profile

Gaby Villa

I enable endurance athletes to overcome lack of energy and gut upset so that they can fuel their bodies with confidence and race to their full potential. Subscribe to my weekly 'Fuelling with Purpose' newsletter to receive endurance nutrition insights directly in your inbox.

Featured Post

Fuelling With Purpose — 4 November 2025

💡 Fuel For Thought Why science still backs carb-Loading for endurance performance You’ve probably heard that carb-loading makes you feel heavy or sluggish before a race. Maybe you’ve even cut back on pasta or rice the night before because you didn’t want that weighed-down feeling. But the thing is that extra “weight” isn’t slowing you down, it’s fuelling you up. When you increase carbohydrate intake in the 1–3 days before a race, your muscles ramp up glycogen storage, your body’s most...

💡 Fuel For Thought New podcast episode: Fuelling smarter on the Running Matters Podcast I recently joined Paul Hadfield on the Running Matters Podcast to chat all things endurance nutrition, from heat adaptation and gut health to caffeine, electrolytes, and the myths that keep runners stuck. We dug into practical strategies for racing in the heat, the role of protein in ultra events, how to train your gut to handle fuel at race pace, and why proper fuelling starts long before race day. One of...

💡 Fuel For Thought The science (and art) behind world-class backyard ultra fuelling The Backyard Ultra World Championships are underway, and I’m working with four Intenseathletes competing among the best endurance runners on the planet. Each of these athletes has their own physiology, mindset, and strategy, yet when you look closely at their race plans, there’s a clear pattern. Their nutrition approaches may be unique in detail, but they’re built on the same core principles. And these lessons...

💡 Fuel For Thought Eating big in a world obsessed with small Picture this: you’re sitting down with your well-earned bowl of pasta after a long run, and around you, everyone’s comparing notes on their latest diet: intermittent fasting, low-carb, pre-holiday "detox". You twirl your fork and quietly wonder: am I doing something wrong? Nutrition can feel overwhelming when you’re an endurance athlete living in a world that celebrates eating less. Your energy needs are significantly higher than...

💡 Fuel For Thought Fuelling Beyond the Nutrition Label A client recently told me they were struggling to find foods to eat before training. “I don't really like sweet things,” they said, “I thought about toast with Vegemite… but that's useless, right? Vegemite doesn't have any carbs.” It's true, Vegemite isn't a carb-dense source. But that doesn't make it useless. In this case, it's the bridge that makes fuelling possible. The Vegemite isn't there to fuel the session, the bread is. The...

💡 Fuel For Thought Gut Training: The Workout Most Runners Skip “Do not try anything new on race day” seems to be a well-known rule. However, when it comes to nutrition, many athletes interpret this too narrowly. They’ll test a gel once or twice in training, have no stomach upset, and assume they’re good to go. But tolerating one gel during an easy long run is not the same as fuelling with multiple gels per hour at race intensity. Your gut is trainable, just like your legs and lungs. Research...

📢 Upcoming In Person Event: Fuel To Thrive: How to make food your best ally in sport and life 🗓️ Saturday 4 October - 4:00 pm 📍 361 Degrees Running & Basketball - Subiaco This masterclass is all about showing you how to move past the confusion, myths, and one-size-fits-all advice around sports nutrition and learn simple, science-backed strategies to fuel with confidence. You’ll discover how to boost your energy, endurance, and recovery while making food a true ally, both in sport and in life....

💡 Fuel For Thought The Norwegian Fuelling Method Image source: Ironman If you watched the Ironman World Championship this weekend, you’ll know the Norwegians just pulled off something remarkable, a clean podium sweep, with all three top spots going to Norway and Casper Stornes crowned 2025 Ironman World Champion. Behind that performance isn’t just talent and training, but a willingness to push the boundaries of sports science, especially when it comes to nutrition. In a recent podcast...

💡 Fuel For Thought Why copy-paste nutrition doesn't work I often get asked: “What’s the best fueling plan for a 100k? Or for a 24-hour race?” The honest answer is: it depends. Without knowing your unique situation, your training history, your gut tolerance, your goals, it’s impossible to prescribe the “perfect” plan. Think about it: a 100 km mountain ultra, a backyard ultra, and a 24-hour track race all ask wildly different things of your body. In one, you’re climbing thousands of meters with...

💡 Fuel For Thought WA Running Podcast: Marathon prep myths, mistakes and must-dos In the lastest episode of the WA Running Podcast, I joined hosts Simon and Chris alongside Perth runners Nita Traeger and Matt “Smithie” Smith who are preparing for the upcoming Perth Running Festival. We dove into what really goes into race prep beyond the kilometers: how daily nutrition, training fuel, and recovery strategies shape performance on the big day. I shared practical insights on why fuelling is...