I enable endurance athletes to overcome lack of energy and gut upset so that they can fuel their bodies with confidence and race to their full potential. Subscribe to my weekly 'Fuelling with Purpose' newsletter to receive endurance nutrition insights directly in your inbox.
Fuelling With Purpose — 17 June 2025
💡 Fuel For ThoughtWhy hunger isn't your best guide during trainingOutside of training, your hunger cues are usually reliable. If you’re feeling hungry during your regular day-to-day activities, it’s a good sign your body needs food, and responding to that is smart. But once you step into a long run, ride, or race… things change. Exercise suppresses appetite, even when your body is burning through energy rapidly. So if you wait to feel hungry before eating during training, you’re already behind. The problem isn’t your instincts, it’s that your body stops sending the usual signals just when you need them most. That’s why fuelling during endurance sessions and races needs to be intentional and planned, not reactive. The same goes for recovery. You’d think you'd be starving after a big session or race, but often it’s quite the opposite. That doesn’t mean your body doesn’t need fuel. It just means your hunger cues are still suppressed. It’s not about ignoring your body, it’s about understanding how it functions under stress, and making sure you’re giving it the energy it needs before it runs out. 🚀 Endurance Highlights1️⃣ Burn more fat or build more fitness?Training with low carbohydrate availability, often referred to as “training low”, has been explored as a strategy to boost fat metabolism and promote certain endurance adaptations. This study looked at what happens when exercise is performed under low glycogen conditions (i.e., when carbohydrate stores are depleted) and how it affects key training adaptations. Researchers found that while training in a low-glycogen state may increase signals related to fat metabolism, it blunted the mTORC1 signaling pathway, which is a key cellular “switch” that helps regulate muscle growth, repair, and adaptation to training. In simpler terms, your body may become better at burning fat, but at the cost of reducing its ability to fully recover and get stronger from training. So what does this mean for you? Training fasted or with low carbs may be useful in small, strategic doses, but doing it too often or before key sessions might limit your progress. For workouts where performance, intensity, or gains matter most, fuelling with carbohydrates beforehand can help you get the most out of your training. 2️⃣ Why I'll never share a "what I eat in a day" videoThe “what I eat in a day” trend might seem harmless, even inspiring. And while it undoubtedly does wonders for views and likes, I’ve always found it problematic. These videos often present a curated snapshot of someone’s eating habits (if they’re even real), but the bigger issue is how easily they feed into comparison, misinformation, and unrealistic expectations. This recent article from The Conversation echoes many of my concerns. It highlights how these videos can negatively impact mental health, body image, and eating behaviour, especially when posted by unqualified influencers promoting restrictive eating, weight loss goals, or “clean eating.” The truth is, no single day of eating defines someone’s health or performance. We all have different needs shaped by our genetics, training demands, environment, and preferences. What I eat as a dietitian and endurance athlete reflects my needs and lifestyle. My job is to help you fuel your body for optimal health and performance, which means finding your path, not copying mine or anyone else’s. 🕵🏻♀️ Retail Finds*This week's product review: Endu1 Honey Boost EnduranceMany athletes express concerns about finding more natural fuel options. Here are my thoughts on this carb drink based on Manuka honey. Features & benefits
Things to keep in mind
Final take This drink can be a great option for athletes looking for more natural alternatives and especially those with higher fluid and sodium needs. Drinking this at the suggested concentration is recommended to reduce the likelihood of flavour fatigue. *Thank you to Kelvin from Endu1 who sent me Honey Boost samples so I could share my thoughts with you and them as they continue to develop products that are best suited for ultra-endurance athletes. Kelvin has kindly shared a discount code to receive 30% off on your first order. Simply enter the code Gaby30 at checkout to redeem this offer. Click here to start ordering. 👩🏻🍳 Kitchen CreationsI'm committing to sending the most valuable endurance nutrition newsletter. I want to make sure that every piece of content you receive has information that is helpful for you and your journey to achieving your personal best. Happy fuelling! Gaby | Endurance Nutrition Specialist p.s. I personally read and answer your email replies. PLUS whenever you’re ready, here are 3 ways I can help you optimise your performance:
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Gaby Villa
I enable endurance athletes to overcome lack of energy and gut upset so that they can fuel their bodies with confidence and race to their full potential. Subscribe to my weekly 'Fuelling with Purpose' newsletter to receive endurance nutrition insights directly in your inbox.
💡 Fuel For Thought The nutrition story behind Phil Gore's backyard ultra world record I wasn’t planning to be at the Dead Cow Gully Masters Backyard Ultra this year until I received a message late Friday night from Phil Gore and a call from his wife, Gemma, letting me know she’d broken her ankle and asking if I could take her place as crew. Just hours later, I was on a plane to Queensland, about to witness one of the most incredible performances in ultra-endurance history. Phil went on to...
💡 Fuel For Thought Mastering the invisible training One of the most memorable concepts I learned during my university years came from a sports nutrition lecturer who often spoke about the importance of “invisible training.” She used this term to describe everything that supports performance but isn’t captured in your training log: nutrition, hydration, sleep, and mindset. The things that happen off the track, away from the gym, and outside of the long runs. Nutrition, of course, is one of the...
💡 Fuel For Thought Pre-workout supplement vs pre-workout fuel: What’s the difference, and do you need both? In the world of endurance sport, “pre-workout” can mean two very different things. One is a supplement, usually a mix of caffeine, amino acids, beta-alanine, and sometimes creatine or nitrates. The other is a meal or snack, typically something rich in carbohydrates, designed to top up your energy before a session. Here’s the key difference: The supplement stimulates. It works mainly on...