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Two of the best triathletes on the planet came undone in the Kona heat in back-to-back years, so how do you fuel a hot race without falling apart on the run? After two decades of working with triathletes, I can tell you that most hot races are won or lost before the gun even goes off. As an age-grouper you’re out on course for hours longer than the pros, in the hottest part of the day, often on a race nutrition plan you built and tested through winter. I break down what the heat actually does to your body, why falling apart in a hot race comes down to much more than toughness and what should change in your plan when the forecast says it’s going to be a scorcher. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN Why your body burns through stored carbohydrate faster in the heat, and why your aid stations can only top up so much The 3 ways triathletes fall apart in a hot race that look identical from the side of the road, and why they need opposite fixes Why “it’s hot, drink more” is the advice that puts age-groupers in the medical tent What heat does to your gut, and why backing off your fuel can make it worse The 4 mistakes I see over and over when the forecast is hot How one of my Academy athletes went from walking between poles at Spudman to crossing the line at the 70.3 World Championship in Nice TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction01:28 How heat changes your body's job03:30 3 ways to fall apart in a hot race07:03 Why your gut struggles in the heat09:16 4 mistakes when the forecast is hot13:08 How to prepare for a hot race STUDIES MENTIONED Almond, C. S. D., Shin, A. Y., Fortescue, E. B., Mannix, R. C., Wypij, D., Binstadt, B. A., Duncan, C. N., Olson, D. P., Salerno, A. E., Newburger, J. W., & Greenes, D. S. (2005). Hyponatremia among runners in the Boston Marathon. New England Journal of Medicine, 352(15), 1550–1556. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa043901 González-Alonso, J., Teller, C., Andersen, S. L., Jensen, F. B., Hyldig, T., & Nielsen, B. (1999). Influence of body temperature on the development of fatigue during prolonged exercise in the heat. Journal of Applied Physiology, 86(3), 1032–1039. https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.1999.86.3.1032 Hew-Butler, T., Rosner, M. H., Fowkes-Godek, S., Dugas, J. P., Hoffman, M. D., Lewis, D. P., Maughan, R. J., Miller, K. C., Montain, S. J., Rehrer, N. J., Roberts, W. O., Rogers, I. R., Siegel, A. J., Stuempfle, K. J., Winger, J. M., & Verbalis, J. G. (2015). Statement of the Third International Exercise-Associated Hyponatremia Consensus Development Conference, Carlsbad, California, 2015. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 25(4), 303–320. https://doi.org/10.1097/JSM.0000000000000221 Jentjens, R. L. P. G., Wagenmakers, A. J. M., & Jeukendrup, A. E. (2002). Heat stress increases muscle glycogen use but reduces the oxidation of ingested carbohydrates during exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology, 92(4), 1562–1572. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00482.2001 McCubbin, A. J., Allanson, B. A., Caldwell Odgers, J. N., Cort, M. M., Costa, R. J. S., Cox, G. R., Crawshay, S. T., Desbrow, B., Freney, E. G., Gaskell, S. K., Hughes, D., Irwin, C., Jay, O., Lalor, B. J., Ross, M. L. R., Shaw, G., Périard, J. D., & Burke, L. M. (2020). Sports Dietitians Australia position statement: Nutrition for exercise in hot environments. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 30(1), 83–98. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2019-0300 Mougin, L., Macrae, H. Z., Taylor, L., James, L. J., & Mears, S. A. (2025). The effect of heat stress and dehydration on carbohydrate use during endurance exercise: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 55(11), 2825–2847. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-025-02294-3 Parkin, J. M., Carey, M. F., Zhao, S., & Febbraio, M. A. (1999). Effect of ambient temperature on human skeletal muscle metabolism during fatiguing submaximal exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology, 86(3), 902–908. https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.1999.86.3.902 Périard, J. D., Racinais, S., & Sawka, M. N. (2015). Adaptations and mechanisms of human heat acclimation: Applications for competitive athletes and sports. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 25(S1), 20–38. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.12408 Roberts, W. O., Armstrong, L. E., Sawka, M. N., Yeargin, S. W., Heled, Y., & O’Connor, F. G. (2021). ACSM expert consensus statement on exertional heat illness: Recognition, management, and return to activity. Current Sports Medicine Reports, 20(9), 470–484. https://doi.org/10.1249/JSR.0000000000000878 Snipe, R. M. J., Khoo, A., Kitic, C. M., Gibson, P. R., & Costa, R. J. S. (2017). Carbohydrate and protein intake during exertional-heat stress ameliorates intestinal epithelial injury and small intestine permeability. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 42(12), 1283–1292. https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2017-0361 Snipe, R. M. J., Khoo, A., Kitic, C. M., Gibson, P. R., & Costa, R. J. S. (2018). The impact of exertional-heat stress on gastrointestinal integrity, gastrointestinal symptoms, systemic endotoxin and cytokine profile. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 118(2), 389–400. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-017-3781-z Speedy, D. B., Noakes, T. D., Rogers, I. R., Thompson, J. M. D., Campbell, R. G. D., Kuttner, J. A., Boswell, D. R., Wright, S., & Hamlin, M. (1999). Hyponatremia in ultradistance triathletes. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 31(6), 809–815. https://doi.org/10.1097/00005768-199906000-00008 van Wijck, K., Lenaerts, K., Grootjans, J., Wijnands, K. A., Poeze, M., van Loon, L. J. C., Dejong, C. H. C., & Buurman, W. A. (2012). Physiology and pathophysiology of splanchnic hypoperfusion and intestinal injury during exercise: Strategies for evaluation and prevention. American Journal of Physiology: Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology, 303(2), G155–G168. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpgi.00066.2012 RESOURCES MENTIONED Ep 214: Sweat Science Ep 251: How Do You Carb Load for a Triathlon Without Feeling Bloated and Heavy? Ep 253: Is Carb Loading a Myth? START YOUR HOT RACE WITH A FULL FUEL TANK If you have a hot race coming up in the next 12 months, the fuel tank you take to the start line is your buffer. My Carb Loading Masterclass shows you exactly how much carbohydrate to eat, when to eat it and what to eat, so you can carb load properly without feeling heavy and bloated. Get the Carb Loading Masterclass SUPPORT THE PODCAST HERE CONNECT WITH TARYN Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube The Triathlon Nutrition Academy® is a podcast by Dietitian Approved®. All rights reserved. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are you still training like you did in your 20s, going hard every session and wondering why recovery takes so much longer than it used to? This is one of the most listened-to episodes of the Triathlon Nutrition Academy podcast, back by popular demand. I sat down with coach Joe Friel, co-founder of TrainingPeaks and author of Fast After 50, to talk about how masters triathletes can stay fit, fast and injury-free in their 40s, 50s and beyond. Joe covers the training side and my Ep 178 on key nutrients for masters triathletes covers the nutrition side, so listen to them as a pair. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN What actually changes in your body as you age, and the one marker that holds up surprisingly well Why rest and recovery become your biggest performance lever after 40 The 5:2 training week Joe uses with masters athletes (plus the nine-day alternative) Where strength and mobility fit into a busy training week, and the session you should never lift weights before How to use heart rate variability to decide when to train hard TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction 02:00 Training as a masters triathlete 04:09 How your physiology changes after 40 09:18 Why rest and recovery matter more with age 11:21 The nine-day week vs the 5:2 training week 14:28 The tortoise, the hare and the lactate myth 19:27 Mobility and strength training for masters athletes 28:57 Why you should never lift weights before a run 30:48 Recovery weeks, testing and the off-season 35:11 Using HRV and wearables to guide training 39:00 Daily habits for longevity in the sport 42:24 Joe’s number one piece of advice ABOUT JOE FRIEL Joe Friel has coached endurance athletes for more than four decades. He is a co-founder of TrainingPeaks and the author of Fast After 50, a go-to resource for athletes who want to keep performing as they age. Connect with Joe RESOURCES MENTIONED Fast After 50 by Joe Friel HRV4Training app Ep 178: Key Nutrients for Masters Triathletes Ep 179: the original release of this episode READY TO STOP GUESSING WITH YOUR NUTRITION? The Triathlete Fuel Kit brings together my Triathlon Nutrition Kickstart course, the Triathlete’s Kitchen recipe database and the Fuel Your Adventure recipe book, so you can get your everyday fuelling working for you, not against you. Get the Triathlete Fuel Kit SUPPORT THE PODCAST HERE CONNECT WITH TARYN Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube The Triathlon Nutrition Academy® is a podcast by Dietitian Approved®. All rights reserved. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why is your triathlon nutrition strategy still not working when you already know what to do? I asked the triathletes who just finished my Triathlon Fuel Camp what they had spent money on to improve their performance. 70% had paid for a bike fit, 66% had a coach and 50% had bought a power meter and faster wheels. Only 20% had ever invested in a dietitian or nutritionist, and 57% told me they were winging their nutrition. These are smart, driven athletes with more information at their fingertips than any triathlete in history. So why is it still not working? IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN: Why more information is not what is missing from your nutrition What a strategy specific to you is actually built on (and why generic advice never holds for long) The 3 ways triathletes try to build a nutrition strategy, and the only one that lasts your whole racing life The 3 questions that keep triathletes on the precipice of dialling in their nutrition for years How Kelly, Steve and Julia from the Triathlon Nutrition Academy finally got off the fence TIMESTAMPS 02:02 Why your triathlon nutrition strategy isn't working10:15 3 questions holding triathletes back EPISODES MENTIONED Episode 235 with Julia Episode 237 on why DIY nutrition is not working Episode 259 with Kelly and the TNA crew at the 70.3 World Championship in Nice Episode 261 with Steve, Curt and Jade READY FOR A STRATEGY THAT IS SPECIFIC TO YOU? The Triathlon Nutrition Academy is my 9-month program where I teach you how to fuel your own training and racing, step by step, with an Advanced Sports Dietitian checking your work along the way. Find out more about the Triathlon Nutrition Academy here. SUPPORT THE PODCAST HERE CONNECT WITH TARYN Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube The Triathlon Nutrition Academy® is a podcast by Dietitian Approved®. All rights reserved. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you have heard about the Triathlon Nutrition Academy and wondered what it actually is, this is your answer in under 10 minutes. You already have a training system. You have a coach or a program, a week of sessions you love to turn green and the discipline to follow it. What most triathletes don't have is a nutrition system that is just as organised, and that is exactly what you walk out of TNA with. I take you through how my 9-month program works, the 4 things that change when your nutrition is dialled in and who it is genuinely for (and who it is not for). WHAT YOU WILL TAKE AWAY How TNA is built so you actually put it into practice, rather than buying something and never using it Why being able to function like an adult after a long ride is one of my KPIs How Stephen went from nearly quitting triathlon over cramps to taking 64 minutes off his 70.3 time, and why magnesium was never the fix How the program fits into 1 to 2 hours a week, whatever your time zone and however full your life is What changes when you become the expert on you, from every gel to every supplement ad in your feed What Kelly Estes, 4 years in, says happens by the end Who TNA is for, from your very first season to your 30th, and who should not join right now TIMESTAMPS 03:00 What changes when your nutrition is dialled in 07:16 Is this triathlon nutrition program right for you ATHLETE STORIES MENTIONED Stephen Duquette and the TNA athletes who raced the 70.3 World Championship in Nice: Episode 259 Jade, Curt and Steve, 9 months after joining TNA: Episode 261 If you want to see everything that is included, head to dietitianapproved.com/academy. When doors are open you can join the next cohort there, and when they are closed you can add your name to the waitlist so you are the first to know when they open again. SUPPORT THE PODCAST HERE CONNECT WITH TARYN Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube The Triathlon Nutrition Academy® is a podcast by Dietitian Approved®. All rights reserved. