💡 Fuel For Thought

Five lessons from 14 years in the field

When I moved to Australia a decade ago, I paused my nutrition practice to complete my Master’s Degree. As I decided to stay longer, I almost gave up on my dream because starting over felt daunting, and I lacked confidence in myself. Then, in 2020, like many others, I began to reassess my life choices. Gradually, the idea of reestablishing my practice took root, and a year later, I was ready to quit my job and fully commit to IntensEATfit.

Tomorrow, IntensEATfit will celebrate its fifth anniversary, and I couldn't be more grateful for that leap of faith that has allowed me to cross paths with so many wonderful people, including you, Reader.

Five years is a significant milestone, but it is part of a larger journey, nearly 14 years of working with endurance athletes. Here are the top five lessons I wish all athletes could understand about their nutrition.

• A successful race tomorrow starts with what's on your plate today. How you fuel day-to-day will have a far greater impact on your performance and health than any last-minute carb strategy on race morning ever will.
• Food is fuel, and much more. It carries energy and nutrients, yes, but also culture, tradition, and celebration. Embrace it for everything it has to offer.
• Nutrition is part of training. The moment you treat what you eat around your sessions the same way you treat your runners or your watch, everything changes. Your fuel is a training tool.
• Stop clean eating. Start rich eating. Adding colour, flavour, and energy to your day will do far more for you than removing the cookie you still feel guilty about.
• Fuel with purpose. When you understand why what you eat matters, nutrition stops feeling like a chore and starts feeling like part of who you are as an athlete. That's what I'm still here for, 14 years in and counting.

🚀 Endurance Highlights

1️⃣ Iron status in active females: what the evidence says about diet and supplements

​A recently published systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to map the evidence on dietary and supplement-based strategies to improve iron status in active females of reproductive age.

Ferrous sulphate supplements noticeably increased ferritin and haemoglobin levels in active females. On average, ferritin rose by about 13 ng/mL across different studies. Women with the lowest initial iron levels experienced the biggest improvements. However, it's important to note that in several studies, iron supplements did not increase ferritin levels; they only helped keep them from dropping.

Food-based approaches and combination strategies, such as pairing iron with vitamin C or probiotics, also showed promise, while interventions like ketogenic diets were associated with declines in haemoglobin.

For endurance athletes, iron remains one of the most consequential nutrients to monitor, and the evidence reinforces that individual baseline status should guide the approach. If you haven't had your ferritin checked recently, that's where I'd start.

2️⃣ Carbohydrate intake and training durability

A key concept I frequently share is the crucial role adequate nutrition plays in optimising training quality. This new study adds meaningful detail to that picture. ​

Sixteen trained cyclists and triathletes participated in three trials. Each trial involved three hours of moderate-intensity cycling, followed by an all-out effort to measure critical power. The athletes drank different amounts of carbohydrates during the trials: only water in one, 60g carb per hour in another, and 120 grams in the last.

Critical power decreased in all three cases, but the drop was less with higher carbohydrate intake: a 15% reduction with water, 7% with 60 g/h, and 4% with 120 g/h.

These results show that carbohydrate availability during exercise can significantly affect an athlete's performance over a long session, and the effect depends on the amount consumed. Even the highest intake did not completely stop the decline in performance, indicating that other factors besides fuel also play a role.

🕵🏻‍♀️ Retail Finds*

This week's product review: XACT Energy Bar

Shoutout to my client Genevieve, who brought me this bar from Canada.

Features & benefits

• Facts per bar (30g): 100 kcal, 25 g carb, 0 g protein,0 g fat and 15 mg sodium
• Soft and easy to chew
• Not sickly sweet
• Very compact and carb-dense

Things to keep in mind

• Only available in Canada
• Not Low FODMAP

Final take

This is between a gummy, a crystallised fruit, and an energy bar, and it's definitely the best I've tried among the three. Very easy to eat, and I'm still amazed at how small it is. Hopefully, it will be available in Australia soon. ​​​​

👩🏻‍🍳 Kitchen Creations

​Download the recipe​​​

Cottage Cheese & Blueberry Chia Pudding Here's a balanced and protein-packed option. Can work well as part of your breakfast or as a midday snack.

I'm committing to sending the most valuable endurance nutrition newsletter. I want to make sure that every piece of content you receive includes information that helps you on your journey toward achieving your personal best.

Thank you for being part of this journey! 🎉

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.