Fueling Endurance - Nutrition for Runners, Cyclists & Triathletes

We’ve all experienced that cool mint sensation from toothpaste, mouthwash, or mint flavoured foods before. So when you’re racing in a hot environment, can this cooling sensation change how hot you feel, or even help you perform better? And is there any downside to this? Or like a lot of things in science, is it maybe not that simple?   Podcast Guest: Dr Erica Gavel-Pinos - University of Alberta, Canada.   Erica's online presence: X: @EricaGavel LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/erica-gavel/ Instagram: @gavelerica   Papers mentioned: Meta-analysis of menthol mouth rinsing: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-024-00679-8 Erica's study of menthol in thermoneutral conditions: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16071016 Erica's study of menthol in female athletes: https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2020-0414   AI in sports nutrition paper mentioned: Solomon T & Laye M. (2025). The sports nutrition knowledge of large language model (LLM) artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots: An assessment of accuracy, completeness, clarity, quality of evidence, and test-retest reliability. PLoS One. 20(6):e0325982. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0325982   Fueling Endurance eBook | T -12 Race Nutrition Course | Practitioner Resources The Fueling Endurance eBook contains answers to 49 of the most common nutrition questions that runners, cyclists and triathletes ask, and contains insights, tips, and quotes from experts and athletes.  The T -12 self-guided course will help prepare you for your next event, with online tools, guides, information and instructions to take you through the 12 weeks leading up to race day. And the freshly released Fueling Endurance Practitioner Membership provides access to online tools and calculators I use all the time when working with endurance and ultraendurance athletes. For more into on each of these, check out fuelingendurance.com.   Fuelin: This episode is supported by Fuelin, the world's first training-based nutrition app. It syncs with your training plan (in TrainingPeaks, Final Surge, TriDot, Run Dot or Humango) and creates a personalised nutrition plan, built around your training schedule and tailored to your goals. You’ll see adjustments in your fuelling both within and outside of training sessions, using a traffic light system to adjust your carb intake to fuel appropriately for your needs. The new-look Version 2 app has just launched, providing an even better user experience. To get 20% off your first month, go to fuelin.com and enter the code FE20 at checkout.  

Artificial intelligence is quickly becoming many people's go-to for answers to their sports nutrition questions. It has a knack of taking your question, exactly as you asked it, and providing what seems like the perfectly relevant answer. But is AI really providing the answers you’re looking for? Is it telling the truth? And if not, how can you tell?    Fueling Endurance eBook | T -12 Race Nutrition Course | Practitioner Resources The Fueling Endurance eBook contains answers to 49 of the most common nutrition questions that runners, cyclists and triathletes ask, and contains insights, tips, and quotes from experts and athletes.  The T -12 self-guided course will help prepare you for your next event, with online tools, guides, information and instructions to take you through the 12 weeks leading up to race day. And the freshly released Fueling Endurance Practitioner Membership provides access to online tools and calculators I use all the time when working with endurance and ultraendurance athletes. For more into on each of these, check out fuelingendurance.com.   Fuelin: This episode is supported by Fuelin, the world's first training-based nutrition app. It syncs with your training plan (in TrainingPeaks, Final Surge, TriDot, Run Dot or Humango) and creates a personalised nutrition plan, built around your training schedule and tailored to your goals. You’ll see adjustments in your fuelling both within and outside of training sessions, using a traffic light system to adjust your carb intake to fuel appropriately for your needs. The new-look Version 2 app has just launched, providing an even better user experience. To get 20% off your first month, go to fuelin.com and enter the code FE20 at checkout.

