The Athlete’s Guide to Off-Season Nutrition: How to Fuel When Training Is Lighter
- Claire Shorenstein, MS RD CSSD CDN
- 1 day ago
- 9 min read
Updated: 1 hour ago
The off-season can (and should!) be a mentally and physically restorative time for athletes. But it can also be incredibly confusing when it comes to nutrition. Your training volume drops, your routine shifts, and without the structure of a clear training plan, it’s easy to feel a bit lost with your fueling.
Maybe you’re taking time off after a big race. Maybe you’re still active, but logging fewer hours than during peak season. No matter what your training looks like right now, your nutrition choices still matter, and they play a huge role in helping you recover, rebuild, and prepare for what’s next.
In this blog post, I’m breaking down a simple, flexible framework for off-season fueling so you can support your body without overthinking it.
Prefer to listen or watch? Check out this short BONUS episode of The Eat for Endurance Podcast where I talk through fueling during the off-season.
If you want to dive deeper into this topic, join my membership, Fuel for Life Crew, and get instant access to my newest masterclass, "The Athlete's Guide to Off-Season and Holiday Fueling," my entire resource library, and to me in our private Slack community.
What Is the Off-Season?
When I talk about the off-season, I’m referring to the period of time after a big race or training cycle where training and intensity come down and the focus shifts more toward rest, recovery and rebuilding.
What this looks like will vary dramatically from one person to the next. Your off-season might include:
Some time completely off, especially right after an event
More cross-training and/or strength work
Completely different sports (e.g. winter sports)
Unstructured movement - just focusing on what’s fun
Or lower-volume versions of your usual training
Whatever your exercise routine looks like, the thing to remember is this: your nutrition still matters. A lot. No matter the time of year, how you fuel yourself has a major impact on your overall health and readiness for your next training block (or whatever else lies ahead).
So yes, intentional fueling is still a must during the off-season.
Why Off-Season Fueling Still Matters
One of the biggest mistakes athletes make during the off-season is thinking: “I’m not training as much, so I don’t need to focus on fueling as much.”
While it's true that your needs will go down if your activity levels decrease, your body is still doing important behind-the-scenes work, such as:
Repairing muscle tissue
Rebuilding glycogen stores
Supporting hormones, immune function, bone health, and more
Repleting nutrients
Recovering from months of training stress
The off-season is not the time to neglect your nutrition. What you do now directly influences how you’ll feel once training ramps back up.
The off-season also is a great time to:
Evaluate what went well (and what didn't) with your training and nutrition
Troubleshoot any issues that came up (e.g. GI, cramping, etc)
Consider if you had any gaps in your everday or performance fueling that could be improved
Get bloodwork done (if you haven't within the last 6 months) to make sure you don't have any nutrient deficiencies
All of these factors inform how you approach our next training cycle. However, to do that work (and actually recover), you need a baseline of steady, supportive fueling.
Common Off-Season Nutrition Mistakes
Many athletes don’t underfuel because they’re trying to be restrictive. It often happens unintentionally, because after months of training for an event, it’s a big adjustment for your body and brain to shift into off-season mode.
Here are some patterns I see again and again as a sports dietitian:
1. Assuming “less training = I don’t need much food”
Again, I'm not saying that you need to eat the same as you did during peak training, but you also shouldn't suddenly try to cut carbs and eat minimally. Remember, your body has to work hard just to keep you alive, even if you're completely sedentary.
No matter how much less you’re training, you still need plenty of energy to recover from the previous season, support literally every system in your body, and fuel whatever exercise you are doing. And I have to say, I have quite a few clients in the off-season right now who are incredibly active (i.e. putting in 8-10 hours per week).
So you may not need race-level carbohydrate intake, but you absolutely still need to keep consistent fueling practices in place.
2. Skipping meals because your schedule is less structured
Without the built-in rhythm of training, many athletes struggle with their new schedule. They might skip or delay breakfast or forget snacks, leading to issues later in the day (like energy crashes or overeating at night). Appetite changes can also make fueling more challenging.
But again, the off-season doesn't call for a different fueling approach. You just need to scale back to fit your current activity level.
