💡 Fuel For Thought

History was made on Sunday. Here's how nutrition was part of the story.

What a time to be alive!

This past weekend at the London Marathon, we witnessed one of the most extraordinary days in the history of endurance sport. On the men's side, Sabastian Sawe ran 1:59:30, becoming only the second person in history to break the two-hour marathon barrier in a sanctioned race, with Yomif Kejelcha following in 1:59:41. All three men on the podium ran under the previous world record. On the women's side, Tigst Assefa broke the women's only world record in 2:15:41, with all three women finishing within 14 seconds of each other. Records were demolished in a single morning.

Performance coach Steve Magness wrote a breakdown of how we got here, identifying shoe technology, fuelling, depth of talent, and belief as the key drivers. He's right on all counts. But as a sports dietitian, I want to pull the nutrition thread a little further, because what happened on that start line didn't begin on race morning.

Three nutrition shifts that made this possible, and what they mean for you:

1. Elite athletes are no longer afraid to fuel. For years, restriction was embedded in elite sport culture. Not anymore. Optimal fuelling is now treated as a non-negotiable training input, as important as the session itself. When athletes eat to support their training, they build stronger, more efficient machines. That's not a radical idea. It's just finally being taken seriously at the highest level.

2. Gut training is real, and it matters. Sawe consumed an estimated 115g of carbohydrate per hour during the race. To put that in perspective, he was doing this at 2:50 min/km. The gut doesn't perform under that kind of stress without deliberate, progressive preparation. Tolerating high-carbohydrate intake is a skill, and like any skill, it takes practice.

3. The science behind high carbohydrate absorption, and where the credit really belongs. Magness credits the Maurten hydrogel system for enabling higher carbohydrate intake. Maurten deserves recognition for making high-carb fuelling more practical and gut-friendly. Still, the real breakthrough came earlier, from sports scientists who discovered that glucose and fructose are absorbed via different intestinal transporters. By combining the two sugars, athletes could absorb close to double what was previously thought possible, moving from a ceiling of roughly 60g per hour to upwards of 120g per hour. More carbohydrate available means higher intensity sustained for longer. The hydrogel refined the delivery. The dual-sugar science changed the game.

None of this is out of reach for you. The principles are the same whether you're chasing a podium or a finish line. Fuel consistently in training, train your gut deliberately, and understand that what you consume and how you've prepared your body to use it shapes what you're capable of on race day.

What would change in your preparation if you treated nutrition as seriously as you treat your sessions?

🚀 Endurance Highlights

1️⃣ Omega-3 supplementation and exercise recovery

Post-exercise inflammation is a normal part of training, but when it's poorly managed, it slows recovery and chips away at training quality over time. Omega-3 fatty acids are well known for their anti-inflammatory properties, and this recent meta-analysis synthesises 14 years of research to examine how much they actually help with recovery. ​

Across the studies, omega-3 supplementation consistently reduced markers of inflammation and muscle damage, including perceived soreness in the days after exercise. The effects were strongest when athletes supplemented with at least 2g of combined EPA and DHA daily for at least 6 weeks, suggesting that both dose and duration matter. Shorter protocols and lower doses produced smaller, less reliable results, pointing to a threshold effect rather than an immediate fix.

Omega-3s appear to support recovery most effectively as a long-term, consistent strategy rather than a short-term intervention. Recreational and moderately trained athletes saw the largest benefits, likely because well-trained athletes already have some physiological adaptation to exercise-induced inflammation.

2️⃣ Creatine and cognitive performance during sleep deprivation

A few weeks ago, I shared research on creatine's potential to support mental performance during sleep deprivation. The same research group has now returned with a follow-up question: can a lower, more practical dose produce a similar benefit? ​

The lower dose (0.2 g/kg) still helped, but less so than the higher dose tested previously. Participants taking creatine showed less deterioration in logical reasoning, numerical tasks, language processing speed, and reaction time than those on placebo. Improvements ranged up to 12%, though the effect was more modest and less consistent than that produced by the higher dose. Notably, female participants responded more strongly than males across logic, processing speed, and reaction time tasks, a finding the authors link to naturally lower creatine stores in the female brain.

For ultra-endurance athletes, in-race sleep deprivation is common and cognitive sharpness matters for pacing, decision-making, and managing fatigue. This study suggests creatine may offer some protection, but the effect appears dose-dependent, meaning a lower dose provides only partial benefit. The sample was small and consisted entirely of young, healthy adults, so the findings should be interpreted with caution before applying them broadly.

🕵🏻‍♀️ Retail Finds*

This week's product review: Clif Blok Energy Chews vs Dried Mango Slices

Shoutout to newsletter subscriber Kate for suggesting this product comparison.

Final take

Clif Bloks are more carbohydrate-dense and easier to chew. However, for those looking for a more "natural" budget-friendly alternative, dried mangoes can be a great option.

👩🏻‍🍳 Kitchen Creations

​Download the recipe​​​

Kefir Overnight Oats with Raspberries Beyond being tasty and balanced, this recipe is packed with ingredients that support gut health.

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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.
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.