Imagine being able to predict what your sweat rate is going to be at any given running pace or power output, in different weather conditions, with reasonable accuracy. Well, now you can. In this episode Prof Ollie Jay (Thermal Ergonomic Laboratory, University of Sydney), one of the brains behind this new tool, joins us to discuss how it all came together, how accurate it is, and how to best use it. Have you gone to plan your fluid needs for training or race day, but weren’t sure how much sweat you’re going to lose? Do you train in a cool environment for an event in a hot environment? Or you just don’t have the time to measure sweat losses in multiple training sessions to understand your needs? This is the podcast for you.   Podcast Guest: Prof. Ollie Jay - Thermal Ergonomics Laboratory, University of Sydney.   Ollie's online presence: X: @ollie_jay13 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ollie-jay-793a1b11/ Instagram: @thermalerglab   Sweat Rate calculator and papers mentioned: Sweat Rate Calculator: sweatratecalculator.com Validation - Indoor Exercise: https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00829.2023 Validation - Outdoor Exercise: https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00831.2023   Fueling Endurance eBook | T -12 Race Nutrition Course | Practitioner Resources The Fueling Endurance eBook contains answers to 49 of the most common nutrition questions that runners, cyclists and triathletes ask, and contains insights, tips, and quotes from experts and athletes.  The T -12 self-guided course will help prepare you for your next event, with online tools, guides, information and instructions to take you through the 12 weeks leading up to race day. And the freshly released Fueling Endurance Practitioner Membership provides access to online tools and calculators I use all the time when working with endurance and ultraendurance athletes. For more into on each of these, check out fuelingendurance.com.   Fuelin: This episode is supported by Fuelin, the world's first training-based nutrition app. It syncs with your training plan (in TrainingPeaks, Final Surge, TriDot, Run Dot or Humango) and creates a personalised nutrition plan, built around your training schedule and tailored to your goals. You’ll see adjustments in your fuelling both within and outside of training sessions, using a traffic light system to adjust your carb intake to fuel appropriately for your needs. The new-look Version 2 app has just launched, providing an even better user experience. To get 20% off your first month, go to fuelin.com and enter the code FE20 at checkout.  

One of the most common bits advice you see for runners, cyclists, and triathletes is to avoid gluten, either on a daily basis, or in the days leading up to competition. So where does this advice come from? Is it effective? And most importantly, is there a better approach?   Fueling Endurance eBook | T -12 Race Nutrition Course | Practitioner Resources The Fueling Endurance eBook contains answers to 49 of the most common nutrition questions that runners, cyclists and triathletes ask, and contains insights, tips, and quotes from experts and athletes.  The newly released T -12 self-guided course will help prepare you for your next event, with online tools, guides, information and instructions to take you through the 12 weeks leading up to race day. And soon-to-be-released, the Fueling Endurance Practitioner Resources will provide access to online tools and calculators I use all the time when working with endurance and ultraendurance athletes. For more into on each of these, check out fuelingendurance.com.   Fuelin: This episode is supported by Fuelin, the world's first training-based nutrition app. It syncs with your training plan (in TrainingPeaks, Final Surge, TriDot, Run Dot or Humango) and creates a personalised nutrition plan, built around your training schedule and tailored to your goals. You’ll see adjustments in your fuelling both within and outside of training sessions, using a traffic light system to adjust your carb intake to fuel appropriately for your needs. The new-look Version 2 app has just launched, providing an even better user experience. To get 20% off your first month, go to fuelin.com and enter the code FE20 at checkout.

When we think of injury prevention for runners, cyclists and triathletes we tend to focus on non-nutrition factors - training loads, shoes, biomechanics, stretching, foam rolling, strength and conditioning, and so on. But what about nutrition - does it have a role to play too? We're joined by sports dietitian and ultra-runner Erin Colebatch, whose current research seeks to answer this question.   Podcast Guest: Erin Colebatch - University of South Australia & Ultra Appetites    Erin's online presence: X/Twitter: @ErinColebatch Instagram: @ultraappetites Website: ultraappetites.com.au   Erin's research mentioned: Colebatch, EA et al. (2025). Diet, risk of disordered eating and running-related injury in adult distance runners: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. J Sci Med Sport. In Press. DOI: 10.1016/j.jsams.2025.02.001   Trail Running Food Resource Mentioned: This free online tool allows you to filter and compare over 180 different sports nutrition and real food options for endurance athletes. findtrail.co/food    Fueling Endurance eBook | T -12 Race Nutrition Course | Practitioner Resources The Fueling Endurance eBook contains answers to 49 of the most common nutrition questions that runners, cyclists and triathletes ask, and contains insights, tips, and quotes from experts and athletes.  The newly released T -12 self-guided course will help prepare you for your next event, with online tools, guides, information and instructions to take you through the 12 weeks leading up to race day. And soon-to-be-released, the Fueling Endurance Practitioner Resources will provide access to online tools and calculators I use all the time when working with endurance and ultraendurance athletes. For more into on each of these, check out fuelingendurance.com.   Fuelin: This episode is supported by Fuelin, the world's first training-based nutrition app. It syncs with your training plan (in TrainingPeaks, Final Surge, and TriDot or Run Dot) and creates a personalised nutrition plan, built around your training schedule and tailored to your goals. You’ll see adjustments in your fuelling both within and outside of training sessions, using a traffic light system to adjust your carb intake to fuel appropriately for your needs. The new-look Version 2 app has just launched, providing an even better user experience. To get 20% off your first month, go to fuelin.com and enter the code FE20 at checkout.    

