The Best Foods to Support Your Immune System as a Cyclist
If there’s one thing I learned early in my career, it’s that fitness means very little if you can’t stay healthy.
As a professional cyclist, missing training because of illness was often more damaging than missing a session due to fatigue. When your immune system takes a hit, consistency disappears quickly, and consistency is everything in endurance sport.
These days, whether I’m riding socially, training consistently, or juggling work and riding, immune health still sits right at the top of my priorities. And while supplements get a lot of attention, the biggest difference has always come from what I eat regularly, not what I add occasionally.
Why Cyclists Need to Think About Immunity
Cycling places unique demands on the body. Long rides, high training loads, travel, stress, and disrupted sleep can all place pressure on the immune system.
Hard sessions temporarily suppress immune function, which is why riders often get sick during heavy training blocks or after big events. Supporting immunity isn’t about avoiding training. It’s about giving your body the resources it needs to adapt and recover.
Food plays a central role in that process.
Consistency Matters More Than “Superfoods”
There’s no single food that will magically protect you from getting sick. Immune health is built through:
- Eating enough overall
- Eating regularly
- Eating a variety of foods
- Avoiding prolonged under-fuelling
When energy intake is too low, immune function is often one of the first things to suffer. Many cyclists experience frequent colds or lingering illness not because of a lack of vitamins, but because they’re simply not eating enough to support training.
Carbohydrates Support Immunity (Not Just Performance)
Carbohydrates don’t just fuel riding. They also support immune function.
When carbohydrate availability is low, stress hormones increase, which can suppress immune responses. This is especially relevant around long or intense rides.
Including carbohydrates before riding, during longer sessions, and after training helps reduce physiological stress and supports immune resilience. This doesn’t mean constant sugar. It means enough fuel to match your workload.
Protein Plays a Supporting Role
Protein is often discussed in the context of muscle repair, but it also supports immune health. Adequate protein intake helps maintain antibody production, tissue repair, and recovery between sessions.
Spreading protein intake across meals, rather than concentrating it in one sitting, tends to support overall recovery and health more effectively.
The Best Foods to Support Immune Health
Rather than chasing individual nutrients, I’ve always focused on patterns of eating that naturally support immunity. Here are some of the food groups that consistently make a difference.
Fruits and Vegetables (Especially Variety)
Colour matters. Different coloured fruits and vegetables provide different vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that support immune function.
A varied intake over the course of the week is far more important than perfection in any single meal.
Think leafy greens, citrus fruits, berries, root vegetables, and cruciferous vegetables. You don’t need all of them every day. You just need them regularly.
Fermented and Gut-Friendly Foods
The gut plays a significant role in immune health. Foods that support gut bacteria can help maintain immune balance, particularly during periods of stress or heavy training.
Examples include yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi and miso. You don’t need large amounts. Regular inclusion is enough.
Healthy Fats
Fats support hormone production and help regulate inflammation. Including sources of healthy fats supports overall health and recovery, particularly when training volume is high.
Examples include olive oil, nuts and seeds, avocado, and oily fish. These don’t need to be excessive. They just need to be consistent.
Iron-Rich Foods (Especially for Women)
Iron deficiency is common among endurance athletes, particularly women. Low iron can impact energy levels, recovery and immune resilience.
Including iron-rich foods regularly, alongside sources of vitamin C to support absorption, can make a meaningful difference over time.
Don’t Forget the Basics: Sleep, Fuel and Stress
No amount of “immune-boosting” food will compensate for chronic under-fuelling, poor sleep, or high stress without recovery.
When I was racing, the periods I got sick most often weren’t when my diet was “bad”. They were when I was tired, under-fuelled, travelling, and trying to do too much at once.
Food supports immunity best when the foundations are in place.
Supplements: Useful, But Not the First Step
Supplements can play a role, particularly when deficiencies are present, but they shouldn’t replace food.
Before adding supplements, it’s worth asking: am I eating enough, am I fuelling around rides, and am I recovering properly? In many cases, improving those basics reduces the need for anything extra.
Final Thoughts
Supporting your immune system as a cyclist isn’t about chasing perfect health or avoiding training stress. It’s about fuelling consistently, eating a variety of foods, and giving your body the resources it needs to adapt.
Staying healthy doesn’t come from doing one thing perfectly. It comes from doing the basics well, most of the time.
— Chloe and the Hosking Bikes Team