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In Episode 109 of the Eat for Endurance podcast, Hayden James, RDN CSSD CDCES of Satiate Nutrition joins me for a deep dive into blood sugar levels and athletic performance.

Hayden is a sports dietitian, Certified Diabetes Care & Education Specialist, and the conference director for the inaugural 2025 Fuel Fest, an endurance and mountain sports nutrition conference for healthcare professionals. She's also an avid trail runner, climber, skier, and lifter based in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Hayden and I discuss everything you should know about blood sugar levels as an athlete, including:

Which foods and other factors cause blood sugar levels to increase
The role of insulin in the body
Acute vs chronic glucose elevations
Why maintaining "normal" blood sugar levels is important to overall health
Why a blood sugar spike in itself isn’t a bad thing
How to tell if you truly have low blood sugar, or if you're just hungry
Why simple sugars found in sports nutrition products are helpful
Different forms of simple sugars that you can use during exercise
The importance of adequate carb intake for bone health and iron status
What might be causing your afternoon slump (hint: it's not the carbs)
The use of continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) in non-diabetic athletes
Why athletes should use caution with CGMs, and perhaps even avoid them

We also aim to clear up some of the confusion on this topic to encourage athletes to stop fearing and/or limiting carbs in their diet.

Links & Announcements:

Follow Hayden on Instagram
Watch this episode on YouTube
Join my new monthly membership service, Fuel for Life Crew, for just $30/month
Check out my free nutrition downloads
Fill out a new client inquiry form if you’re interested in 1:1 nutrition coaching
Support the podcast with my Skratch Labs affiliate code EATFORENDURANCE20
Join my Patreon community
Get in touch at claire@eatforendurance.com

Disclaimer – all information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is in no way meant to replace individual medical and nutrition recommendations

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