💡 Fuel For Thought

The endurance athlete’s guide to carb-loading

Last week, I sat down with my friend and Running YouTuber Sota Maehara for a deep dive into one of the most misunderstood topics in endurance sport: carb-loading.

​

Most runners think they’ve carb-loaded… until they try doing it properly. We break down what carb-loading actually means, the science behind it, and why it’s about so much more than eating a big bowl of pasta the night before your race.

From timing, portion sizes, and food choices to common mistakes that can derail your performance, this conversation is packed with practical tips you can apply to your next marathon or ultra.

Whether you’ve got a big race on the horizon or you just want to understand how to fuel smarter, you’ll get a clear framework to approach carb-loading with confidence.

​Follow this link to watch the whole video. ​

🚀 Endurance Highlights

1️⃣ International Consensus on Optimising Elite Athlete Performance

While adequate training is critical to an athlete's optimal performance, this new International Consensus Statement highlights that many other factors, from nutrition and recovery to injury management and emerging technologies, play just as big a role. The statement, developed by 29 leading experts, emphasises individualised and sport-specific approaches to training and fuelling, underlining that resilience, efficiency, and tailored strategies are key drivers of elite performance.

On the nutrition side, the panel stressed the importance of periodised fuelling strategies that match training and competition demands, careful monitoring to avoid low energy availability, and a cautious approach to supplements, with only a few (like caffeine and creatine) showing consistent benefits.

Special attention was given to female athletes, including the need for better menstrual cycle monitoring, iron profiling, and addressing energy availability concerns. Injury prevention and rehabilitation were also highlighted, with a call for early detection, individualised care, and multidisciplinary input. Finally, while technologies like wearables show promise for personalising training and nutrition, more validation is needed before they can be widely implemented.

2️⃣ Can probiotics speed up recovery?

There’s still a lot we don’t know about the gut microbiota and how it shapes sport performance, but this new research adds another piece to the puzzle. This systematic review and meta-analysis looked at 19 studies involving over 500 athletes to see whether probiotic supplements could influence post-exercise inflammation. The focus was on cytokines, small proteins that regulate the body’s immune and inflammatory responses.

The results showed that probiotics consistently boosted levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, which plays a key role in reducing inflammation and supporting recovery. Interestingly, they did not show a clear effect on other, more pro-inflammatory cytokines like IL-6 or TNF-α. This suggests probiotics may selectively enhance the body’s natural anti-inflammatory response rather than simply “switching off” inflammation altogether.

The evidence so far is encouraging, but researchers agree that more well-designed trials are needed before we can define the best protocol for athletes.

🕵🏻‍♀️ Retail Finds*

This week's product review: Naak Boost Energy Gel

I'm trying to keep up with the energy gels available in the market but it seems that for every gel I try, two more are developed 😅. Still, here are my thoughts on the most recent one.

Features & benefits

• Facts per gel: 100 calories, 25g carbohydrate, 0g protein, 0g fat, 113 mg sodium.
• 2:1 glucose-fructose ratio
• Neutral flavour

Things to keep in mind

• It's meant to be a jelly-like texture but it broke into chunks that took me by surprise.
• Sweeter than similar gels.

Final take

If you prefer your products on the sweeter end, this energy gel may be a good option. However, there are other products in the market with a better jelly-like texture. ​​​​​​

👩🏻‍🍳 Kitchen Creations

​Check the recipe here​​​

Recipe Review: Viral Cheesy Potato Pockets I saw this recipe shared so many times that I had to try it. It was relatively easy to make but I found it hard to stuff all the meat across the 8 servings so I kept what was left separately. Each pocket has ~30g carb and ~24g protein. I also used regular cheese instead of low fat cheese. I will certainly make these again.

Running for more than records: Aaron’s Mission on the Bibbulmun Track Aaron Young, who I’ve had the privilege of working with for over a year, is now taking on his biggest challenge yet, running the entire 1,000 km Bibbulmun Track to set a Fastest Known Time. He’s not just chasing records, he’s running with purpose. Aaron is raising funds to provide 100 free counselling sessions through TIACS, supporting the mental health of blue-collar workers across Australia. His journey is proof that with the right support and determination, we can overcome even the toughest battles. Click here to support Aaron's cause

I'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:

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.
2. ​Book a FREE strategy call. Need expert advice on your next best step? Let’s chat! In this commitment-free call, I’ll help you identify key areas to improve and map out a fueling approach tailored to your endurance goals.
3. ​Join the Fuel To Thrive Academy. Ready to take action? My signature program gives you the ultimate fuelling roadmap to unlock your full potential in sport and life, with proven strategies that have helped endurance athletes fuel smarter, perform better and break records.

​
​