Nutrition
54 articles
NutritionSeptember 3, 2026 · 10 MIN
The Glycemic Index Food Guide for Endurance Athletes: When to Eat Low, Medium, and High GI
Low-GI foods before training improve fat oxidation by 20%, while high-GI foods during exercise accelerate glucose delivery. Learn how to match glycemic index to your training phase for optimal fueling and recovery.
NutritionSeptember 2, 2026 · 10 MIN
Iron Supplementation for Female Endurance Athletes: Testing, Dosing, and Timing
Up to 50% of female endurance athletes are iron deficient. Learn how menstrual losses, foot-strike haemolysis, and training volume deplete iron stores — and the evidence-based protocol to restore and maintain optimal ferritin levels.
NutritionSeptember 2, 2026 · 11 MIN
Hormonal Contraception and Endurance Performance: What the Research Says
Over 50% of female endurance athletes use hormonal contraception, yet few understand its effects on VO2max, thermoregulation, and recovery. Here is the evidence on how different contraceptive types affect training and racing.
NutritionSeptember 2, 2026 · 10 MIN
Carb Loading for Triathlon: A Distance-Specific Race Day Protocol
Triathlon carb loading differs from single-sport events because you must fuel three disciplines across 1–17 hours. Learn the 48-hour protocol, race morning meal, and discipline-specific fueling for sprint through Ironman distance.
NutritionAugust 29, 2026 · 9 MIN
Post-Run Recovery Nutrition by Distance: 5K to Ultra
Recovery nutrition is not one-size-fits-all. The amount of protein, carbohydrates, and fluid you need after a run scales directly with how far and how hard you went — here is the exact protocol for every distance.
NutritionAugust 28, 2026 · 10 MIN
Carb Loading for Ultra-Distance Events: Beyond the Marathon
Traditional 3-day carb loading works well for marathons, but ultra-distance events demand a modified approach. Modified protocols using 10-12g/kg over 36-48 hours, combined with fiber reduction and race-morning strategies, protect performance across events from 50K to 100 miles.
NutritionAugust 26, 2026 · 9 MIN
Cold Weather Fueling: Why You Burn More Calories in Winter
Cold exposure increases caloric expenditure by 10–40% through shivering thermogenesis and brown fat activation. Here's how to adjust your fueling strategy for winter training before glycogen depletion hits.
NutritionAugust 26, 2026 · 10 MIN
Nutrition for Pregnant and Postpartum Runners
Running through pregnancy and the postpartum period requires a recalibrated nutrition strategy. Here's the evidence-based framework covering iron, folate, DHA, protein, and the return-to-run nutrition timeline.
NutritionAugust 24, 2026 · 9 MIN
Micronutrient Deficiencies in Endurance Athletes: Iron, Zinc, B12, and Beyond
Endurance athletes lose micronutrients through sweat, GI stress, and elevated metabolic turnover at rates 2-5x higher than sedentary individuals. Iron, zinc, magnesium, and B12 deficiencies silently erode performance long before clinical symptoms appear.
NutritionAugust 23, 2026 · 10 MIN
Nutrition for Menopausal Endurance Athletes: Adapting Fueling to Hormonal Changes
Declining oestrogen fundamentally alters how your body stores glycogen, metabolises protein, and regulates fluid. Here is how to adapt your nutrition strategy for peak endurance performance through menopause.
NutritionAugust 21, 2026 · 10 MIN
Probiotics and Gut Microbiome Health for Endurance Athletes
Between 30-50% of endurance athletes experience exercise-induced GI distress during competition. Emerging research shows specific probiotic strains and microbiome-supporting nutrition can reduce symptoms and improve nutrient absorption.
NutritionAugust 18, 2026 · 10 MIN
Carbohydrate Loading for Race Day: The 48-Hour Protocol That Actually Works
The classic 7-day carb-loading protocol is outdated. Modern research shows that 36–48 hours of high carbohydrate intake (10–12g/kg/day) supercompensates glycogen stores by 25–40% — without the depletion phase. Here's the practical protocol.