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when you eat 1,000 more calories a day? For Curt, a 54 year old triathlete from Texas, it meant losing 8kg, ditching the daily nap and finally making it through a training day without bonking. That is not a typo, and it is not a fluke. Nine months ago, three brand new Triathlon Nutrition Academy athletes came on the show a few weeks into the program to share what it is really like on the inside. Now Curt, Jade and Steve have finished all three phases and they are back. Three different athletes, three different decades of life and three very different starting points: a 39 year old mum of three from WA in her second Ironman build, a scientist from Texas who watched from the sidelines for 4 years while his mate got faster and a 71 year old from San Diego with more than 300 races behind him and no formal nutrition education until now. WHAT YOU WILL TAKE AWAY Why Curt lost 8kg while going from around 2,000 to closer to 3,000 calories a day, and why underfuelling was the thing keeping the body fat on The one change that eliminated Curt's post-workout naps and gave him back at least an hour a day How Jade went from years of fasted sessions to fuelling every session, and what changed when she hit 90g of carbs an hour on the bike Why Steve calls nutrition free speed after 30 years of hand waving it, and how a race week plan changed 5 national championship races in 3 days What separating fluid from fuel does to a race day plan The benefits nobody expected outside triathlon, from a happier marriage to more beach days and a kid who packs his mum's long run fuel What all three would say to the version of themselves sitting on the fence 9 months ago Nutrition is not something you fix in a week, and it is not something you fix for life by collecting free nuggets from AI, YouTube or podcasts. It is something you learn, practise and make your own. That is exactly what the Triathlon Nutrition Academy is built for: 9 months learning how to fuel your body for your own training, with me and a group of legends like Curt, Jade and Steve beside you. Doors to the Triathlon Nutrition Academy are open right now. Join the October cohort here before doors close on Saturday 10 October. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction: Curt, Jade and Steve 9 months on 01:45 One word for their nutrition now versus then 03:20 Curt: no more bonking, no more naps, 8kg down while eating more 08:40 Jade: fitting TNA around 3 kids, work and an Ironman build 10:50 Jade: from fasted training to every session fuelled 12:20 Steve: the biggest mistake of a 30 year career and why nutrition is free speed 14:30 Steve: 5 national championship races in 3 days with a plan 16:10 Curt: race day now, and separating fluid from fuel 17:55 Jade: the Busselton build, 90g of carbs an hour and the scribbled paper plan 22:30 A year of listening to the podcast versus a year inside the program 24:30 What changed the most in how they fuel and race 27:05 What changed outside triathlon: smoothie bags, a happier wife and more beach days 30:40 Steve on strength training and getting bigger at 71 31:30 What they learnt about themselves that they did not expect 36:20 What they would tell themselves 9 months ago, and was it worth the investment 41:20 What is next: Busselton, Edmonton and a possible full distance SUPPORT THE PODCAST HERE CONNECT WITH TARYN Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube The Triathlon Nutrition Academy® is a podcast by Dietitian Approved®. All rights reserved. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can you gain muscle while losing body fat at the same time, or is body recomposition just a clickbait headline?   For years the advice has been that you have to pick one. Eat in a calorie deficit and lose body fat, or eat in a calorie surplus and build muscle. A brand new study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology in April 2026 says the picture is more interesting than that, and it is already being butchered all over social media. I break the whole paper down for you. What the researchers did, what they actually measured, and the bits the headlines have quietly skipped over. Then I do the part that matters most, which is translating a study done on young resistance trained lifters into what it means for someone swimming, biking and running six days a week.   IN THIS EPISODE - What body recomposition actually is, and why it is not the same thing as losing weight - What the 2026 study did, and what happened to all three groups over 10 weeks - Why an increase in fat-free mass does not automatically mean a kilo of new muscle - The training detail that did just as much work as the nutrition did - Whether you really need 2.5 grams of protein per kilo of body weight a day - Why the size of the calorie deficit matters far more than most triathletes think - Where this study stops transferring the moment you apply it to endurance training - Who is well placed to recomp right now, and who is better off picking one goal - The 4 things I would start with if body recomposition is your goal TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Can you build muscle and lose fat at the same time02:01 What body recomposition actually means04:03 Inside the 2026 study05:26 The results after 10 weeks07:05 Why fat-free mass is not the same as muscle08:43 The training that made it work10:51 The big protein question13:19 Why the deficit was only 250 calories14:29 Where triathletes need a different approach15:40 Who body recomposition actually suits18:26 The 4 things I would focus on21:07 The big takeaway STUDIES MENTIONED - Vargas-Molina, S., Garcia-Palumbo, A., Garcia-Sillero, M., Bonilla, D. A., Petro, J. L., Aragon, A. A., Schoenfeld, B. J., & Benitez-Porres, J. (2026). Comparison of two nutritional protocols in body re-composition of resistance-trained participants. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 126, 4019-4030. [doi.org/10.1007/s00421-026-06209-6](https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-026-06209-6) - Iraki, J., Fitschen, P., Espinar, S., & Helms, E. (2019). Nutrition recommendations for bodybuilders in the off-season: A narrative review. Sports, 7(7), 154. [doi.org/10.3390/sports7070154](https://doi.org/10.3390/sports7070154)   If body recomposition is one of your goals, this is a very good time to stop winging it and build a strategy around your training instead. The Triathlon Nutrition Academy is where I teach you how to work out your own numbers, against your own training program, in your own body, and then I am there every week while you actually do it. Doors only open a few times a year, so get your name on the list for the next cohort at [dietitianapproved.com/academy](https://www.dietitianapproved.com/academy).   SUPPORT THE PODCAST HERE CONNECT WITH TARYN Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube The Triathlon Nutrition Academy® is a podcast by Dietitian Approved®. All rights reserved. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does it take to fuel the hilliest 70.3 in the world? Six Triathlon Nutrition Academy athletes lined up at the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Nice, France on 12 and 13 September 2026. A 1.9km swim in the Mediterranean, 90km on the bike with around 1190m of climbing, a long grind up the Col de Vence, an 11km technical descent with both hands on the brakes, then a flat half marathon in the baking French sun along the Promenade des Anglais. One day after the race, five of them sat down with me to talk through what they did, what they would change and what they would tell you if Nice is on your bucket list. Most of them are masters athletes racing in the 60 to 69 age groups. Not one of them raced on the same nutrition plan. Joining me are Kathleen Gilton, Kelly Estes, Stephen Duquette, Stanford Skelton and Daniel Walker. WHAT YOU WILL TAKE AWAY Why the athlete who was most afraid of the bike had the best ride of her life How bike choice and gearing change what you can carry, and when you can actually drink it How to ride light on a long climb without under-fuelling the back half of your race What it takes to run a hot half marathon with no cramping, four years after cramping nearly ended a triathlon career The race week mistake that cost a well-prepared athlete 20 minutes on the run, and it had nothing to do with training Why six athletes on the same course, in the same heat, all fuelled differently and all got it right TIMESTAMPS  01:46 Meet the athletes who raced Nice02:47 Kathleen on the bike leg she feared most08:53 Road bike or TT bike, and gearing11:36 Losing 8kg without losing bike power15:24 Riding light on the climb without under-fuelling17:53 A hot run and the cramps that never came23:02 When race day does not go to plan31:54 Saturday women, Sunday men: the split day40:05 What each athlete is most proud of49:40 Would they have got there without nutrition If you want to be the athlete who gets off a plane in a foreign country and knows exactly what they are doing, come and join us inside the Triathlon Nutrition Academy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most triathletes are working their nutrition list backwards. They start at number eight and skip one through seven entirely. In Episode 229 I walked you through the first four things I fix with every triathlete I work with. The big rocks. This is Part 2, and it picks up at number five. If you have not heard 229 yet, go and listen to that one first, because these next four do not work without the foundations underneath them. Number five is your hydration and electrolytes, which most athletes think they have sorted and almost never do. Number six is the three micronutrients that quietly put a ceiling on everything else. Number seven is your race nutrition strategy, which is a lot more than deciding which gel you are taking. And number eight is the fun stuff, the sprinkles on the icing on your cake, which is exactly where nearly everybody wants to start. WHAT YOU WILL TAKE AWAY Why one standalone sweat test is not a number you can set and forget for life The three micronutrients that determine whether you can train and race well, and why supplementing blindly is the wrong first move What a race nutrition strategy actually involves, and why practising your fuel is not the same as practising it at race intensity The full roll call of supplements and gadgets triathletes ask me about, and where they genuinely belong in the order Why your recovery nutrition does not finish when you cross the finish line The order I would work through all eight in, so you get the best bang for your buck TIMESTAMPS: 01:26 Hydration, sodium and sweat testing for triathletes04:57 Iron, calcium and vitamin D for endurance athletes08:59 Race nutrition strategy and recovery after racing13:36 Performance supplements and what actually works18:52 How to fix your triathlon nutrition in order WANT ALL EIGHT BUILT OUT PROPERLY, IN THE RIGHT ORDER, FOR YOU? That is exactly what the Triathlon Nutrition Academy is. It is not a meal plan and it is not one size fits all. It is me teaching you how to build your own nutrition strategy around your training, your race schedule and your actual life, so you walk out knowing how to do this for yourself for the rest of your racing life. We open the doors a few times a year. Get your name on the list at dietitianapproved.com/academy so you know the moment they open. SUPPORT THE PODCAST HERE CONNECT WITH TARYN Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube The Triathlon Nutrition Academy® is a podcast by Dietitian Approved®. All rights reserved. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You can get away with a fuelling gap over five hours. You cannot get away with it over 13. Stepping up from 70.3 to Ironman is the exact moment most triathletes work out that their fuelling needs attention. Julie Whitton is 13 weeks out from Ironman Western Australia, her first full distance race after a decade of racing halves. She is a paramedic with New South Wales Ambulance, she has been a shift worker for 21 years, and she trains off a nine day roster that changes constantly. In this episode she takes Taryn through exactly what she has had to upgrade to get to that start line, and where the gaps showed up once the hours went up. This is not a first Ironman story. This is the step up story, for the triathlete who already races 70.3 well and assumes that skill carries over.   