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At 64 days of racing, in 2023 climber Barbara Malcotti had the joint most days of competitive action in the women’s peloton. It was a season to remember for the 23-year-old, who captured her first pro win, was fifth in her national championships road race and completed the grueling Tour de France/Giro double. 

Barbara focuses on Human Powered Health’s Pillars of Performance to help her recover from a big season while gearing up for the next.

Movement 

I do endurance rides and some strength training with some quality, but I never pass my zone 3. This means exercise with a heart rate of 70–80% of my maximum. It strengthens muscles and builds endurance and is a good limit for keeping fit.

In the morning I always walk, run, or do some core exercise for activation. I do between 20 minutes to an hour and it’s a good healthy way to start every day feeling you have achieved at least one goal.

I do some gym workouts with upper body training, strength training like squats and Bulgarian squats with some weights and then of course core exercise. I end with plyometric as these are explosive exercises without equipment that will help build power in my muscles. 

I do yoga and stretching to improve my recovery, flexibility and mental health.

Mindset

Yoga is important for my mindset. I find some time for me during yoga. It is one of the things that I like to do the most. I also read some books and do some mental training. Sports psychology is so important for professional athletes like us. 

I like training my mindset outdoors. I feel free and relaxed. I need to stay in the fresh air and be connected with nature. 

Training with friends is really important. I feel the physical, tiring effects of my training less. Most of all I can socialize with other riders and make new friends. 

This is a crucial time of year for mindset. At home you have everything you need, it’s relaxing and you have your own space. If you want to meet people you can. And if you don’t you are free to be alone. You don’t need to follow a set schedule all of the time and that’s important for your mind.

Fuel

It is easier to be a gluten-free athlete at home than on the road. I buy almost all of my gluten-free products but in the last month, I also tried to make homemade gluten-free bread. I really like and appreciate making it, but the only problem is that it needs a long time to prepare.

I always follow guidance from a nutritionist. I am gluten-free so they give me instructions for food and nutrition so I am ready to train but also to maximize my recovery. I get the carbohydrates I need in gluten-free penne pasta, beans, rice, lentils and fresh fruits and vegetables.

I’m following a Mediterranean diet that includes a part of carbohydrate, a part of protein and a part of healthy fat. These are meals where vegetables are the staple but once a week I also love to eat pizza and gelato of course.  

I change what I eat every day. Also, because of different training intensities resulting in me having a different metabolism, I need different kinds of macronutrients [carbohydrates, proteins, fats] and micronutrients [vitamins and minerals]. 

I love to bake. I have been baking my own pizza and bread as well as pumpkin bread, banana bread and chicken ribs. For me, cooking and baking makes me relaxed. I love it and also other people appreciate my dishes so I can say I’m a quite good cook.

Recovery

I aim to sleep around eight to nine hours a night. I will also take a nap after training to help re-energize me. I also like to have a day off to take care of myself and do whatever I want. 

I work on recovery with my coach. We follow data captured by Whoop throughout the day but most of all I listen to my feelings. If I have had a hard day, even if I wasn’t expecting to, I will make sure that I do not skip my recovery time. 

After 63 days of racing, I took nine days on vacation. I needed it for my mindset and I took care of myself so after the last race in China I just listened to what I needed, and that was a holiday. You need some days off, particularly after a season like mine to be ready to restart your training and aim for more success in 2024.