NutritionAugust 17, 2026 · 11 MIN
Triathlon Race Day Nutrition: A Discipline-by-Discipline Fueling Strategy
Triathlon nutrition is uniquely complex — you must fuel across three sports, two transitions, and 2–17 hours of racing. This guide covers exact carbohydrate targets, fluid schedules, and GI management for sprint through Ironman distances.
NutritionAugust 17, 2026 · 10 MIN
Post-Workout Recovery Nutrition: What to Eat in the First 60 Minutes
The post-exercise recovery window is real — but it's wider and more nuanced than "30 minutes or you lose your gains." Here's what the evidence actually says about timing, macros, and recovery nutrition for endurance athletes.
NutritionAugust 14, 2026 · 8 MIN
Trail Running Nutrition: How to Fuel for Elevation, Duration, and Variable Intensity
Trail running burns 10–30% more calories per hour than road running at the same pace. Elevation gain, technical terrain, and variable intensity demand a different fueling strategy — here is how to plan it.
NutritionAugust 9, 2026 · 8 MIN
Triathlon Nutrition by Distance: Sprint to Full Ironman Fueling Guide
A sprint triathlon and a full Ironman have almost nothing in common nutritionally. Applying the same gel protocol across all triathlon distances is one of the most common race-day mistakes. Here's the correct nutrition strategy for every distance.
NutritionAugust 8, 2026 · 7 MIN
How to Fuel Your Long Run: Training Nutrition That Prepares You for Race Day
Most runners undereat on training long runs — then bonk in races on a nutrition plan they never actually practised. Here's how to fuel your long runs correctly, train your gut, and arrive at the start line with a tested fueling strategy.
NutritionAugust 8, 2026 · 7 MIN
Marathon Taper Week Nutrition: What to Eat in the Final 7 Days Before a Race
The taper is not a holiday for your diet. Strategic carbohydrate loading, hydration management, and food avoidance in the final 7 days can add 2–4% to your race performance. Here's the complete evidence-based guide.
NutritionAugust 8, 2026 · 7 MIN
What to Eat Race Morning: Pre-Race Breakfast for Endurance Athletes
Race morning breakfast is one of the most consequential — and most anxiety-inducing — nutritional decisions an endurance athlete makes. Get the timing, quantity, and food selection right, and you start with maximum fuel. Get it wrong, and you're fighting your stomach from mile one.
NutritionAugust 7, 2026 · 8 MIN
Century Ride Nutrition Guide: How to Fuel 100 Miles on the Bike
A century ride (100 miles / 160km) burns 3,500–5,500 calories over 4–8 hours. Most first-timers bonk between miles 60 and 80 — not because they couldn't ride it, but because they didn't fuel it. Here's how to get the nutrition right.
NutritionAugust 6, 2026 · 9 MIN
Full Ironman 140.6 Race Day Nutrition Plan: A Complete Fueling Guide
Ironman racing lasts 8–17 hours and demands 8,000–12,000 calories of output. Most DNFs in the run are nutrition failures, not fitness failures. Here's a distance-specific fueling framework for the bike and run.
NutritionAugust 4, 2026 · 7 MIN
Energy Drinks vs Sports Drinks for Endurance: What Is Actually in Each and What You Should Choose
Energy drinks and sports drinks are marketed toward the same active consumer but designed for fundamentally different purposes. Understanding what each contains — and what the evidence shows about performance — prevents costly and sometimes dangerous fueling mistakes.
NutritionAugust 2, 2026 · 7 MIN
Muscle Cramps in Endurance Sports: Causes, Prevention, and In-Race Management
The dehydration theory of exercise-associated muscle cramps has been largely displaced by the muscle fatigue theory — and the difference changes how you prevent and treat cramps during races and training.
NutritionAugust 1, 2026 · 8 MIN
Intermittent Fasting for Endurance Athletes: What the Research Actually Shows
Intermittent fasting can raise fat oxidation rates by 2–3× in endurance athletes when phase-matched to training — but applied incorrectly, it undermines recovery and quality sessions. A complete guide for runners, cyclists, and triathletes.
NutritionJuly 30, 2026 · 9 MIN
Nutrition for High-Altitude Endurance Events: Fueling Above 2000m
Racing or training at altitude above 2000m changes your carbohydrate oxidation rate, iron requirements, hydration needs, and appetite. Here is a complete nutritional guide calibrated for altitude performance.