IN THIS EPISODE What changes in your bike and run fuelling numbers when a race goes from five hours to 13 hours Why a small hourly shortfall you got away with at 70.3 compounds into a walk at full distance The shift from liquid fuel to solid food on long rides, and the trap of swapping over too fast How to gut train on gels without hitting flavour fatigue weeks before race day What Julie was doing at 70.3 that stopped working the moment the volume climbed Why she moved her recovery from 90 percent to 100 percent, and what that changed in her week Fuelling your body for what you want it to do rather than for how you want it to look   TIMESTAMPS 04:37  Training for Ironman around shift work07:12  Bike fuelling from 70 to 80 grams13:25  Run fuelling and flavour fatigue17:35  What stopped working at full distance23:35  Fuelling for performance not appearance   ABOUT JULIE WHITTON Julie (Jules) Whitton is an age group triathlete and a paramedic with New South Wales Ambulance, where she has worked shift work for 21 years. She has been a Triathlon Nutrition Academy athlete since January 2023 and is now part of the Supercharged Squad. After a decade racing 70.3, she is stepping up to full distance at Ironman Western Australia on 6 December 2026. Julie was last on the show in Episode 119, Juggling Shift Work and Triathlon.   If you have a couple of halves behind you and a full quietly sitting on your list, the athletes who come unstuck are almost always the ones trying to learn how to fuel and how to train for 226 kilometres at the same time. Do one of those things first. Get your name on the list for our next cohort of the Triathlon Nutrition Academy at [dietitianapproved.com/academy](https://www.dietitianapproved.com/academy) and you will be the first to know when we open doors.   SUPPORT THE PODCAST [HERE](https://www.dietitianapproved.com/legend)   CONNECT WITH TARYN [Website](https://www.dietitianapproved.com)  [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/dietitian.approved/) [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/DietitianApproved)  [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@dietitianapproved)   The Triathlon Nutrition Academy® is a podcast by Dietitian Approved®. All rights reserved. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are you paying up to $5.20 a gel because that is what they hand out on course? Maurten, Precision Fuel and Hydration and SIS Beta Fuel are the three gels I get asked about more than any others. So I put them side by side and worked out what is actually in the packet, what each one costs you per 100 grams of carbohydrate, and whether that price gap buys you anything at all. No brand has paid me a cent to talk about them. I am Switzerland when it comes to sports nutrition products. One of these gels costs roughly two thirds more than another for the exact same gram of carbohydrate. Whether that is money well spent comes down to three things most triathletes have never been taught to look for.   WHAT YOU WILL TAKE AWAY What is actually inside each gel: carbohydrate, sodium, calories, caffeine and the main ingredients What it costs to fuel at 90 grams of carbohydrate an hour on each brand, in both Aussie and US dollars What the glucose to fructose ratio means in plain English, and the carbohydrate rate you need to be hitting before it matters to you Whether the hydrogel does what the marketing implies it does Which gel makes sense for Sprint, Olympic, 70.3 and full distance racing How to read a sports nutrition label so you are not at the mercy of whoever has the biggest marketing budget   STUDIES MENTIONED Currell, K., & Jeukendrup, A. E. (2008). Superior endurance performance with ingestion of multiple transportable carbohydrates. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 40(2), 275 to 281. [https://doi.org/10.1249/mss.0b013e31815adf19](https://doi.org/10.1249/mss.0b013e31815adf19) O’Brien, W. J., & Rowlands, D. S. (2011). Fructose-maltodextrin ratio in a carbohydrate-electrolyte solution differentially affects exogenous carbohydrate oxidation rate, gut comfort, and performance. American Journal of Physiology-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology, 300(1), G181 to G189. [https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpgi.00419.2010](https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpgi.00419.2010)   ALSO MENTIONED Episode 47: What is a Hydrogel? Does it improve endurance performance, with Andy King. [Listen here](https://www.dietitianapproved.com/podcast/episode-47)   The exact gel you use is the last 5% of your race nutrition strategy. If you want the other 95%, the Triathlon Nutrition Academy is my nine month education program that teaches you how to fuel your training week, train your gut and build a race plan that is uniquely yours. Doors open again soon, so register your interest at [dietitianapproved.com/academy](https://www.dietitianapproved.com/academy).   SUPPORT THE PODCAST (https://www.dietitianapproved.com/legend)   CONNECT WITH TARYN [Website](https://www.dietitianapproved.com) | [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/dietitian.approved/) | [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/DietitianApproved) | [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@dietitianapproved)   The Triathlon Nutrition Academy® is a podcast by Dietitian Approved®. All rights reserved. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everywhere you look, someone is telling you to eat more protein. If you are over 45 and your power is going backwards, more protein is not the fix you have been promised. Back in January the US dietary guidelines roughly doubled their protein recommendation, and that was overdue. But guidelines written for a sedentary population are a very different thing to guidelines for an athlete training 10 to 15 hours a week. Something real does change in your muscles as you get older, and the research on masters triathletes makes for uncomfortable reading. What it does not show is that eating more protein fixes it. In this episode I take you through what is actually happening in ageing muscle, what happened when researchers doubled the protein after a muscle damaging session, and the 5 protein levers to pull instead of just reaching for more.  