💡 Fuel For Thought

You're not lazy. You're underfuelled

I talk to endurance athletes every day, and it always surprises me when someone who doesn't hesitate to leave their bed at 5 am to run in the dark or cold thinks of themselves as "lazy" because they couldn’t resist the muffin someone offered them at work or went for seconds at dinner.

If you’ve ever felt like you can’t control your diet or like you lack willpower, let me tell you this: You’re not lazy, you're underfuelled.

When your body doesn't have enough energy to support your training load and daily commitments, it fights back. Those late-night cravings, brain fog, and dips in motivation aren’t signs of personal failure; they're survival signals. Your body is literally screaming for fuel.

When your diet is intentionally designed to fuel your goals, food becomes a powerful ally instead of something you constantly battle against. You discover just how wonderful, satisfying, and empowering it feels to nourish your body with the energy it truly needs.

So next time you feel frustrated because you can't stop thinking about chocolate or find yourself raiding the pantry late at night, pause and ask yourself this: Am I really lacking discipline, or could it be that my body is simply asking me for the energy I haven’t been giving it? Your answer might just change everything.

🚀 Endurance Highlights

1️⃣ Bee-yond the gel: Can honey fuel your long runs? 🍯

While energy gels are a convenient way to fuel during training and races, many endurance athletes prefer more natural or budget-friendly alternatives. This recent study explored whether honey could be a viable substitute for commercial carbohydrate products.​

Twelve trained male cyclists completed a 3-hour steady-state ride followed by a time-to-fatigue test, consuming either 90g/hr of honey or a traditional carbohydrate sports product (SIS Beta Fuel). The researchers found no significant differences between the two trials in carbohydrate or fat oxidation, time to fatigue, GI symptoms, or breath hydrogen levels (a marker of gut fermentation).

In other words, honey performed just as well as the commercial product across key performance and digestive metrics, even at high carbohydrate intakes. While more research is needed across different types of athletes, this study supports the idea that food-first options like honey can be just as effective as engineered fuel alternatives, provided the carbohydrate dose and timing are dialled in.

2️⃣ Why fibre deserves a place in every athlete's diet

Fibre is often mentioned as something to avoid before training to reduce the risk of gut issues during exercise. But let’s not forget, fibre is also a powerful nutrient that plays a crucial role in long-term health.

​This umbrella review analysed data from over 17 million individuals across 33 meta-analyses and found strong evidence that higher fibre intake is linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease mortality, pancreatic cancer, and diverticular disease. Additional benefits were also observed for outcomes like all-cause mortality, coronary heart disease, and ovarian cancer. Despite this, most people, including athletes, still fall short of the recommended 30g per day.

If you’re training regularly and want to prioritise both performance and health, the key isn’t to avoid fibre altogether, but to be smart about timing. Some great opportunities to boost fibre intake include meals immediately after training, any snacks or meals eaten at least 4 hours before your next session, and rest days.

🕵🏻‍♀️ Retail Finds*

This week's product review: Endu1 Honey Boost Ultra

Nowadays, energy gels come in all textures and flavours. This particular brand is famous for prioritising natural ingredients and fruit-like textures.

Features & benefits

• Facts per gel: 100 calories, 21g carbohydrate, 1g protein, 0.5g fat, 105-240mg sodium.
• Main ingredients are fruit juice and puree.
• No gooey texture.

Things to keep in mind

• The chia seeds found in these gels are for added fibre to support a slow energy release.
• Hard to asses the glucose:fructose ratio due to ingredient variability.

Final take

These energy gels are a good alternative for those who seek a more "natural" flavour and less sticky texture. They are particularly suitable for intakes below 60g of carbohydrate per hour and longer events of moderate intensity.

*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 samples.​​

👩🏻‍🍳 Kitchen Creations

​Download the recipe​​​

Spicy White Bean Tomato Skillet Legumes are fantastic way of incorporating fibre into your diet. This simple and balanced dish can be consumed as a whole meal. Consider a smaller portion as a side to avoid discomfort if legumes are not a regular part of your diet yet.

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.

​
​