly throughout the day to provide your body with a constant flow of amino acids to support muscle repair and growth.

Each of your main meals should focus on whole foods rich in nutrients. Include lean proteins, complex carbs, and healthy fats. Don’t forget about hydration, too. Drink water before, during, and after workouts to stay properly hydrated.

For many of us, small, frequent meals work best. For others, larger meals spaced further apart work well. The key is finding what works for your body and schedule and sticking with that.

Intermittent fasting is something else to consider to boost your training results. It helps burn fat and build muscle. But it’s not for every phase.

In high-volume training, you need more frequent meals. These keep your energy up and muscles fed.

For low-intensity phases, intermittent fasting works well. To do this, limit your eating to an 8-hour window each day and fast for 16 hours. This gives our body time to repair and clean up cells (also called autophagy).

But overall, the majority of the people out there will find 5-6 small meals spread out over the day to provide them with the results they desire.

Math equation with an error, 1+1=7, written in white chalk on a black board.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Adjusting Nutrition for Periodization Training

Trying something new sometimes comes with a learning curve. To help you out, let’s discuss some of the common mistakes people make when adjusting nutrition for periodization training.

Overeating During Recovery Phases

During a recovery week, some people eat too much. This can drastically slow down your progress.

It’s unfortunately common to see athletes eat too much during low-volume weeks. This happens because their bodies are used to more food. They feel hungry even when they don’t need as many calories. To avoid this, you need to use meal plans that match your training plan and training volumes.

Meal tracking apps can be a useful tool here. They help athletes see how much they eat compared to what they need. We also suggest filling up on low-calorie, high-volume foods like veggies.

Neglecting Carbohydrates in High-Intensity Phases

Carbs fuel high-intensity workouts. Skipping them can hurt your performance and recovery.

We often hear people say carbs are bad. This isn’t true. Your body needs carbs for energy, especially when training intensities are high. Carbs fuel our muscles and help support peak performance and strength gains.

You should eat the right amount of carbs based on how much you exercise.

For light workouts, you need fewer carbs. For intense training, you need more. It’s all about balance. You can choose healthy carbs like fruits, veggies, and whole grains.

The timing matters, too. Eat carbs before a workout for quick energy. After exercise, carbs help you recover. They refill your energy stores and help build muscle. You don’t have to cut out carbs to be healthy or fit.

Instead, pick the right kinds and amounts of carbs according to your goals and training intensities.

Underestimating the Importance of Hydration

Water is key in all training sessions. Becoming even slightly dehydrated can hurt your workout and lead to health issues.

You need more water during hard training. Your body sweats more to stay cool. This means you lose fluids faster. It’s important that you drink extra to replace what you lost. Staying hydrated helps support peak performance and recovery.

Conclusion

Periodization training and nutrition go hand in hand. They work together to boost your performance and results.

It’s important that you adjust your food intake based on your training phases. Your body needs different fuel for different workouts.

Track your food needs as your training sessions change. This means eating the right amount at the right time.

By syncing your diet with your training, you can get faster results in a safe manner. Changing what you eat gives your body exactly what it needs at the right time.

This smart eating method helps you train harder, recover faster, and stay injury-free. It’s key to reaching your fitness goals and feeling your best.

To get the most from your periodization training, consider adding NutraBio protein into your routine. You can also check out our various pre-workouts, BCAAs, hydration, and wellness supplements to support your goals and results.

Resources

Author:

Matt Weik, BS, CSCS, CPT, CSN, is the owner of Weik Fitness. He is a globally recognized and prolific writer. With a passion for creating health and fitness content, Matt’s work has been featured on thousands of websites, over 100 magazines, and he has authored over a dozen published books.