For the last few years the diabetes drug Ozempic has taken the weight loss world by storm. In this episode we’re looking at this class of weight loss drugs as they apply to runners, cyclists and triathletes. We know plenty of non-professional endurance athletes have tried, are using, or are thinking about taking these medications. So what exactly are they? Are they effective? What are the risks and side effects? And can they be compatible with endurance training? Notes: This episode is a dietitian's perspective on weight loss medication and its role in nutrition for athletic performance. It does not constitute medical advice. This episode contains discussions about body image, injectable drug use, disordered eating and eating disorders.   Fueling Endurance eBook | T -12 Race Nutrition Course | Practitioner Resources The Fueling Endurance eBook contains answers to 49 of the most common nutrition questions that runners, cyclists and triathletes ask, and contains insights, tips, and quotes from experts and athletes.  The soon-to-be-released T -12 self-guided course will help prepare you for your next event, with online tools, guides, information and instructions to take you through the 12 weeks leading up to race day. Also soon-to-be-released, the Fueling Endurance Practitioner Resources will provide access to online tools and calculators I use all the time when working with endurance and ultraendurance athletes. For more into on each of these, check out fuelingendurance.com.   Fuelin: This episode is supported by Fuelin, the world's first training-based nutrition app. It syncs with your training plan (in TrainingPeaks, Final Surge, and TriDot or Run Dot) and creates a personalised nutrition plan, built around your training schedule and tailored to your goals. You’ll see adjustments in your fuelling both within and outside of training sessions, using a traffic light system to adjust your carb intake to fuel appropriately for your needs. The new-look Version 2 app has just launched, providing an even better user experience. To get 20% off your first month, go to https://www.fuelin.com/ and enter the code FE20 at checkout.    

You’ve probably heard of periodised training before, and maybe even periodised nutrition. But what does it actually mean? In this episode I explain what periodised nutrition means for endurance athletes, how it’s changed over the years, whether it's important or not, and the key points to get you started.   Fueling Endurance eBook | T -12 Race Nutrition Course | Practitioner Resources The Fueling Endurance eBook contains answers to 49 of the most common nutrition questions that runners, cyclists and triathletes ask, and contains insights, tips, and quotes from experts and athletes.  The soon-to-be-released T -12 self-guided course will help prepare you for your next event, with online tools, guides, information and instructions to take you through the 12 weeks leading up to race day. Also soon-to-be-released, the Fueling Endurance Practitioner Resources will provide access to online tools and calculators I use all the time when working with endurance and ultraendurance athletes. For more into on each of these, check out fuelingendurance.com.   Fuelin: This episode is supported by Fuelin, the world's first training-based nutrition app. It syncs with your training plan (in TrainingPeaks, Final Surge, and TriDot or Run Dot) and creates a personalised nutrition plan, built around your training schedule and tailored to your goals. You’ll see adjustments in your fuelling both within and outside of training sessions, using a traffic light system to adjust your carb intake to fuel appropriately for your needs.  To get 20% off your first month, go to https://www.fuelin.com/ and enter the code FE20 at checkout.

