Fuelling Your Training – Why Balance, Carbs, and Flexibility Matter
- Brainz Magazine
- Aug 21, 2025
- 5 min read
Written by Tia Hills-Edge, Health and Fitness Coach
Tia Hills-Edge is known in the health and fitness space for her work in pain management, rehabilitation, helping with hormones, and fitness and functional movement for seniors. She founded Edge Power Personal Fitness in 2014, a private studio in the Dandenong Ranges of Victoria of Australia, and expanded into Online training in 2020.
If you want your workouts to deliver results, whether that’s building muscle, improving endurance, or simply feeling stronger in your daily life, then your training plan and nutrition need to work together. They’re a team, not two separate things you just “hope” will line up. Here’s why matching your fuel to your body and training goals, balancing protein and carbs, and embracing structured flexibility is the real secret to progress.
Protein + carbs: The dynamic duo for muscle growth and energy
When it comes to exercise performance and recovery, two macronutrients take center stage: protein and carbohydrates.
Protein is essential for muscle repair, growth, and preventing breakdown after training. Without enough, you won’t fully recover or build strength.
Carbohydrates are your body’s preferred source of fuel for training intensity, whether that’s a heavy lifting session or a tough HIIT workout. They also help shuttle protein’s amino acids into muscle tissue more effectively by triggering an insulin response.
If you under-eat carbs, you may find your workouts sluggish, your recovery lagging, and your muscle growth stalling, even if your protein intake is on point.
The truth about carbs and fat gain
Carbs aren’t the enemy. They don’t “make you fat.” Excess calories over time do. In fact, when you eat the right kinds, like oats, sweet potatoes, rice, fruit, and whole grains, carbs fuel your sessions, speed recovery, and keep your metabolism humming.
The real risk comes from cutting them too low: fatigue, irritability, and poor performance, all of which can lead to rebound overeating. When you match your carb intake to your training demands, they become a performance tool, not a liability.
No, keto is not bad – for some
Keto can work really well for some people, and there are many who will absolutely swear it has been the best tool for controlling cravings and maintaining satisfaction.
However, there are also many others who have found that keto only increased cravings and feelings of deprivation. This is why I lean toward the moderation approach as my choice. To provide all the balanced information you need, here's how keto and lower-carbohydrate nutritional protocols can fit into your regime:
Fuel Source: On keto, carbs are very low, so your body shifts to using fat and ketones as its main source of energy.
Strength Training Impact: Short, heavy lifting sessions rely mostly on stored muscle glycogen and the phosphocreatine system—not carbs from your previous meal. As a result, many weightlifters can maintain or even improve strength on keto.
Adaptation Phase: The first 2–6 weeks can feel harder because glycogen stores are lower, leading to fatigue, flat muscles, and sometimes reduced power until your body adapts.
So, what are the potential benefits?
Fat loss while preserving muscle: Keto can make it easier to stay in a calorie deficit while maintaining protein intake.
Stable energy and appetite control: Some find fewer crashes and easier adherence to the plan.
Inflammation reduction: Some lifters report less joint pain and better recovery.
Now, the potential drawbacks:
Reduced glycogen stores: This may affect high-volume training (hypertrophy/muscle growth) or sports that require explosive, repeated power. Muscles may look flatter due to less stored glycogen and water.
Harder to bulk: Building muscle often benefits from carbs, both fueling volume and triggering insulin (an anabolic hormone).
Electrolyte and hydration needs: Keto increases sodium, potassium, and magnesium loss, so supplementation is important to avoid cramps, weakness, and reduced performance.
Just something to consider when choosing which nutritional approach is best suited to your goals and needs.
Why the occasional treat won’t derail you
The occasional high-sugar dessert or a burger and fries doesn’t wipe out weeks of progress. Your body works on averages over time, not single meals. If most of your diet is built from nutrient-dense whole foods, lean proteins, colorful vegetables, healthy fats, and quality carbs, then the occasional treat is just part of a balanced approach.
This flexibility not only prevents feelings of deprivation but also helps you avoid the binge-restrict cycle that derails so many people.
My personal turning point: From extreme to sustainable
I know firsthand how damaging an all-or-nothing mindset can be. I used to train too hard, chasing perfection, and then beat myself up if I couldn’t stick to my exact program, whether due to a pain flare, ill health, family commitments, or work. That constant pressure to “do it perfectly” left me mentally exhausted and physically burnt out.
It wasn’t until I adopted the mindset to be flexible and adapt as needed that everything changed. I started focusing on being as consistent as possible, given life’s demands, instead of expecting my week to always go perfectly. The result? Less guilt, better recovery, and a healthier relationship with training.
Food freedom through structured flexibility
My relationship with food used to be just as rigid and just as damaging. I come from a background of disordered eating and spent years in cycles of restriction, bingeing, and guilt. The more I restricted, the more I obsessed over the foods I “wasn’t allowed” to have. This is why keto does not work for me, but moderation does.
Now, I follow a structured plan that supports my goals, balancing protein, carbs, fats, and fiber, but I allow planned flexibility. I have free meals for social occasions, and if I want something like hot chips or a donut, I just have it and move on.
You know why it works? Because nothing is off-limits. Just knowing I can have something if I truly want it removes the urgency and craving. Most of the time, I naturally choose the foods that make me feel my best, but if I indulge, it’s simply part of my plan, not a “mistake.”
Structured flexibility: For training and nutrition
Perfection isn’t the goal. Consistency is, and that means allowing room for real life.
In training:
Have a structured plan with clear goals.
But if life happens and you can’t stick to your exact routine, adapt it.
Example: If your 3-day split gets cut to two days, turn it into a push/pull or full-body program for that week.
This adaptability keeps momentum going without the guilt of “falling off track.”
In nutrition:
Have a daily structure: meals planned with a balance of protein, carbs, fats, and fiber that aligns with your calorie needs.
Build in planned flexibility:
Free meals for social occasions.
Small portions of higher-calorie foods you enjoy without guilt.
This approach teaches moderation and makes your plan sustainable long-term.
The big picture: Patience + grace
Long-term fitness success isn’t built on flawless weeks; it’s built on many good weeks, strung together over months and years. Matching your nutrition to your training fuels results. Balancing protein and carbs maximizes growth and recovery. Allowing yourself occasional treats and flexible training keeps you consistent.
When you permit yourself to be human, while staying committed to your structure, you create a lifestyle you can maintain, without burnout, without guilt, and with far better results than any “perfect” plan.
Read more from Tia Hills-Edge
Tia Hills-Edge, Health and Fitness Coach
Tia Hills-Edge is an Australian actress, personal trainer, and martial artist with a background in general and mental health nursing. She is passionate about helping individuals with chronic pain, injuries, hormonal imbalances, or weight management challenges unlock their body's true movement potential through exercise, fitness, and supportive nutrition. Tia is also deeply dedicated to seniors health and fitness, striving to help the aging population maintain youthfulness by preserving movement and muscle strength.
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