💡 Fuel For Thought

The optimisation trap: when chasing perfection gets in the way of actually performing

Sports scientist and coach Steve Magness recently wrote about a concept he calls schmexcellence: the appearance of high performance without the substance behind it. When optimising every variable starts to replace actually doing the work, we've lost the plot. He illustrates this with two examples: a podcast host who spiralled for three days after a few glasses of wine because his wearable told him his recovery had tanked, and the Enhanced Games, a heavily hyped event where drug-fuelled athletes failed to come close to world records, because performance is about far more than the inputs you throw at it.

Magness's argument is that real excellence is messy and imperfect. Elite performers throughout history have raced and competed in far from ideal conditions and still delivered. Obsessing over optimisation doesn't just fail to help, it actively gets in the way by fuelling perfectionism, anxiety, and fragility.

This lands close to home in nutrition. I see athletes pouring energy into supplement stacking and superfood protocols while under-fuelling training, skimping on sleep, or eating erratically. The fundamentals: consistent energy intake, carbohydrate availability, nutrient timing, and hydration are what actually move the needle. Everything else is noise until those boxes are ticked.

🚀 Endurance Highlights

1️⃣ Planes, trains and performance gains

Travelling to races is becoming common, and with it comes a growing body of research on how long travel affects athlete health and performance. This review combines current findings into practical advice on jet lag, sleep, hydration, nutrition, gut health, and adapting to the environment.

Long trips add stress, and jet lag can disrupt sleep, mood, and exercise. Travelling eastward is usually more disruptive than travelling westward, and crossing over five time zones can increase the risk of sickness threefold.

During long flights, low humidity reduces plasma volume, so electrolyte drinks are more effective than water alone. Even short periods without enough fuel can deplete muscles and weaken immunity, so maintaining energy is important. Using caffeine, melatonin, and meal timing aligned with the destination also helps.

For athletes planning a destination race, preparation extends well beyond the training block. As a practitioner, I'd encourage you to treat your travel itinerary with the same intentionality as your race-week nutrition plan.

2️⃣ Carbohydrate loading dose-response: How much is enough?

Carbohydrate loading has been recognised as an effective endurance nutrition strategy for almost 60 years, yet questions remain about how much carbohydrate is needed to maximise muscle glycogen stores, particularly for athletes who continue training in the lead-up to competition. This study examined the dose-response relationship between carbohydrate intake and muscle glycogen concentration in endurance-trained individuals following a realistic pre-competition taper.

Eleven endurance-trained cyclists completed three separate five-day protocols, each involving a controlled exercise taper and a 48-hour period of moderate, high, or very high carbohydrate intake. Muscle glycogen was measured via muscle biopsy.

Glycogen increased linearly with carbohydrate intake, and 10g/kg/day produced significantly higher stores. All three conditions were well tolerated for gut comfort, with the only notable difference being a greater sense of fullness at the highest intake.

🕵🏻‍♀️ Retail Finds*

This week's product review: Sport Beans vs Glucojel Jelly Beans

I've been comparing food vs products for a while, let's see if these two products are as similar as they seem.

Final take

Even though the Sport Beans are slightly more carbohydrate-dense, their biggest selling point over the Glucojel jelly beans is that they're gluten-free. The Sport Beans are smaller and have a softer consistency. If none of those are big issues for you, the Glucojel jelly beans are a better bang for your buck. ​​

👩🏻‍🍳 Kitchen Creations

​Download the recipe​​​

Raspberry Chia Yogurt with Chocolate Top This simple and tasty recipe is high in antioxidants, protein and fibre, perfect for kicking off your day or enjoying as a midday snack.

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Happy fuelling!

Gaby | Endurance Nutrition Specialist

🏃🏻‍♂️ Want to work together?

When you’re ready, here are 3 ways I can help you:

1. ​Take the FREE Endurance Nutrition Audit. Not sure if your fuelling strategy is working? This quick 3-minute audit will reveal exactly where you stand and what adjustments could help you perform at your best.
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