Carbs, Creatine & Plants

At some point, training starts to feel different.

You’re showing up consistently.

You’re doing the sessions.

But something feels slightly off.

Weights that used to move well feel heavier.
Energy dips earlier in workouts.
Recovery feels slower than expected.

This is usually where people start asking new questions.

Do I need to change how I’m eating?
Should I add supplements?
Am I missing something?

There’s no shortage of advice here.

Most of it makes things more complicated than it needs to be.

When performance stalls, the instinct is to look for something new.

A different supplement.
A better routine.
A more optimal approach.

But more often than not, the issue is more basic.

You’re not eating in a way that supports your training.

Not intentionally.

Just gradually.

Meals are consistent, but slightly light.
Carbs are lower than they used to be.
Total intake doesn’t quite match output.

Nothing feels extreme.

But over time, it adds up.

Workouts feel harder than they should.
Progress slows.
Recovery becomes less reliable.

This is often where people assume something is wrong with their training.

But it’s usually not.

It’s what’s supporting it.

Performance follows what you consistently provide

Your body doesn’t just respond to training.

It responds to what you give it alongside that training.

Carbohydrates play a central role here.

They support:

When intake is slightly low, you don’t always notice immediately.

But over time, it shows up as:

This is also why progression can stall, something explored in Strength Is a Skill.

Because without enough support, it’s harder to build momentum.

Alongside this, supplements often come into the conversation.

Most aren’t necessary.

But a small number can be useful.

Creatine is one of the few that consistently shows up here.

It’s one of the most well-researched supplements for strength and performance, with consistent evidence supporting its effects on training output.

It supports strength, power, and training capacity.

And for those eating mostly plant-based, intake is typically lower to begin with.

But it’s not a shortcut.

It works best when everything else is already in place.

Instead of trying to optimise everything, it helps to simplify.

Start with your meals.

Look at what a typical day actually includes.

Are you eating enough overall?

Are you including a consistent source of carbohydrates alongside your meals?

That could be:

You don’t need to force anything.

But you do need enough to support the work you’re doing.

From there, keep protein consistent across the day, something explored in The Protein Distribution Problem.

Once those two are in place, most people notice a difference in how they feel in training.

Then, if you want to keep things simple:

Creatine is one of the few additions that can make sense.

A straightforward approach:

That’s it.

No stacks.
No complicated protocols.

Just something that supports what you’re already doing.

It’s easy to think performance comes from doing more.

More effort.
More intensity.
More optimisation.

But most of the time, it comes from support.

Enough food.
Consistent intake.
Simple additions where useful.

The same way muscle is maintained with a baseline, something explored in The Muscle Retention Blueprint - performance is shaped by what you do consistently around your training.

Not occasionally.

Not perfectly.

Just consistently enough.

A simple question to think about this week:

Are your meals actually supporting your training or just fitting around it?

Just reply and let me know, I read every response.

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This newsletter shares general ideas around fitness, nutrition, and health. It’s not personalised advice, so use what fits your own situation.