On today’s episode we’re dissecting how sports nutrition evolves over time. The diets, the foods, the supplements, and the attitudes to health, body composition and performance. How and why does this stuff change over time, and can that tell us anything about the future? As much as we’d like to think things are always evolving for the better based on new scientific research and insights, that’s definitely not always the case.   Fuelin: This episode is supported by Fuelin, the world's first training-based nutrition app. It syncs with your training plan (in TrainingPeaks, Final Surge, and TriDot or Run Dot) and creates a personalised nutrition plan, built around your training schedule and tailored to your goals. You’ll see adjustments in your fuelling both within and outside of training sessions, using a traffic light system to adjust your carb intake to fuel appropriately for your needs.  To get 20% off your first month, go to https://www.fuelin.com/ and enter the code FE20 at checkout.   Fueling Endurance eBook: At over 260 pages, the Fueling Endurance eBook contains answers to 49 of the most common nutrition questions that runners, cyclists and triathletes ask. Covering the first two years of the podcast, the eBook contains additional insights, tips, and quotes from experts and athletes. Every copy sold helps cover the cost of making the podcast.  Purchase directly from https://fuelingendurance.com/ or search Fueling Endurance on Amazon for the Kindle version.

We’ve often talked about the benefits of carbohydrate for runners, cyclists and triathletes, but for many people there’s an underlying concern - does eating all those carbs increase the risk of developing diabetes or heart disease? It’s certainly a common message that’s pushed online in some circles, but is this really the case? In this episode I speak to diabetes researcher and clinical dietitian Dr Nicola Guess from the University of Oxford, who has often been asked this exact question by concerned runners, cyclists and triathletes. We break down what science tells us about the underlying cause of diabetes, how carbohydrate, exercise and body composition fit into the picture, whether high carb diets are a risk factor for chronic disease in their own right, and whether the approach should be different based on the level of training and fitness, age, family history, and existing health conditions.   Podcast Guest: Dr Nicola Guess - University of Oxford and private practice clinical dietitian   Nicola's online presence: Instagram: @dr.nicola.guess Blog/Substack: drguess.substack.com   Diabetes risk calculators mentioned: AUSDRISK Calculator (Australia): https://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/risk-calculator/ Diabetes UK: https://riskscore.diabetes.org.uk/start American Diabetes Association Risk Test: https://diabetes.org/diabetes-risk-test   Fuelin: This episode is supported by Fuelin, the world's first training-based nutrition app. It syncs with your training plan (in TrainingPeaks, Final Surge, and TriDot or Run Dot) and creates a personalised nutrition plan, built around your training schedule and tailored to your goals. You’ll see adjustments in your fuelling both within and outside of training sessions, using a traffic light system to adjust your carb intake to fuel appropriately for your needs.  To get 20% off your first month, go to https://www.fuelin.com/ and enter the code FE20 at checkout.   Fueling Endurance eBook: At over 260 pages, the Fueling Endurance eBook contains answers to 49 of the most common nutrition questions that runners, cyclists and triathletes ask. Covering the first two years of the podcast, the eBook contains additional insights, tips, and quotes from experts and athletes. Every copy sold helps cover the cost of making the podcast.  Purchase directly from https://fuelingendurance.com/ or search Fueling Endurance on Amazon for the Kindle version.

It's the 4th birthday of the podcast! And like each previous year, we’re going to look back and provide a brief summary of every question we’ve answered on the podcast in the past year, from “How do I work out my calorie needs for training?” to “Does pickle juice actually work?”, and “What do I do when my race nutrition plan falls apart?”. So if you’re new to the podcast and don’t have time to go through the whole back catalogue, or you just want a refresher and the key points from the past year's episodes, this is the place for you.   Fuelin: This episode is supported by Fuelin, the world's first training-based nutrition app. It syncs with your training plan (in TrainingPeaks, Final Surge, and TriDot or Run Dot) and creates a personalised nutrition plan, built around your training schedule and tailored to your goals. You’ll see adjustments in your fuelling both within and outside of training sessions, using a traffic light system to adjust your carb intake to fuel appropriately for your needs.  To get 20% off your first month, go to https://www.fuelin.com/ and enter the code FE20 at checkout.   Fueling Endurance eBook: At over 260 pages, the Fueling Endurance eBook contains answers to 49 of the most common nutrition questions that runners, cyclists and triathletes ask. Covering the first two years of the podcast, the eBook contains additional insights, tips, and quotes from experts and athletes. Every copy sold helps cover the cost of making the podcast.  Purchase directly from https://fuelingendurance.com/ or search Fueling Endurance on Amazon for the Kindle version.