💡 Fuel For Thought

You don’t need more nutrition information. You need a better system.

We’ve never had easier access to nutrition information. And yet, I’m seeing more athletes confused about what to eat, how much to fuel, and which advice to follow.

A TikTok recipe here, an Instagram tip there, a podcast protocol and a few “innocent” questions to ChatGPT. Before long, you’ve built yourself a Frankenstein nutrition plan. Each piece sounds reasonable, but nobody has stopped to ask whether the pieces actually belong together.

That’s the problem with isolated information.

Knowing that carbs improve endurance performance doesn’t tell you how much you need today. Knowing that 90–120 g/hour is achievable doesn’t mean it should be your starting point. Knowing that protein supports recovery doesn’t tell you whether the bigger problem is that you simply aren’t eating enough overall.

That’s why adding more tips, tactics and protocols doesn’t always create more clarity. Sometimes it just creates more noise.

A good nutrition system helps you understand what matters most, how the different pieces fit together, and what to adjust when your training, goals or circumstances change. It connects your everyday eating, training fuel, recovery and race nutrition instead of treating each one as a separate problem to solve.

Without that structure, it’s easy to keep adding more. More rules, more targets, more supplements, more protocols.

And when the plan becomes difficult to follow, your gut doesn’t cooperate, or you still feel flat in training, it can start to feel like you’re the one failing the plan.

A plan can look sophisticated on paper and still fall apart in real life if the pieces were never designed to work together. You might already have enough information. What you need is a clearer way to decide what actually deserves a place in your strategy.

🚀 Endurance Highlights

1️⃣ Built to last: Nutrition for injury prevention and recovery

Beyond a direct performance benefit, nutrition also plays a key role in supporting recovery and reducing injury risk. This recent review examined hydration, macronutrients, micronutrients, and supplements to explore how nutrition may help athletes stay healthy and recover from sport-related injuries. ​

Its central message is that the basics still matter most. Adequate energy and carbohydrate availability, sufficient protein, appropriate hydration, and meeting micronutrient needs all provide the foundation for tissue repair and recovery.

Among supplements, vitamin D with calcium was linked to fewer stress fractures, an omega-3 index of 4–8% to fewer running injuries, and creatine to fewer muscle injuries in professional soccer players. However, the evidence wasn't equally strong for every supplement, and optimal doses remain unclear for several.

2️⃣ Caffeine-related problematic use in sport

I often talk about caffeine's benefits for endurance performance, but another side of the story gets far less attention. This new review searched the research on caffeine dependence, withdrawal and misuse in athletes.​

In a survey of 300 university sport students, higher scores on a caffeine dependence questionnaire were linked to greater anxiety and slower reaction times. In two small cycling studies, habitual caffeine users stopped caffeine for up to four days, and almost every participant reported withdrawal symptoms, mainly headache, fatigue and reduced focus. Even so, caffeine still improved performance whether athletes had abstained or not, by about 3% in a one-hour time trial.

The authors conclude that caffeine remains an evidence-based performance aid, but its benefits can come with sleep disruption, anxiety and withdrawal in some athletes. Before deciding to include caffeine in your training or racing, consider your tolerance, how much you plan to use, and when you plan to consume it to maximise its benefits while minimising risk.

🕵🏻‍♀️ Retail Finds*

This week's product review: SaltStick Fast Chews

Features & benefits

• Facts per serve (2 tablets): 10 kcal, 2 g carb, 0 g protein, 0 g fat and 100 mg sodium.
• No need to swallow.
• Easy to chew.
• Citric flavour.
• No need to dilute in water.

Things to keep in mind

• The caffeine version has 15 mg per serve.
• 4-5 tablets are equivalent to 1 salt capsule.

Final take

These tablets can be convenient for those who need to adjust their sodium intake slightly or have trouble swallowing capsules. For those with very high sodium needs, other more sodium-dense options may be more suitable.

*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​​​

Blueberry & Dark Chocolate Overnight Oats I love how convenient overnight oats are for a delicious, balanced breakfast, midday or recovery snack.

I'm committed 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.

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 fuelling 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.