Bryan McCrystal is a powerfully built rider but one who manages his diet and time to perfection to get the most out of himself.
Bryan McCrystal enjoyed seven victories and many more podium placings on the roads around Ireland last year.
Since making the transition from professional soccer to triathlon and then road racing he has looked the real deal and is one of the real powerhouses of the domestic peloton.
He trains hard and he trains meticulously. There is no time wasted with him.
He knows with two young kids, and 5 and 3 years, and a full-time job in jewellers in Dundalk - where he’s on his feet all day - he has to be smart about his preparation.
Diet is extremely important to him, as is time management; as he explained to us.
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“If I see an opportunity to train I take it,” he said.
“I don't ask my wife Karen ‘are you sure?’. I just put the head down and get out the door.
McCrystal's appetite for training and his time management skills both had to be perfect when he was preparing for triathlon. Now with a family and business to run, those parts of his make-up are even more important these days (Photo with thanks to Darach Glennon)
“I used to get up at ungodly hours but I can’t do that anymore, maybe it’s a sign of age.
“At 34 years old the calories don’t burn off as quickly as they used to - things are starting to slow down.
“I’ve noticed this more the last 15 months; I can’t get away with what I used to do.
“When I train I eat; when I’m not training I cut back. Simple, right?
“I feel I’ve become a master at time management. If there was a degree given out for this I’d surely have one. That’s what it’s all about for me.
“I like to fast. Some days I just drink Kangen water; a machine I bought a few years back which is a Godsend."
Kangen is a brand name for alkaline water. It is promoted as a healthier form of water with significant anti-oxidant properties that claim to restore the body to a healthier pH balance.
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McCrystal takes a very controlled approach to carbs.
“ASEA is another tipple I prefer and to say I’ll be wearing an ASEA jersey this year makes me proud," added McCrystal.
ASEA is another water product or supplement. It claims to replenish the body’s “signalling molecules” that facilitate cell interaction in the body.
It claims, among other things, to boost the body’s immune system and increase anti oxidants.
“I eat ‘mammy’ food, the real stuff; no packet or processed stuff," McCrystal said in reference to old school home cooking.
“The only dairy I eat is Kerrygold butter, by the truck load, and maybe a little goat’s cheese.
“I eat lots of good healthy fats and minimal carbs like bread, rice or potatoes.
Goat's cheese, above, and butter are the only two dairy products McCrystal eats.
“I eat the carbs post-training only, in a process known as carb backing," he says.
Under carb back-loading, the intention is to lose fat but still be strong to train and gain muscle.
Very broadly, those who believe in it eat very light from the morning to afternoon. No carbs, or very few, are consumed until the evening and only then after an exercise session.
“Biscuits and chocolate are the bane of my life. When you have a 5 and 3 year-old waving a Kit Kat in your face it’s hard to resist," McCrystal said of the tempting curveballs sometimes thrown his way.
“But now with the racing season upon us I’ve knocked the treats on the head, for now anyway.”
Note: Nutrition/diet interviews with riders, as with stories such as the 'my training week' series, are intended to offer insight into how some of Ireland's top riders prepare. Readers seeking to formulate training programmes or diet/nutrition plans should devise them in consultation with a coach or other trained professionals.
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