We're back with part two of my conversation with Sam Shepard, a researcher and fellow nutrition enthusiast, about the science of energy production. Last week, we went in-depth on carbohydrates, so make sure you’ve listened to that one. Today, we’re talking about the benefits (and drawbacks) of fat adaptation. So what exactly is fat adaptation? Fat adaptation is when your body uses fat as its main energy source rather than carbohydrates. This can be extremely beneficial for low-intensity exercise...
Nov 28, 2024•29 min•Ep. 165
Carbohydrates and Fats are the body’s main source of energy in endurance sports and getting them right can make or break your race day. That’s why I invited Sam Shepherd, a researcher and fellow nutrition enthusiast, onto the TNA podcast to discuss the science of energy production and how you can use it to perform at your best. There’s a lot to talk about here so we’re breaking the conversation into two episodes. This week we’re focusing on carbohydrates, and next week we’ll dive into fats. Sam ...
Nov 21, 2024•39 min•Ep. 164
Around this time last year I shared my list of gift suggestions for triathletes in episode 120 (definitely worth a listen if you haven’t done so already!). This year I’m back with four of Santa's helpers (who are also exceptional triathletes) to share 25 of their top Christmas gift ideas. From essential gear and training must-haves, to high-tech gadgets and professional services, this episode has something for every budget. So if you’re looking for inspiration or want to drop some hints to frien...
Nov 14, 2024•32 min•Ep. 163
As the official race nutrition products for Ironman events, Maurten gels have gained a lot of popularity among endurance athletes. But with two big options on the market, Gel 100 and Gel 160, it can be difficult to know what the right choice is for you. Today I’m breaking down the differences between the two, so you can fuel right and feel your best. Nutrition Content: The biggest difference between Gel 100 and Gel 160 lies in their nutrition content. Gel 100 offers 20mg of sodium as well as 25 ...
Nov 07, 2024•14 min•Ep. 162
As a sports dietitian I’ve studied for years to help you use nutrition to achieve your performance and health goals. That’s why it frustrates me to no end that people go to literally every other source (like Dr. Google, blogs, podcasts, YouTube, magazines) before talking to an expert. People would rather listen to their coach, a training buddy, naturopaths, chiropractors, literally any other person instead of consulting a qualified sports dietitian. But none of these people are experts, and they...
Oct 31, 2024•25 min•Ep. 161
If you google triathlon meal plan, hundreds of results come up with generic, cookie cutter plans you can follow for free. These are problematic for so many reasons! Generic meal plans in no way take into consideration your individual requirements, your lifestyle, budget, or needs. So what makes for a good triathlon meal plan? There are a few key elements you need: A foundation in whole foods Variety Periodisation to meet your training needs Flexibility Simplicity Every body is different Every tr...
Oct 24, 2024•17 min•Ep. 160
As a sports dietitian specialising in triathlon, one of the key elements I focus on with my clients is hydration strategy. Hydration plays a critical role in performance, and understanding your sweat rate is key to optimising your fluid intake. Recently I was lucky enough to sit down with Lindsey Hunt, a senior sports scientist at Precision Fuel and Hydration, to discuss his work in this area and the great new tool that came from it. With an impressive academic background and hands-on research i...
Oct 17, 2024•32 min•Ep. 159
Today I’m joined by Christine Orlowicz, a dedicated age-group triathlete from Fort Myers, Florida, who’s been having an exceptional race season. Christine joined us late at night to share her journey, challenges, and success in mastering her nutrition plan, all while balancing a demanding career as a physician. Originally a runner, Christine entered the world of triathlon almost three years ago, with her first race being in December 2021. She started incorporating swimming and biking into her tr...
Oct 10, 2024•25 min•Ep. 158
When it comes to sports nutrition products, there are a million products and there's always something new promising to boost performance, enhance recovery, or just make training that little bit easier. With the sheer volume of options, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. That’s why I’m sitting down with some Triathlon Nutrition Academy members, athletes just like you, and asking them about their favourite products. To provide these insights, we are joined by Christine from Fort Myers, Florida, Tony H...
Oct 03, 2024•35 min•Ep. 157
When you think of an elite athlete, a Division One All-American swimmer might come to mind. But what if that same athlete also excelled in triathlons, coached others to success, and balanced a full-time job? Meet Chad Rolfs, an extraordinary athlete who joins me fresh off an incredible performance at the Washington 70.3, to share his passion, his journey, and his nutrition strategy. Chad began his athletic journey as a distinguished swimmer. A Division One All-American swimmer in college, Chad w...