WHAT YOU WILL TAKE AWAY • What anabolic resistance is in plain English, and why the rules changed at about 35 without anybody sending you the memo • Inside the Australian study that compared masters triathletes with younger ones, and what happened to their muscle repair and their cycling time trials • What doubling the post exercise protein dose actually bought masters triathletes, and what it did not • Why your total protein intake stops paying you back once you are in a reasonable range • The 5 protein levers, and why most triathletes only ever pull number 5 • Why your breakfast is almost certainly the weak link in your day • Why the same mistake is happening right now with carbohydrate TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Everywhere you look, eat more protein 00:27 Over 45 and your power is going backwards 00:55 The number is the easy part, eating it is not 01:22 Welcome 01:43 What actually changes in your body as you get older 02:10 Anabolic resistance, in plain English 02:41 Inside the study: masters versus younger triathletes 03:40 What happened over the 3 days 04:04 It is not your fault, the rules changed at 35 04:43 So should you just eat more protein? 05:08 The follow up study: double the dose 05:57 What doubling the protein actually bought them 06:43 Why simply more is not the fix 07:17 The bit that is genuinely hard for an age-grouper 08:01 What happens in the real world, week by week 09:14 The internet gives you a number and walks away 09:51 The barbecue study, Episode 141 10:14 You are a human, not a snake 10:51 Masters swimmers: the total was fine, the pattern wasn't 11:28 The 5 protein levers 12:17 Eating more is not a strategy 12:48 The recap 13:22 What to actually do about it ALSO MENTIONED • Episode 179 with Joe Friel on how masters athletes can get fast and stay fit after 50: https://www.dietitianapproved.com/podcast/episode-179 • Episode 141, affectionately dubbed the barbecue study, on large protein doses in one sitting: https://www.dietitianapproved.com/podcast/episode-141) STUDIES MENTIONED • Doering, T. M., Jenkins, D. G., Reaburn, P. R., Borges, N. R., Hohmann, E., & Phillips, S. M. (2016). Lower integrated muscle protein synthesis in masters compared with younger athletes. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 48(8), 1613-1618. [https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000000935](https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000000935) • Doering, T. M., Reaburn, P. R., Borges, N. R., Cox, G. R., & Jenkins, D. G. (2017). The effect of higher than recommended protein feedings post-exercise on recovery following downhill running in masters triathletes. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 27(1), 76-82. [https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2016-0079](https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2016-0079) • Santos de Souza, M., Zaleski Trindade, C. D., de Souza Castro, F. A., Buss, C., & Schneider, C. D. (2025). Protein intake by master swimmers: Implications for practice in sports nutrition, a cross-sectional study. Nutrition and Health, 31(3), 1095-1101. [https://doi.org/10.1177/02601060241276918](https://doi.org/10.1177/02601060241276918) READY TO STOP GUESSING? Knowing what to eat and when, around your own training program, is the whole game as you get older. That is exactly what I teach inside the Triathlon Nutrition Academy, and then troubleshoot with you every week in our Power Hour calls, so you are still doing it in 12 months time. Register your interest for our next cohort at https://www.dietitianapproved.com/academy. Download the FREE audio series The 5 Biggest Nutrition Mistakes Costing You Time on Race Day Recovery Accelerator Program SUPPORT THE PODCAST HERE CONNECT WITH TARYN Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube The Triathlon Nutrition Academy® is a podcast by Dietitian Approved®. All rights reserved. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Your legs are heavy, your easy sessions feel hard, and you are not improving despite training consistently. If you immediately thought overtraining, you are right. That is also the exact symptom list for under-fuelling. Researchers went looking for every training overload study that also measured what athletes were eating. 21 studies made the cut, and in 18 of them, 86%, the athletes were under-fuelled. So the majority of athletes diagnosed as overtrained in the research were in fact not eating enough. Which raises a fairly uncomfortable question about that extra session you are thinking of adding to your training schedule right now. In this episode, I show you how to tell whether you are overtrained or under-fuelled, why adding volume to an under-fuelled athlete makes everything worse, and the 3 signals plus 3 fixes to run through before you touch your training program.   WHAT YOU WILL TAKE AWAY Why overtraining and under-fuelling start in exactly the same place in your brain, and why that changes the fix What energy availability actually is, and why it is not the same thing as calories in versus calories out The maths run on a 75 kg age-grouper training 12 hours a week, and what his number actually comes out at Why overtraining is a diagnosis of exclusion, and what the professionals rule out first The 3 signals that tell you under-fuelling is on the table at all The 3 things to fix today, before you add another hour of training TIMESTAMPS 00:00 The symptom list you are about to recognise00:54 The number that should stop you adding a session01:57 Same origin, same dials, different fix02:20 You do not get fitter during your sessions03:37 Inside the research: 18 out of 21 studies04:17 Why overtraining is a diagnosis of exclusion05:26 Energy availability, in plain English07:15 Running the numbers on a 75 kg male age-grouper09:35 The same maths for a female athlete10:31 Why your own numbers will be different11:37 What happens when training goes up and food does not13:05 But I just need to train more, right?14:55 Signal 1: your appetite has gone the wrong way16:05 The feather, the brick and the truck16:30 Signal 2: the scales are not behaving17:36 Signal 3: easy is fine, your top end has gone18:31 The fourth sign: illness and niggles that outstay their welcome19:35 Fix 1: what you do during training20:31 Fix 2: recovery nutrition and the 4 Rs21:19 Fix 3: does your food move when your training moves22:08 An important note if this episode touched a nerve23:01 The recap24:21 Run the sums before you add the session   STUDIES MENTIONED Meeusen, R., Duclos, M., Foster, C., Fry, A., Gleeson, M., Nieman, D., Raglin, J., Rietjens, G., Steinacker, J., & Urhausen, A. (2013). Prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of the overtraining syndrome: Joint consensus statement of the European College of Sport Science and the American College of Sports Medicine. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 45(1), 186-205. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e318279a10a  Melin, A. K., Areta, J. L., Heikura, I. A., Stellingwerff, T., Torstveit, M. K., & Hackney, A. C. (2024). Direct and indirect impact of low energy availability on sports performance. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 34(1), e14327. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.14327  Stellingwerff, T., Heikura, I. A., Meeusen, R., Bermon, S., Seiler, S., Mountjoy, M. L., & Burke, L. M. (2021). Overtraining syndrome (OTS) and relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S): Shared pathways, symptoms and complexities. Sports Medicine, 51(11), 2251-2280. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-021-01491-0   READY TO STOP GUESSING? Your day to day nutrition is the single most valuable thing I help my athletes with inside the Triathlon Nutrition Academy. I teach you how to fuel for training, racing and life, so you are not asking the internet random questions at 9pm every time your program changes or you see something shiny. Get your name on the list for our next cohort at dietitianapproved.com/academy   Download the FREE audio series The 5 Biggest Nutrition Mistakes Costing You Time on Race Day Recovery Accelerator Program SUPPORT THE PODCAST HERE CONNECT WITH TARYN Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube The Triathlon Nutrition Academy® is a podcast by Dietitian Approved®. All rights reserved. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is carb loading a myth? A paper published in June has social media convinced that it is. A comment landed on my socials this week saying exactly that. It didn't appear out of nowhere. There is a new paper doing the rounds, the headlines have picked it up and sprinted into some pretty heavy clickbait territory, and they have taken it somewhere I don't think the authors ever wanted it to go. So I'm going to tell you exactly what that paper says, what it doesn't say and how to apply it to you as an age group triathlete. I'll walk you through the 14 studies this whole argument rests on, why only 2 of them were double blinded and the detail in the research design that changes how you should read every one of those headlines. Then I'll show you brand new data on 27 real women racing at the 2024 World Champs, which I think is the far more important number for you. IN THIS EPISODE: What the June 2026 commentary actually did, and why it is not the carb loading study everyone thinks it is How 10,422 papers were screened down to just 14 Why most of that research doesn't reflect how you actually race What happened to muscle glycogen when athletes ate enough carbohydrate Why I never wrote Matt Hauser a carb loading plan, and what that tells you about yours The World Champs food diary data on what female age groupers really ate the day before their biggest race The second problem with this research that nobody is talking about yet What I want you to do differently before your next race TIMESTAMPS00:00 The comment that kicked this off00:27 The paper behind the headlines, and what it actually is02:58 From 10,422 papers down to 1403:29 Why only two of them were double blinded04:17 Riding with no fuel on board, and some of them fasted05:42 The two studies the myth claim rests on06:23 What actually happened to muscle glycogen08:02 The one that was really a creatine study09:33 Why I'm not calling this case closed10:15 World Champs: only 26% hit their carb loading numbers12:25 Train like a professional, eat like a beginner12:48 Why Matt Hauser never needed a carb loading plan14:34 There is a ceiling, but that doesn't mean your tank is full15:40 The second problem nobody is talking about16:26 Risk versus reward17:54 What I want you to do before your next race18:42 So, is carb loading a myth? STUDIES MENTIONED - Areta, J. L., [LILY: confirm the full author list from the paper before publishing]. (2026). Beyond belief? Absence of double-blinding and limited ecological validity in carbohydrate loading research. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2026-0058 - Burke, L. M., Hawley, J. A., Schabort, E. J., St Clair Gibson, A., Mujika, I., & Noakes, T. D. (2000). Carbohydrate loading failed to improve 100-km cycling performance in a placebo-controlled trial. Journal of Applied Physiology, 88(4), 1284-1290. https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.2000.88.4.1284 - Tomcik, K. A., Camera, D. M., Bone, J. L., Ross, M. L., Jeacocke, N. A., Tachtsis, B., Senden, J., van Loon, L. J. C., Hawley, J. A., & Burke, L. M. (2018). Effects of creatine and carbohydrate loading on cycling time trial performance. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 50(1), 141-150. [https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000001401 - Jones, R. O., Areta, J. L., Bennett, S., Pugh, J., & Louis, J. B. (2026). Dose-response of dietary carbohydrate intake on skeletal muscle glycogen, gastrointestinal comfort and body composition in endurance-trained individuals in simulated preparation for competition. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 36(6), e70312. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.70312 - Fortis, H. O., Whitehead, A. E., Cronin, C. J., Johnson, K. O., Shepherd, S. O., Hackney, A. C., Close, G. L., & Strauss, J. A. (2026). From intention to execution: Pre-race nutrition behaviours, influences, and performance outcomes in female endurance athletes at the IRONMAN World Championships. European Journal of Sport Science, 26(7), e70193. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsc.70193 If you want carb loading laid out properly in a way that is easy to understand, with a planner and a calculator that does all of the hard maths for you, my Carb Loading Masterclass is at dietitianapproved.com/carb-loading. Download the FREE audio series The 5 Biggest Nutrition Mistakes Costing You Time on Race Day Recovery Accelerator Program SUPPORT THE PODCAST HERE CONNECT WITH TARYN Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube The Triathlon Nutrition Academy® is a podcast by Dietitian Approved®. All rights reserved. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You can eat really good food all day long and still have no idea how to fuel a triathlon. Dr James Anderson is a dentist, a Triathlon Nutrition Academy athlete and one of the most organised humans you will ever meet. Smoothie bags prepped in the freezer. Snack bags packed for every work day. Quality food, every single day. He was still eating the wrong things at the wrong time for three sports, and he had no idea until he went looking for the gaps. In this episode James shares what changed between joining the Academy and crossing the line at his first 70.3 in New Mexico, including the quadrathlon that scared him into taking the detail seriously, what carb loading and sodium loading did for his cramping and headaches, and the moment on the run where his fuel stopped working and he had to think his way to the finish line. WHAT YOU WILL TAKE AWAY Why eating healthy and fuelling for triathlon are two completely different skills What being super organised with food still misses when you are training for three sports How conflicting advice online leaves smart, capable athletes stuck in paralysis by analysis What carb loading and sodium loading did for a big athlete racing at altitude How to troubleshoot on course when your race nutrition stops working, instead of taking a DNF Why James is leaving his bike computer and Strava behind next time TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Eating well and fuelling for triathlon are not the same thing 00:33 Meet Dr James Anderson, dentist and TNA athlete 01:47 The bike shop moment and a very optimistic swim time 05:26 Fitting three sports around a full time job and a business 06:40 The Apple Blossom story 09:04 Organised, disciplined and eating the wrong things at the wrong time 10:40 Why a smart, capable guy could not work it out on his own 12:51 The Mount Taylor quadrathlon reality check 16:27 How the nutrition actually went at his first 70.3 19:16 Open water panic and the note in the swim cap 25:00 What he would do differently next time 29:18 The Power Hour crew and what is next 31:10 Nobody is born knowing this GUEST Dr James Anderson is a dentist based in New Mexico, USA, a Clydesdale age grouper and a Triathlon Nutrition Academy athlete who has just finished phase three of the program. He fell for the sport after seeing his first triathlon bike in a bike shop, raced sprint distance for three years and Olympic distance for two, and recently completed his first 70.3, the longest event he has ever raced. He is not on social media, so the best place to find him is in the TNA Power Hour. WANT THIS FOR YOURSELF Nobody is born knowing how to fuel three sports and you will not learn it at school or at uni. Get your name on the list for the next cohort of the Triathlon Nutrition Academy.   Download the FREE audio series The 5 Biggest Nutrition Mistakes Costing You Time on Race Day Recovery Accelerator Program SUPPORT THE PODCAST HERE CONNECT WITH TARYN Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube The Triathlon Nutrition Academy® is a podcast by Dietitian Approved®. All rights reserved. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Want to build your own carb loading plan? Grab my complete Carb Loading Masterclass here: https://www.dietitianapproved.com/carb-loading A giant bowl of pasta the night before your race is not carbohydrate loading. Not even close. In two decades of working with age group triathletes, Taryn has never met one who carb loads properly. This episode fixes that once and for all. It breaks down the science of carbohydrate loading, why it is genuinely free speed out on the course, and the handful of mistakes that leave you feeling bloated, heavy and fading in the back half of your race. WHAT YOU WILL LEARN What carbohydrate loading actually is, and why it is not the same as demolishing a pasta dinner Why carb loading delays fatigue rather than making you faster, and how it is worth 1 to 3% performance out on course The five common mistakes that leave you bloated and heavy (you are almost certainly doing at least one) Why the number on the scales going up is a sign you have done it right, not a reason to panic Whether women really do carb load worse than men, and what the research actually says TIMESTAMPS 00:00 The pasta party myth 01:44 Why no triathlete carb loads properly 03:38 What carbohydrate loading actually is (glycogen, the fuel tank and supercompensation) 06:07 Free speed: why it delays fatigue instead of making you faster 07:21 The evidence: 90 minutes and a 1 to 3% gain 08:44 The five mistakes that leave you bloated and heavy 14:20 Do women carb load worse than men? 18:23 How to build your own carb loading plan 22:37 The five big takeaways STUDIES MENTIONED - McLay, R. T., Thomson, C. D., Williams, S. M., & Rehrer, N. J. (2007). Carbohydrate loading and female endurance athletes: Effect of menstrual-cycle phase. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 17(2), 189-205. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.17.2.189 - Tarnopolsky, M. A., Zawada, C., Richmond, L. B., Carter, S., Shearer, J., Graham, T., & Phillips, S. M. (2001). Gender differences in carbohydrate loading are related to energy intake. Journal of Applied Physiology, 91(1), 225-230. https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.2001.91.1.225 - James, A. P., Lorraine, M., Cullen, D., Goodman, C., Dawson, B., Palmer, T. N., & Fournier, P. A. (2001). Muscle glycogen supercompensation: Absence of a gender-related difference. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 85(6), 533-538. https://doi.org/10.1007/s004210100499 - Wismann, J., & Willoughby, D. (2006). Gender differences in carbohydrate metabolism and carbohydrate loading. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 3(1), 28-34. https://doi.org/10.1186/1550-2783-3-1-28 BUILD YOUR OWN CARB LOADING PLAN You cannot copy a carb loading plan from your training buddy, your coach or the internet, because it is so individual. So Taryn has taken everything she teaches inside the Triathlon Nutrition Academy and put it into a complete carb loading masterclass, open to the public. Three video lessons, just over an hour, plus the exact tool she uses with her athletes to calculate your specific numbers and build your plan. Grab it here: dietitianapproved.com/carb-loading Download the FREE audio series The 5 Biggest Nutrition Mistakes Costing You Time on Race Day Recovery Accelerator Program SUPPORT THE PODCAST HERE CONNECT WITH TARYN Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube The Triathlon Nutrition Academy® is a podcast by Dietitian Approved®. All rights reserved. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.