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 — 25 February 2025
🚀 Endurance highlights1️⃣ Talking all things endurance nutritionI recently had the chance to sit down with Brent from the Peak 2 Soon Podcast to dive deep into endurance nutrition and the strategies that can make or break an athlete’s performance. We covered everything from fuelling for ultras and backyard races to common mistakes endurance athletes make with their nutrition and how to fix them.
One of the key topics we discussed was how to build a sustainable nutrition plan that supports both performance and long-term health. We also talked about gut training, carbohydrate intake for endurance, hydration strategies, and the importance of adapting nutrition to different race formats. You can listen to our conversation by searching for Peak 2 Soon Podcast on your favourite podcast platform or following the link above to tune in on Spotify. 2️⃣ Fasted training: Boosting fat-adaptation or limiting performance?Fasted training is often promoted as a way to enhance fat adaptation, but how well does the science support this claim? This recent systematic review and meta-analysis examined the effects of exercising in a fasted versus fed state on fat and carbohydrate metabolism. The review found that while fasted exercise does increase fat oxidation during the workout itself, it doesn’t necessarily lead to greater fat loss over time compared to exercising after eating. This is because the body compensates for the increased fat burning during exercise by adjusting fat metabolism later in the day. The study also highlighted that carbohydrate availability plays a key role in performance, with fasted training potentially limiting the ability to sustain higher-intensity efforts. Additionally, fasted training led to higher circulating glucose and insulin levels post-exercise, suggesting that the metabolic response is more complex than simply ‘burning more fat’. For endurance athletes, this means that while occasional fasted sessions might be a useful tool for metabolic flexibility, relying on them too often could come at the expense of performance. Strategic fuelling remains crucial for optimising training outcomes. 3️⃣ Sodium bicarbonate for endurance athletes: Worth the hype?Sodium bicarbonate has been studied for many years as a useful supplement for reducing acid buildup during intense activities. It is well-known to help in short events like sprinting, rowing, swimming, and brief cycling time trials, where performance suffers from too much muscle acidity. Recently, endurance athletes have started looking at its benefits. As more elite endurance athletes try sodium bicarbonate, its role in long events is becoming a fascinating topic of research. While it’s not a cure-all, knowing how and when to use it wisely could help improve performance, especially in races with frequent high-intensity efforts. 🕵🏻♀️ Retail finds*This week's product review: Pillar Performance Triple MagnesiumMagnesium is a vital mineral that plays a number of roles essential to the performance and recovery of endurance athletes. Its functions span from energy production and electrolyte balance to muscle relaxation. Features & benefits
Things to keep in mind
Final take Even though magnesium is a mineral widely available through food sources, supplementation may be beneficial for individuals with higher training loads. Consult your healthcare professional before supplementing, and start with lower doses if side effects are a concern. Special thanks to my client Kristina from Coast To Mountain Running , who sent me a package with a wide range of products to review, including these recovery sachets. 👩🏻🍳 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'd hate for you to miss this week's masterclass. Click here to secure your spot. |
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.
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🚀 Endurance highlights 1️⃣ Sticky science: How honey might help your muscles recover 🍯 This study looked at whether honey could help reduce muscle inflammation caused by overtraining. Over six weeks, 42 military graduates went through tough physical training. They were split into two groups: one took a honey supplement daily, and the other had a placebo. The researchers measured markers of muscle inflammation before and after the trial, including C-reactive protein (CRP) and creatine kinase...