Sep 26, 2024•26 min•Ep. 156
As a sports dietician, I’m always thrilled to witness the remarkable transformations of athletes who discover the true potential of tailored nutrition. Today, I'm excited to share the incredible journey of Troy Bauerle, a triathlete from Echuca, Victoria, who improved his performance (practically) overnight by overhauling his nutrition. He’s fresh off a fantastic race performance at the Long Course Worlds in Townsville. Despite a major injury that prevented proper run training, Troy still comple...
Sep 19, 2024•25 min•Ep. 155
The Sunshine Coast 70.3 race has always been an event to look forward to, but this year, it took on a special meaning as it became the first TNA event. We had people fly in from all over the world and they’re sitting down with me today for a post-race recap. For this discussion I’m joined by Kelly (who made the journey from Idaho Falls, USA), Steve (who travelled from a tiny town near Ontario, Canada), Lyn (from Adelaide), and Mokka (from New South Wales). It was fantastic to finally meet in per...
Sep 12, 2024•32 min•Ep. 154
How does one go from never planning to run to conquering the Ironman World Championship? Join us as Meredith McKenzie shares her incredible journey and the pivotal role of nutrition in her success. Meredith's passion for triathlon started unexpectedly during a difficult period in her personal life. She joined a biking group for the emotional outlet it provided and found it meditative. Her friends encouraged her to participate in the Lava Man triathlon in Hawaii, an Olympic-length event. Despite ...
Sep 05, 2024•31 min•Ep. 153
Jet lag can be a triathlete’s worst nightmare. We train for months to perform at our best but international travel leaves us feeling sluggish and out of sync on race day. What if there was a way to outsmart jet lag and step off the plane feeling sharp and race-ready? It might sound too good to be true but it’s not. I’ve just recorded a masterclass about beating jet lag for my TNA athletes and I want to share some of those hot tips with you too! So, what exactly is jet lag? It’s that horrible fee...
Aug 29, 2024•22 min•Ep. 152
When you’re lacking motivation through a hard triathlon training period, where do you turn for encouragement? You could binge-listen to a podcast, watch an inspiring movie or check out your favourite athlete’s socials, but I personally feel that one of the best places to start is a good ol’ fashioned book. Today, I teamed up with some of the members inside the Triathlon Nutrition Academy community to bring you a curated list of 20 must-read books for triathletes, from insightful how-tos to inspi...
Aug 22, 2024•42 min•Ep. 151
Are you ready to delve into the mind of an incredible triathlete who's completed 18 Ironman races? Yes, you heard that right, eighteen! Leanne, an age-group athlete, has been tackling triathlons for a whopping 30 years. Not only that, but she balances this passion with raising three children and working full-time. Her experience is vast, her knowledge is deep, and today, she's ready to share her wisdom with us. One of Leanne’s biggest takeaways has been the importance of flexibility in training ...
Aug 15, 2024•37 min•Ep. 150
Could you be sabotaging your race-day performance by eating the wrong pre-race foods? Having worked with triathletes for the past 16 years, I've seen far too many show up to a race with no clear plan for their nutrition and undoing the months of hard training they put in. I don’t want that to happen to you so today I’m talking about what NOT to eat before you get to that start line. Minimise Fibre Normally, fibre is fantastic—it's essential for keeping our gut microbes happy, supporting our immu...
Aug 08, 2024•17 min•Ep. 149
Wondering how to fine-tune your nutrition for peak endurance performance? I’ve got you covered. Today, I'll be sharing my top 10 "superfoods" that every endurance athlete should consider incorporating into their diet. I’m not talking about the typical marketing gimmick superfoods; I’m talking about nutrient-dense foods that genuinely enhance performance and overall health. Berries are rich in antioxidants, in particular flavonoids, that help combat inflammation and oxidative stress from workouts...
Aug 01, 2024•35 min•Ep. 148
If you’ve ever had a break from training, there are a few key things you need to do with your nutrition on your return. Maybe you’ve been sick or injured, gone on a triathlon free holiday (who even are you?!), you’ve taken a few weeks off after a key event or had something personal come up that’s been a handbrake on your training. Whatever the reason, this is an important time to prioritise your nutrition strategies. To ensure you’re putting in the right building blocks, at a time when your body...
