Tough Girl Podcast Renee McGregor – World Renowned Expert in Athlete Health & Performance, Ultra-Runner, and Women’s Sports Advocate
Renee McGregor is a world-renowned sports dietitian, ultra-runner, and advocate for women in sport. With over 20 years of experience working with elite athletes, she’s passionate about helping individuals fuel their adventures, align with their core values, and thrive in both sport and life. As a trustee of Black Trail Runners, Renee is also dedicated to making the outdoors more inclusive.
In this episode, we dive deep into Renee’s journey—both professionally and personally—since we last spoke in 2016. From launching her own consultancy and leading a team of eight, to navigating life changes, an autoimmune diagnosis, and the challenges of peri-menopause, Renee shares her honest and insightful perspective on resilience, performance, and wellbeing.
What to Expect in This Episode: How Renee’s career has evolved over the years The truth about carbs, sugar, and fuelling for endurance The impact of running on mental resilience and stress management Her latest book, Fuel for Thought, and why nutrition should be accessible for all Unfiltered—a powerful and deeply personal film following Renee’s journey through endurance sports, advocacy, and resilience.
Why trusting your body is key and the myths around glucose monitoring Creating a supportive community in sport and beyond
Whether you're an athlete, outdoor enthusiast, or just looking for inspiration on navigating life’s challenges, this conversation is packed with wisdom, practical advice, and powerful storytelling.
Listen now and get inspired!
***
Catch the latest episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast, dropping every Tuesday at 7 am UK time! Don’t forget to subscribe so you won’t miss the inspiring journeys and incredible stories of tough women.
Want to play a part in uplifting female representation in the media? Support the Tough Girl Podcast on Patreon! Your generosity helps shine a spotlight on female role models in the world of adventure and physical challenges. Join us in making a positive impact by visiting www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.
Thank you for your amazing support!
***
Previous TGP episodes with Renee
Jul 26, 2016 - A Leading sports and eating disorder specialist dietitian with over 15 years experience working in nutrition. Renee works with elite athletes, coaches and sports science teams to provide nutritional strategies to enhance sports performance.
Dec 1, 2016 - Talking about how to get the balance right between periods, health, and performance.
***
Show notes
- Who is Renee
- Being known for her work and how it has changed over the years
- Living in Cumbria
- When we first spoke back in July 2016 and then in Dec 2016
- Book: Fast Fuel Food for Triathlon Success
- Book: Fast Fuel Food for Running Success
- What’s being going on over the past 9 years?
- Carbs and sugar
- How her life has changed since 2016
- Starting up her own consultancy and working with a team of 8 people
- Going through a divorce and focusing on her girls
- Continuing to build on her running
- Writing 2 more books
- Her adult daughters
- Working with different types of teams
- Wanting to help athletes
- Wanting to align with her core values
- Having a high tolerance for distress
- How her running has helped her to manage stressful situations
- The running community and feeling supported
- Being diagnosed with an auto immune condition
- Creating a strong community on social media and using her platform to educate
- Wanting people to find the joy in running and eating
- NEW Book: Fuel for Thought A practical guide to fuelling for your adventures
- Wanting food to be accessible for everyone
- Her personal journey and what she’s learnt along the way
- Wanting people to thrive
- Wearing a personalised glucose monitor?
- Why food is not the only thing that affects glucose levels
- Why there can be false reading
- Having a shot of cider vinegar before a meal….
- The fear of glucose spiking
- Being able to trust your body and losing site of that
- Our genetic blueprint
- Tracking periods and training
- Her journey with peri-menopause
- Changes in mood and dealing with anxiety
- HRT?
- New film - Unfiltered
- How the film came about
- Jenny Tough - SOLO film
- Wanting to make a film about women and mothers
- Suffering from racial abuse and not feeling welcomed
- Wanting to help women to stop feeling so much pressure
- Going on tour with the film
- Kendal Mountain Film Festival
- Fort Williams Mountain Film Festival
- London Mountain Festival - 15th March 2025 - Riverside Studios, Hammersmith
- How you can connect with Renee
- Thinking about starting a substack?
- Final words of advice - “There will be something to learn even from the pain”
Social Media
Instagram @r_mcgregor
Unfiltered website - to find out where you can see the film
Book: Fuel for Thought A practical guide to fuelling for your adventures:
Fuel for Thought by leading sports dietitian Renee McGregor is a practical guide to sports nutrition. Cutting through the jargon and misinformation, Renee draws on over twenty years’ experience of working with sportspeople from a range of disciplines to provide straightforward, accessible advice about how you can fuel your adventures.