3. Cutting carbs too aggressively
This is the most common mistake I see athletes make in the off-season. Even if you’re not training as hard or racing, carbs are still your body’s primary fuel source, even on lighter days.
Remember: daily life alone still takes a lot of fuel. And even if your training is lower, relatively speaking, you may still be super active!
Core Off-Season Nutrition Principles
These fueling principles are relevant year-round, and especially during periods of lower-volume training.
1. Eat every 2–4 hours
This keeps energy levels steady and helps your body restore what it lost during hard training. Ideally, try to eat within an hour of waking. If you’re the type of person who’s not super hungry after you wake up, try to at least have something small with carbs and protein like PB banana toast or a yogurt with fruit.
Check out my travel snack foods blog post for some quick grab-and-go ideas to keep you fueled all day long, whether you’re at home or on-the-go.
2. Include carbs, protein, fat and color (fruit/veg) in most meals
Your exact needs vary, but aim for balanced meals with at least one carbohydrate source, a good dose of protein (e.g. 20-40g+), and some fat. You can refer to the Athlete Performance Plates (you'll likely be in the easy and moderate days during the off season) for some additional guidance.
4. Continue fueling your workouts
Nothing changes here. Don’t skip fueling before a workout, even if it’s short or easy. Fuel during anything longer than 60-75 minutes, and try to refuel within an hour of a workout.
5. Hydrate consistently
Lower training volume may mean reduces sweat losses, but you still need to meet baseline needs. Plus, if you're still active, you're still sweating and that means you need to keep paying attention to hydrating adequately. Read more about your Hydration needs as an athlete here.
How Many Carbs Do You Need in the Off-Season?
Carbs tend to be the first macro athletes cut back on when training decreases, often too aggressively.
Carb needs are based on your weight, as well as:
Training volume
Training intensity
Duration
Here are some general guidelines you can use to calculate your needs:
Low training volume/intensity (0-60min/day of easy effort): 3-4g/kg of carbs per day
Moderate volume/intensity (~1-2 hr/day of easy effort or <60min of high intensity): 5-7g/kg carbs per day
High volume/intensity (~2-3 hr/day of easy-effort or 1-2hr of high intensity): 6-8g/kg carbs per day
Carb loading or very high volume/intensity: 8-12g/kg carbs per day
Most off-season athletes land somewhere in the 4–8 g/kg/day range, depending on what they’re doing. These amounts include your sports nutrition, by the way, but you can separate it out if that feels easier for you.
Staying Flexible With Your Off-Season Nutrition
No athlete eats the exact same amount every single day, and they shouldn’t. Instead of striving for a fixed calorie target, use ranges that match your activity level.
For example, let’s take a 150-lb (68-kg) athlete training 5–8 hours/week with mostly easy workouts. I've estimated their needs as follows:
Carbs: 4–6 g/kg/day = 272-408g/day
Protein: 1.4–1.8 g/kg/day = 95-122g/day
Fat: 1+ g/kg/day = at least 68g/day
You would take these amounts and distribute them amongst your meals and snacks. On lighter days, stay toward the lower end of the carb range. On longer or higher-intensity days, aim for the upper end.
Two Ways to Build Your Off-Season Nutrition Structure
Every athlete learns differently, so I like to offer multiple methods teaching similar things.
METHOD 1: Athlete Performance Plates
If visuals work for you, the athlete performance plate method is a great starting point.
On off-season days, you’ll mostly be using:
Easy Day Plates: Quarter plate protein and carbs, half the plate fruit/veg, with fat added in
Moderate Day Plates: Quarter plate protein, and the rest of the plate divided equally between carbs and fruit/veg, with fat added in
Carbs never disappear (so forget about those salads with just protein on top), they simply shift proportionately to how active you are.
This is a simple, flexible way to keep meals balanced without counting.
METHOD 2: Three Daily Fueling Windows or Buckets
If you're not into performance plates, you can also use the three fueling windows or buckets approach. You essentially divide your day into three sections:
Morning
Midday
Evening
Then, your job is to fill each bucket with a meal (and sometimes snacks) that include adequate amounts of protein, carbs, fat, and color (fruit/veg) to meet your daily goal. It's a nice way to motivate you to eat consistently, rather than falling behind and trying to play catchup.
