Fueling Endurance - Nutrition for Runners, Cyclists & Triathletes

Many runners, cyclists and triathletes, male and female, can find themselves struggling to perform, or to recover, from training. Or they may have other health complications, like loss of their menstrual cycle for females and low testosterone in males, loss of bone density, effects on mental health, and constantly getting sick all the time.  In this episode our guest is Tina Muir, former elite distance runner who represented Great Britain. Tina suffered with amenorrhoea for 9 years, and although she didn’t realise it at the time, Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S). We chat to Tina about her realisation that energy availability was behind her lack of a menstrual cycle, some of the common symptoms of RED-S that she experienced but aren’t mentioned in the official guidelines, her decision to quit the sport at the peak of her career, her journey to recover from RED-S, and her ongoing work to support athletes (especially women) in understanding and recovering from this condition. Useful resources mentioned in this episode:  Tina Muir - An Open Letter to Runners With Amenorrhea - Self Magazine (2017) - https://www.self.com/story/letter-to-runners-with-amenorrhea-tina-muir Tina's YouTube Channel (expert interviews about RED-S and recovery from it) - https://www.youtube.com/@TinaMuir/playlists?view=50&sort=dd&shelf_id=1

In previous podcasts we've talked about the issue of low energy availability and the health and performance problems it can cause for athletes. But what if you're in that situation right now? In this episode Bronwen Lundy (Rowing Australia) joins us to outline the strategies that athletes can use to recovery from Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S).

If you ever wanted to hear how strong is the link between nutrition and bone fractures, this is the story. We chat to Bobby Clay, former Under 20 European Champion in the 1500m, whose career took a sudden and unexpected turn. Many in the running community will already be familiar with Bobby's story after she wrote about her experience in Athletics Weekly in 2017. With the benefit of hindsight Bobby explains more about what went on at the time, what happened next, where she's at now, and most importantly the lessons that all athletes (or parents of young athletes) can take away from her experience. ** We want your feedback! Complete a short survey with your thoughts on the podcast - 3 people who complete it will win a copy of our new eBook when it launches in a few week's time. Survey link: http://ow.ly/AaZ050NRsNP **

Whether it's a fall off your bike and a broken collarbone, or a runner's dreaded stress fracture, it's clear that bone health is important for endurance athletes. But what's nutrition got to do with it? We're joined by Luuk Hilkens, a researcher at the HAN University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands, who is doing his PhD with the Jumbo Visma Cycling Team, looking at nutrition and exercise strategies to improve bone health in elite athletes.   Luuk's recent research publications on this topic: Fragile bones of elite cyclists: to treat or not to treat? - Journal of Applied Physiology - March 2021 Low Bone Mineral Density and Associated Risk Factors in Elite Cyclists at Different Stages of a Professional Cycling Career - Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise - Jan 2022 Bone turnover following high-impact exercise is not modulated by collagen supplementation in young men: A randomized cross-over trial - Bone - Feb 2023  

How does nutrition change when transitioning from age-group to elite athlete? And does the perception of how the pros do nutrition compare to reality? We're joined by elite paratriathlete Jeremy Peacock who made this transition in the last few years, to hear how his approach to nutrition has changed as an elite athlete compared to his age-group days.

We all see pro athletes online, and get an insight into what they eat, how much they eat, and the products they use. But should we try to emulate the nutrition practices of the pros, or use the same products to get better ourselves? We're joined by A/Prof. Greg Cox, who worked for 20 years with Triathlon Australia, supporting many triathletes from their junior days through to the Olympic Games. This conversation follows on from part of a Masterclass that Greg and Alan ran for sports dietitians in late 2022, looking at nutrition for endurance athletes and the contrast between elite and non-elite athletes.

It's our 100th episode! So to celebrate we're deviating from the usual format to chat to Erchana Murray-Bartlett, who recently ran a marathon-a-day for 150 days straight. In doing so she broke the female world record for consecutive marathons run, covered 6330km from the northernmost tip of Australia back to her home town of Melbourne, and raised a heap money for the Wilderness Society. We chat to her about how she planned her nutrition for such an epic journey, how these plans stood up against the reality of her situation, and what she learnt along the way.   To support Erchana's fundraising efforts, check out her website: https://www.tiptotoe2022.com/ Instagram: @tip_to_toe_2022  Facebook: @ErchanaMurrayBartlett    

This episode introduces some simple but incredibly powerful add-ons to the weigh-before, weigh-after sweat rate testing process that will help you understand your results and what they mean, but most importantly, what to do with the results.

Elite distance runner Ellie Pashley returns discusses her experience with pre-exercise hyperhydration in preparation for the Tokyo Olympics, and how she monitors and manages her hydration on a day-to-day basis. 

We're back for 2023, and joined by Dr Chris Irwin (Griffith University). We discuss what being well hydrated before exercise actually means, how you can tell if you are well hydrated or not, and what to do if you're not. We also discuss the strategy of pre-exercise hyperhydration, and the results of a meta-analysis Chris and Alan are in the process of writing up for publication.