Fueling Endurance - Nutrition for Runners, Cyclists & Triathletes

An expert in athlete sleep and recovery, Prof. Shona Halson (Australian Catholic University) joins us to discuss why sleep is so important for athletes, and whether the type, amount or timing of food and/or supplements can help or hinder getting a good night's sleep.

Ultra-runner Ash Daniels joins us to share his experience with gut training. We discuss why Ash did gut training in the first place, the process he went through and the end goal, the benefits he saw in just 2-3 months, and what he found easy or difficult in the process.

The term 'gut training' is thrown around a lot these days, but what does this actually mean? This week Steph will take us through what we mean by gut training, why would runners, cyclists or triathletes want to do it, what is the evidence that it works, and how you go about gut training.

We're back after a week's break to answer a listener question around fibre. Steph runs us through what fibre is and the general recommendations; what happens if you have too much or not enough fibre, both for general health and specific to exercise; why athletes might inadvertently eat too much fibre and what to do about it, and the timing of fibre around exercise and the importance in terms of gut issues.

Paratriathlete Liam Twomey joins us to discuss his carbohydrate needs in training and on race day, and the recent changes he made to get more out of his training. Steph & Alan also go back to basics on carbs, the different types, where they come from, and how to plan your training and race nutrition to ensure you're getting the most from your sessions.

The man who did much of the research that lead to our current guidelines for carbs during exercise, Prof. Asker Jeukendrup joins us to discuss the nuances of carbs during exercise - recreational vs elite athletes, running vs cycling, shorter vs longer duration, and much, much more. As head of performance nutrition for the Jumbo Visma pro cycling team, the Red Bull Athlete Performance Centre and the Dutch Olympic Team, Asker also discusses the challenges & practical considerations for achieving your optimal carbohydrate intake on race day.

Two time Olympian in the 1500m & sports dietitian Linden Hall joins us to discuss the role of fruit & veggies in her diet, what happens when she doesn't get enough on the road, and her experience with the vast array of fruit & vegetable based supplements that are heavily marketed to athletes.

Researcher and sports dietitian Dr Andrea Braakhuis (University of Auckland) joins us to chat about her area of research on the components in fruit and vegetables and their impact on performance. We discuss whether we should just try to eat more fruit and veggies, some of the challenges in achieving that for runners, cyclists and triathletes, and whether there's evidence to support the use of supplemental forms like greens powders, New Zealand blackcurrant and tart cherry juice.

We're joined by Aussie pro cyclist Sarah Gigante, who shares her experience relocating to Europe and learning to adapt her on-bike nutrition in a much colder climate. From cozy gloves that stopped her accessing race food, to finding suitable alternatives to cereal bars in Europe, we hear stories of adapting to life riding in Europe, and the challenges eating and drinking in the cold, wind and rain of the Spring Classics in Belgium.

Beccy Hall is a sports dietitian with the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia and previously with the Canadian Sports Institute Pacific. She discusses if nutritional needs change when training through the winter, what does 'being cold' actually means, and some great practical tips and advice learnt from working with Winter Olympic athletes and others in temperatures both above and below freezing.