Example Targets for Each Fueling Window
So let's revisit that example I gave earlier, for the 150lb athlete, and assume it's a lower volume day or rest day (i.e. I picked a number on the lower end of the carb range I calculated). I divided each daily goal by three, and got these rough targets per fueling window:
40g protein per window
100g carbs per window
25g fat per window
Here’s how that translates into real food (keep in mind, you can eat this across a meal and a snack, as this fueling window is one third of your day):
Protein examples:
5-6 oz chicken, beef, or fish
1 serving Greek yogurt + 3 eggs
Lentils + whole grains + nuts/seeds
Carb examples:
~2 cups cooked pasta or grains + fruit
A bagel + banana + juice
Fat examples:
3 Eggs + avocado
3 Tbsp Nut butter
You don't need to memorize how many grams of each nutrient every food has. That said, it's helpful to know some basics. For example, 1 cup cooked of any pasta or grain gives 45g of carbs, 1oz of fish/chicken/meat or 1 egg is around 6-7g protein, and 1 tsp of oil and butter gives 5g fat.
Once you understand portions and what foods provide in a general sense, it makes it easy to scale as needed (e.g. more carbs around training days, slightly fewer carbs on lower-volume days).
Off-Season Performance Nutrition Still Matters
Performance nutrition does not change during the off-season. If your workout is over 75 minutes, you should be fueling during that session.
The off-season is actually the best time to:
Try new gels or other products
Explore real-food options (if applicable)
Work on increasing carb intake
Do a sweat test and dialing in your hydration strategy
Experiment with caffeine timing
These low-pressure months give you space to troubleshoot without the stakes of race season.
A Note on Body Composition Goals
Body composition goals come up a lot during the off-season, and sometimes this is an appropriate time to work on them.
Here are a few important reminders:
“Weight loss” is typically code for “fat loss while maintaining muscle”
This work is safest and most effective when training volume and intensity are low
Protein needs increase (1.6–2+ g/kg)
Do not cut carbs, as that harms performance, among other things
Caloric deficits must be very small
You should not pursue this work if you’re injured, showing any signs of low energy availability, or have history of disordered eating or eating disorders
For a deeper dive, check out my podcast episode with RD Alex Larson where we go into all the nuance of safe and effective body recomposition for athletes.
Bringing It All Together
If you take away nothing else from this post, let it be this: A well-fed athlete is a resilient athlete, and resilience is exactly what the off-season is designed to build.
The off-season isn’t a time to deprive or downplay your nutrition. It’s a time to support your body so you can enter your next training cycle feeling strong, energized, and recovered.
As you move into the next phase, whether that’s the busy holiday season or prep for your next goal, this foundation will help you feel stronger, steadier, and more confident in your fueling choices.
Want Personalized Support With Your Off-Season Nutrition?
If you’re looking for individualized guidance to support your energy, recovery, and performance during the off-season (and beyond), I offer several virtual nutrition services to help you fuel with confidence and clarity.
Fuel for Life Crew
My Fuel for Life Crew membership is the easiest and most affordable way to get ongoing support and accountability. You’ll get direct access to me for all your nutrition questions, plus a supportive community of active people who are working on similar goals.
Members also receive:
Monthly live masterclasses (with replays available, including my brand new class The Athlete's Guide to Off-Season and Holiday Fueling)
A growing library of online resources
Practical tools to support your everyday and performance nutrition
All for just $30/month (cancel anytime)
*Pricing increases in 2026, but you can lock in this low price through Dec. 31st.
1:1 Nutrition Coaching
If you’re ready to go all-in and transform your fueling, health, and performance with personalized, high-touch support, 1:1 nutrition coaching is for you. We’ll dive deep into your training, daily habits, nutrition gaps, and goals to create a customized plan that actually fits your life.
Self-Guided Resources
If you prefer a more budget-friendly or DIY approach, I also offer:
No matter where you’re starting, there’s a resource to help you navigate the off-season feeling strong, supported, and well-fueled.