How I fuel: Sam Sunderland

Sam Sunderland: I’m only 76kg but I eat a lot, honestly! For breakfast I’ll have eggs, avocado on toast and a coffee to wake me up. I'll snack a lot throughout the morning on nuts, fruit and a bit of cheese. I like to have real, natural food and avoid bars and powders where possible.

I eat little and often throughout the day, because if I only eat at main meal times I end up getting to a mealtime so hungry that I'll just eat anything, even if it's bad.

After breakfast, I'll normally have a training session, whether it's cycling or running, and then come back and have lunch. I have quite a lot of carbohydrates for lunch, such as pasta or gnocchi, partly because I like it and partly because I feel like I need it. If I'm going out for a big session in the afternoon and I just have a salad for lunch, I feel empty and I don't really have enough power. So I’ll eat pasta with protein such as chicken breast with some salad, too.

Before I head out for my afternoon session, which is usually on the motocross or trial bike, I’ll have a can of Red Bull and another small snack.

For dinner, I tend to eat quite a lot of sushi. It's not always possible and it’s expensive too, but I eat it whenever I can. When I was living in Dubai I struggled with hyponatremia, which is low sodium concentration in the blood, and I ended up eating a lot of sushi. The sodium from the soy sauce, plus the carbs from the rice and a bit of protein from the fish ticked a lot of boxes for me.

On a normal day, if I'm doing a couple of sessions, I'll burn anywhere from 4,000 to 6,000 calories. I never track intake, I just eat when I'm hungry and after training.

I used to stick to a much more regimented nutrition plan, and I always ended up coming unstuck one way or another with feeling tired or bloated. Over the years I've learnt what works for me, in terms of how much I need to eat, so I don’t count calories.

The alarm goes off around 3.30am. I get dressed and take a few vitamins, and then normally I'll eat quite a big portion of porridge and sometimes cold pasta. I won't take any caffeine at that time because with it being so early, and with a long road liaison to do to get to the start, I don’t want to “peak” too early.

I’ll take a can of Red Bull in my back pocket, as well as my other snacks for the day like nuts, bars, jelly babies and dried bananas, which I stuff into my jacket.

When we get to the start, which can be as much as three hours away, I’ll get my jacket off, clean my goggles, and have my can of Red Bull to help me get focused and alert. This is usually around the time it’s getting light, and you’ve already been up for a few hours and ridden to the start, so I need to get switched on as the racing is about to start. I’ll eat an oat bar to give me some carbs, too.

The special stage can run for around 200km until we have the first bike refuel. There, we only have 15 minutes, and it goes by in the blink of an eye. You have to fuel the bike with 34 litres of gas, check the bike over for damage, clean your goggles, and get some food down fast, so I’ll quickly eat some of my snacks, plus a caffeinated gel. Then we’re back into it, racing full gas for hundreds of kilometres.

On the bike, I can’t eat, so it’s just about staying hydrated and I’ll drink from my CamelBak. I’m always conscious about drinking enough but not too much because with my hyponatremia it’d basically be like flushing my system. Usually, my CamelBak will last me the day – it carries 2.5-3 litres – and I’ll sip some water bottles at the refuel stops, too.

It would have to be the sushi. I started eating it to help with my dietary requirements, but I love it and I can get through a fair amount of it!

I am hopeless at cooking! I'd keep it simple and Italian-themed – a nice ravioli with a ready-made carbonara sauce.