NutritionJuly 16, 2026 · 8 MIN
Bone Health for Female Endurance Athletes: Preventing Stress Fractures and Long-Term Density Loss
Female runners have 3–4× higher stress fracture risk than male runners, and early bone density loss from low energy availability can have permanent consequences. A comprehensive guide to female-specific bone health in endurance sport.
NutritionJuly 16, 2026 · 7 MIN
Carbohydrates and Body Composition for Endurance Athletes: Performance vs Weight Trade-Offs
Carbohydrate restriction impairs endurance training quality while reducing body fat — and the trade-off is not always worth it. Here's an evidence-based framework for managing body composition without compromising performance.
NutritionJuly 11, 2026 · 8 MIN
L-Carnitine for Endurance Athletes: What the Research Actually Shows About Fat Burning and Performance
L-carnitine is one of the most marketed supplements in endurance sport — and one of the most misunderstood. Here's what peer-reviewed evidence shows about fat oxidation, muscle carnitine levels, and the specific protocol that produces measurable effects.
NutritionJuly 10, 2026 · 8 MIN
Nutrition for Masters Endurance Athletes (40+): Adapting Your Diet for Age-Related Changes
After 40, muscle protein synthesis rates decline, bone density decreases, and recovery slows. These are manageable with targeted nutritional adjustments — higher protein, vitamin D and calcium focus, and modified carbohydrate timing.
NutritionJuly 9, 2026 · 8 MIN
Plant-Based Protein for Endurance Athletes: Meeting Requirements Without Animal Products
Plant proteins can fully support endurance performance — but the strategy matters. Leucine content, digestibility, and amino acid completeness require specific planning that's often missed by athletes transitioning to plant-based diets.
NutritionJuly 7, 2026 · 8 MIN
Periodized Nutrition for Endurance Athletes: Fueling Different Training Phases
The same diet that builds aerobic base in winter sabotages race-specific speed work in spring. Periodized nutrition aligns carbohydrate, fat, and protein intake with training phase demands — here's the framework.
NutritionJune 30, 2026 · 7 MIN
Magnesium for Athletes: Why It Matters and How to Optimise Your Intake
Magnesium is involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions including ATP production — yet studies consistently show 50–60% of endurance athletes fall below optimal intake. Here's how to identify and fix a deficiency.
NutritionJune 29, 2026 · 9 MIN
Low-Carb and Keto for Endurance Athletes: What the Research Actually Shows
Fat adaptation promises improved endurance, reduced bonking, and metabolic flexibility. The evidence is more nuanced — and more critical — than advocates acknowledge. Here's the honest analysis.
NutritionJune 26, 2026 · 7 MIN
Protein Timing for Endurance Athletes: When You Eat Protein Matters as Much as How Much
Endurance athletes consistently underestimate their protein requirements — and those who meet daily targets often distribute them poorly. The timing, distribution, and source of protein across the day significantly impacts muscle repair, training adaptation, and recovery speed.
NutritionJune 25, 2026 · 7 MIN
Anti-Inflammatory Nutrition for Endurance Athletes: Foods That Speed Recovery
Chronic low-grade inflammation is a silent performance limiter for many endurance athletes. Strategic dietary choices — specific fats, polyphenols, and phytonutrients — can reduce systemic inflammation, accelerate recovery, and lower long-term injury risk without compromising training adaptations.
NutritionJune 21, 2026 · 7 MIN
Long Run Nutrition: How to Fuel Your Weekly Training Runs
The long run is where gut training happens — and most recreational runners do it wrong. Under-fueling your long runs blunts adaptation, increases injury risk, and leaves you unprepared for race day.
NutritionJune 20, 2026 · 7 MIN
Protein for Endurance Athletes: How Much, When, and Why It Matters
Endurance athletes are chronically under-informed about protein requirements. New research shows runners and cyclists need significantly more than standard RDA guidelines — and timing it correctly doubles its effectiveness.
NutritionJune 17, 2026 · 8 MIN
Fueling Around Your Menstrual Cycle: A Female Athlete's Nutrition Guide
Hormonal fluctuations across the menstrual cycle alter fuel metabolism, hydration needs, iron requirements, and recovery capacity. Nutrition tailored to your cycle can meaningfully improve performance.
