At some stage in your life, you’ll reach a point where you simply aren’t as fast as you used to be. But that doesn’t mean throwing in the towel.
“Nowadays we’re seeing older people perform at increasingly higher levels,” says Jake Hales, head coach at Ride Revolution.
“With a better understanding of nutrition, training science, recovery, and strength and conditioning, you might actually be better than when you were younger.”
With the following tips helping to slow down the effects of ageing, while keeping you competitive deep into later life, age-group racing is a win-win situation.
1. Be realistic
It’s never too late to start age-group racing, but it’s important to assess your training history to work out your potential. “The ageing process is best looked at as an irreversible ceiling,” says Hales.
He explains that your ceiling of performance comes down each decade – around 10% for VO2 max and 8% for muscle mass – but if you’ve been training consistently throughout your whole life, it’ll drop on a much shallower tangent.
2. Ramp up gradually
Once you’ve got to grips with your starting point, Hales says it’s important for older riders to increase their training progressively to reduce the likelihood of overtraining.
“If you’ve been riding eight hours a week, you can’t suddenly ride 12 – you want to build up to that by adding half an hour here and there, or one extra interval in your set,” he explains.
As well as building up your hours in the saddle, you can also work on increasing the intensity, but make sure you avoid upping both at the same time.
3. VO2 the Max
If you want to sustain your aerobic ceiling for as long as possible, Hales explains that VO2 max sessions are the best bang for your buck.
“Training in a way where you’d normally be trying to push it up is a more efficient way than sweet-spot, which is sitting in the lower intensity levels.”
He recommends three 10-minute blocks of 30/30 (30 secs on, 30 secs off) or 40/20 drills, at 110% FTP (functional threshold power) with 10 minutes of easy riding between each set.
4. Read the warning signs
The breakdown of muscle as you age means your body can’t recover as it used to, particularly after a hard workout or long ride. Before you get back in the saddle, it’s therefore important to check for fatigue symptoms to avoid overtraining.
“DOMS (delayed-onset muscle soreness); slower than usual heart-rate response – if you go out on your bike and your heart rate isn’t changing; feeling lethargic and sluggish; and low mood are all signs you’re still tired,” says Hales.
5. Slip in the strength and conditioning
While high-intensity sessions will help your aerobic capacity, off-bike work will slow your muscle decline.
“You don’t need to push it – as little as 40 minutes in the gym twice a week would be adequate to see noticeable gains,” says Hales.
He suggests doing full-body movements such as squats, deadlifts and bench presses, and aiming for five to six reps per set.
Hales says it’s hard to get too bulky when you’re older and gym work becomes about being a “stronger, more stable, better-rounded athlete”.
6. Get a solid start
Training is just one part of the puzzle and your nutrition is just as important for racing.
At this age, lifestyle factors can often see you skipping breakfast, but Dr Vicky Edwards, performance nutritionist at Total Endurance Nutrition, says it’s key to get the basics right.
“Some people just can’t get in enough food, but I’d say have a protein shake in the morning to help that satiety level and then fuel at nine o’clock with some porridge. It’s about ensuring you’re having protein and carbs so that it doesn’t get to 12 o’clock and you binge because you haven’t eaten all morning,” she says.
7. Pick up the protein
Protein is imperative for recovery and helps rebuild muscles after training.
“If you’re looking at ageing endurance-based athletes, it’s recommended to have about 1.6-2g of protein per kg of body weight per day,” says Claire Fudge, clinical director of 4th Discipline.
She says it needs to be spread out across at least four meals to aid efficacy, with the fourth being a mini post-training meal or pre-bedtime snack.
8. Nail the on-bike nutrition
“When you’re older, making sure you’re fuelling your sessions correctly is crucial to not only performance but your recovery as well,” says Edwards.
That means following the nutrition guidelines – 60g of carbs per hour for rides of two-to-three hours and up to 90g per hour for those in excess of four – and no more winging it on a banana and a mid-ride slice of cake.
9. Prioritise sleep
Research shows sleep is one of the best tools we have for recovery, but as we age, it becomes more difficult to get the recommended seven-to-nine hours.
There are lifestyle changes that can help you get off to the best start, though.
Advice from the Harvard Medical School includes having good sleep hygiene, such as steering clear of screens for an hour before bed, while alcohol should be limited and stimulants (such as caffeine, cola or chocolate) avoided in the preceding four-to-six-hour window.
10. Manage the menopause
For female cyclists, the menopause and the periods before and after lead to hormonal changes that affect your training.
“Bone density starts to decrease as we age and, for female athletes, this becomes really important,” says Fudge.
She recommends you have a good calcium intake in your diet to minimise the risks of osteoporosis, while “plenty of fruits and veg” will boost potassium levels, which can counter blood pressure issues caused by the decline in oestrogen.
Three of the best age-group apps
HRV4Training
This app uses your phone’s camera and light to detect changes in your blood volume and take your heart-rate variability reading. Track your daily levels and get insight into whether you’ve recovered enough to attempt a hard workout.
Strong Workout Tracker
Stumped by strength training? With video instructions, suggested workouts and a way of tracking previous sessions, this will have you lifting confidently in no time, to help maintain your precious muscle mass as you get older.
EatMyRide
Take the guesswork and hassle out of trying to take on optimum nutrition and discover how to fuel before, during and after your rides. It can also sync with Garmin head units to give you pre-planned eating prompts or show you real-time, mid-ride carb burn.
Three of the best age-group events
Want to go toe-to-toe with your peers? Try these…
Tour of the Abberleys
- When: 3-5 May 2025
This three-day stage race takes place in the West Midlands each early-May bank holiday. There are categories for the over 40s, over 50s and over 60s for men, and a separate one for women.
Gran Fondo Isle of Man
- When: 20 July 2025
This 137km ride with 2,300m elevation is the UK’s only qualifier for the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships. Finish inside the top 25% of your age-group and you’ve got a shot at the rainbow jersey.
The Gralloch
- When: 17 May 2025
Another UCI World Championships qualifier, this Scottish gravel event is an early-season carrot to help you through your winter training. Plus, you could book your spot at the October finals in Nice.