Jul 25, 2024•18 min•Ep. 147
Today, I'm joined by two passionate triathletes, Lisa and Paul McDonald, to discuss his recent experience with the gruelling Ultraman Australia. Lisa was with him all the way and, as a member of the TNA, had the knowledge to equip him for success. Our conversation goes over the whole journey, from training and nutrition planning to the actual race and recovery. So, get ready for some actionable advice on optimising your performance in long-distance triathlons. For those unfamiliar, Ultraman is n...
Jul 18, 2024•27 min•Ep. 146
How can you know if your nutrition sucks? Well, bad nutrition can cause big issues in all areas of your body, so there are plenty of warning signs, but they’re easy to miss if you don’t know what to look for. Today I want to share nine critical signs that your nutrition needs immediate attention 1.You Need a Nap During the Day For me, the biggest red flag here is when someone constantly needs to nap or if they’re falling asleep on the couch. If your body isn’t receiving the fuel or nutrition it ...
Jul 11, 2024•48 min•Ep. 145
Have you ever felt like your body just isn’t cooperating, no matter how hard you train or how well you think you’re eating? You’re not alone. Many athletes have gone through this, and today’s guest, Laura Hoffman, is no exception. She previously struggled with iron absorption issues which severely impacted her training but overcame this with tailored nutrition. Recently, Laura achieved a 20-minute personal record (PR) at the Western Massachusetts 70.3 Ironman, and I got the inside scoop on how s...
Jul 04, 2024•31 min•Ep. 144
Coca-Cola as a performance enhancer? You probably didn't see that coming on a sports nutrition podcast! But hold on, there's more here than meets the eye. Today, we're diving into how Coca-Cola, often seen as a guilty pleasure, can actually play a role in an athlete's nutrition plan. The Role of Sugar in Sports Nutrition First, let's talk about sugar. Carbohydrates are our primary source of fuel as endurance athletes. During prolonged endurance events, our carbohydrate stores (like glycogen in o...
Jun 27, 2024•19 min•Ep. 143
Proper recovery and performance enhancement have always been top priorities for athletes. But what happens when new trends promise to deliver these benefits with the allure of convenience? Is it worth the investment, or even safe? Today, we delve into the growing trend that is IV hydration and explore whether it truly lives up to the hype. What is IV Hydration? In simple terms, IV hydration involves bags of hydration, vitamins, amino acids, or a mix thereof being administered directly into your ...
Jun 20, 2024•20 min•Ep. 142
A proper understanding of protein intake is crucial for getting your best performance in endurance sports. For years we’ve had pretty clear guidelines for what works best but a recent study has come out with the potential to completely reshape what we thought we knew. That’s what we’re discussing in today’s episode of the TNA podcast. I’ll go into the study, the findings, and the practical applications for triathletes. Previously we believed that consuming more than 20 grams of protein in one si...
Jun 18, 2024•18 min•Ep. 141
We are back! So much has happened in the sports nutrition space over the last few months and I’m so excited to be in my recording space to get you caught up! There’s too much to discuss in this one episode so I’ll be hitting you with news for the next few weeks, but today I want to talk about the new hydration sponsor on course for the North American Ironman events: Mortal Hydration. What is Mortal Hydration? Ironman announced early this year that they're phasing out Gatorade Endurance and intro...
Jun 13, 2024•21 min•Ep. 140
Here’s the truth about triathlon race nutrition… Failing to plan is planning to fail. So many triathletes completely wing it when it comes to race nutrition. They’re not prepared at all or it’s way too late. They haven’t practised and rehearsed and that can end badly on race day. You spend months training in preparation for the big day - why would you leave something like race day nutrition to chance? If you want to be successful on race day, whatever that looks like for you - you need to start ...
Mar 28, 2024•25 min•Ep. 139
Embarking on a journey towards triathlon is not just about physical endurance; it's about mental fortitude and personal transformation. Join me as we dive into the inspiring story of Chris Kenon, a triathlete from North Carolina, USA, as she shares her remarkable journey from complete novice to seasoned competitor. Learning to Swim with YouTube: Chris didn’t plan to be a triathlete. She was a runner, but a chance encounter led to a spot in a team, which quickly escalated from just completing the...
Mar 21, 2024•25 min•Ep. 138
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Mar 14, 2024•15 min•Ep. 137
Training availability is an important consideration for every high-performance endurance athlete. Illness or injury can leave you unable to train properly and set your goals back weeks or even months. Fellow sports dietician Dane Baker joins me today to share practical tips for improving our immune system and overall training availability. Training availability refers to an athlete's ability to consistently train or be available to play. Injury and illness are the main factors that can disrupt t...
Mar 07, 2024•28 min•Ep. 136