NutritionJune 15, 2026 · 9 MIN
Endurance Supplements: What the Evidence Actually Supports
The supplement industry targets endurance athletes with hundreds of products. Four have genuine, replicated evidence of benefit. Here's the honest tier list.
NutritionJune 13, 2026 · 8 MIN
Pre-Race Meal Timing: What to Eat Before a 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, and Marathon
The right pre-race meal depends on your race distance, start time, and gut sensitivity. Here's the evidence-based framework — with specific recommendations for each distance.
NutritionJune 12, 2026 · 8 MIN
Iron Deficiency in Runners: Symptoms, Testing, and How to Fix It
Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional problem in endurance athletes — and the most likely to be missed. Here's how to recognise it, what blood tests to request, and how to correct it.
NutritionJune 12, 2026 · 7 MIN
Gut Training: How to Eat More Carbs on Race Day Without Stomach Issues
Most GI problems in races aren't bad luck — they're untrained guts. Here's the progressive protocol to teach your intestines to absorb 90g of carbohydrate per hour without cramping.
NutritionJune 12, 2026 · 9 MIN
Ultramarathon Nutrition: How to Fuel 50K to 100-Mile Races
Ultra nutrition is fundamentally different from marathon nutrition. Gels become intolerable. Real food becomes essential. And the longer you go, the more your strategy must evolve with you.
NutritionJune 10, 2026 · 7 MIN
How Many Calories Do You Burn Running? A Pace-by-Pace Breakdown
Running burns roughly 1 kcal per kilogram per kilometre — but the actual number varies more than most apps suggest. Here's what actually drives calorie burn and how to calculate yours.
NutritionJune 10, 2026 · 8 MIN
Triathlon Nutrition: How to Fuel the Swim, Bike, and Run
Triathlon nutrition is more complex than single-sport fueling — transitions, gut stress, and effort shifts across three disciplines create unique challenges. Here's the evidence-based approach.
TrainingJune 9, 2026 · 7 MIN
Optimal Race Weight for Runners: How to Calculate It (and Whether to Chase It)
Every kilogram costs you roughly 2–3 seconds per kilometre in a marathon. But chasing race weight aggressively carries real risks. Here's the evidence-based framework.
TrainingMay 20, 2026 · 8 MIN
RED-S in Female Runners: Early Warning Signs Most Athletes Miss
Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport affects 22–58% of competitive female endurance athletes. Many don't know they have it until the damage is done. Here's what to look for.
NutritionMay 12, 2026 · 8 MIN
How to Fuel a 100km Bike Ride: A Gram-by-Gram Breakdown
A 100km ride burns 2,000–3,000 kcal. Most cyclists replace less than half. Here's a precise fueling framework based on power output, duration, and gut capacity.
NutritionApril 21, 2026 · 7 MIN
What to Eat the Night Before a Marathon (And What to Avoid)
Your pre-race dinner can make or break race day. Here's exactly what to eat — and what to skip — in the 12 hours before the start line.
RecoveryApril 21, 2026 · 8 MIN
Marathon Recovery: What to Do in the 48 Hours After a Race
The race finishes when you cross the line. Your recovery starts the moment you do. Here's the evidence-based protocol to bounce back faster.
NutritionApril 14, 2026 · 8 MIN
Carb Loading Before a Marathon: The Complete Athlete's Guide
Carb loading can add 2–3% to your marathon performance. But most runners do it wrong. Here's the evidence-based protocol that actually works.
TrainingApril 2, 2026 · 7 MIN
Fueling Your Morning Run: Fed vs Fasted
Should you eat before your morning run or train on empty? The answer depends on your goals, training phase, and how long you plan to go.
RecoveryMarch 25, 2026 · 8 MIN
Post-Workout Recovery: The 30-Minute Window
What you do in the first 30 minutes after training can dramatically affect how quickly you recover and how strong you come back for the next session.
NutritionMarch 10, 2026 · 6 MIN
The Science Behind Energy Gels
Understanding how energy gels work at a cellular level — and how to time them for peak performance during your race or training session.