Guest Brad White is back after his trip to Queensland for the Sunshine Coast Marathon. We review how it went, what he did the day before the race, and use this to plan his carb loading strategy for Chicago.

If you're racing Chicago or Melbourne Marathons or another event in October or November you can follow along and apply the same principles to your own race nutrition preparations.

Back for its second season, T-12 is a brand new, unique podcast series that follows an athlete's journey as they prepare for race day. Over the final 12 weeks before the big event, we'll look at all aspects of race nutrition, from organising accomdation and race foods, to gut training and hydration, to eating during the taper and the day before the race.

A big thanks to Aid Station who have come on board to provide Brad with sports nutrition products to try in training, to assist with his race nutrition planning. And you can get 10% off your Aid Station order by clicking this link https://www.aidstation.com.au/discount/FUEL10 or use the code FUEL10 at checkout*

We check in with athlete guest Brad White. We discuss his progress in scouting out places to eat before the race, his current carb intake in training and planning ahead for race day, and estimating his sweat rate for race day and what to do with this information.

If you're racing Chicago or Melbourne Marathons or another event in October or November you can follow along and apply the same principles to your own race nutrition preparations.

Back for its second season, T-12 is a brand new, unique podcast series that follows an athlete's journey as they prepare for race day. Over the final 12 weeks before the big event, we'll look at all aspects of race nutrition, from organising accomdation and race foods, to gut training and hydration, to eating during the taper and the day before the race.

A big thanks to Aid Station who have come on board to provide Brad with sports nutrition products to try in training, to assist with his race nutrition planning. And you can get 10% off your Aid Station order by clicking this link https://www.aidstation.com.au/discount/FUEL10 or use the code FUEL10 at checkout*

In the final episode of this special 6 part podcast series, we catch up with our athlete guest Brett Kone last time before the 100km Ultra Trail Australia. We focus on some final preventative strategies to reduce the risk of gut issues, how to troubleshoot if things go wrong on the day, and Brett discovers a gem of an idea for carrying your drink mix powder. 

T-12 is a unique podcast series that follows an athlete's journey as they prepare for race day. Over the final 12 weeks before the big event, we'll look at all aspects of race nutrition, from organising accomdation and race foods, to gut training and hydration, to eating during the taper and the day before the race.

A big thanks to Aid Station who have come on board to provide Brett with the race-provided products to try in training, to assist with his race nutrition planning. And you can get 10% off your Aid Station order by clicking this link https://www.aidstation.com.au/discount/FUEL10 or use the code FUEL10 at checkout*

We're joined by Associate Professor Gary Slater (University of the Sunshine Coast & National Performance Nutrition Network Lead, Australian Institute of Sport). Gary has significant expertise and research interest in body composition for athletes. We discuss whether leaner = faster running or riding, considerations for athletes of all levels and body compositions, as well as his experience organising and providing nutrition services for the Australian team village at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Olympian and Australian national record holder in the women's 800m, Catriona Bisset joins us to discuss her approach to aligning a vegan diet with her goals as an athlete. Full of personal experience, tips & tricks for anyone who is or wants to switch to predominately plant-based eating.

A/Prof at Bond University, Nutrition Lead for Triathlon Australia and vegetarian himself, Greg joins us to share his thoughts on plant-based and vegan diets for runners, cyclists & triathletes, whether they are adequate (or superior) for performance & recovery, and key considerations for those thinking of eliminating some or all animal-based foods.

Fresh off 2nd place at the CCC event at Ultra Trail Mont Blanc, ultrarunner and running coach Scotty Hawker joins us to discuss his past battles with gut issues, the role of FODMAPs in these, the careful elimination and reintroduction of FODMAP containing foods to find the source of the problem, and how he manages this today.

Steph takes the lead on this one given her expertise in FODMAPs, explaining what they are, why they're relevant to exercise, when and how to eat a low FODMAP diet, and who might benefit.

Alistair Donohoe joined us from his hotel in Izu as he prepared to race on the velodrome & the road at the Tokyo Paralympics. An avid coffee lover, Al discusses how he plans caffeine around training & competition, and his thoughts on withdrawal and re-introduction of caffeine on race day.

Dr Chris Irwin (Griffith University) joins us to answer a question that has many coffee lovers sweating on the answer. A sports dietitian and researcher who has studied caffeine withdrawal and re-introduction, Chris discusses whether there's a benefit from caffeine abstinence in the lead up to key races.

With the Paralympics kicking off this week we're joined by a member of the Aussie team, triathlete David Bryant, to discuss how he plans his protein across the day in training. A sports dietitian himself when he's not training & racing, Dave also shares the tips and tricks he uses with the athletes he works with.

We're joined by A/Prof. Dan Moore (University of Toronto), who's done many of the existing studies relating specifically to protein and endurance exercise. In this episode he'll discuss the unique features of endurance sports that might be relevant to having increased protein needs, where the science is at currently, and what he recommends runners, cyclists & triathletes need in terms of protein intake.

We're joined by Dr Alice McNamara, a trail and vertical runner, former elite rower, and also a medical doctor working at trail races across country Victoria. Alice shares her experiences with hyponatraemia as a race doctor, as well as other insights for athletes and race directors on all things medical support.

In the fifth episode of this special 6 part podcast series, we catch up with our athlete guest Brett Kennedy in his preparations for the 100km UItra Trail Australia (UTA). We review Brett’s "dress rehearsal" of his race nutrition plan, and discuss taper nutrition for the final 2 weeks before race day. 

T-12 is a brand new, unique podcast series that follows an athlete's journey as they prepare for race day. Over the final 12 weeks before the big event, we'll look at all aspects of race nutrition, from organising accomdation and race foods, to gut training and hydration, to eating during the taper and the day before the race.

A big thanks to Aid Station who have come on board to provide Brett with the race-provided products to try in training, to assist with his race nutrition planning. And you can get 10% off your Aid Station order by clicking this link https://www.aidstation.com.au/discount/FUEL10 or use the code FUEL10 at checkout*

Alan shares his knowledge on exercise-associated hyponatraemia, the role of water vs sodium, is drinking to thirst all that's needed, and how else can we prevent this potentially dangerous condition?

We're joined by Dr Danielle McCartney, an Accredited Sports Dietitian & researcher at The Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics. Danielle provides a fascinating overview of CBD use for sport. What are the potential uses? Is it safe, legal, how do you buy it, and is the hype justified?

We're joined by middle-distance runner, sports scientist & osteopathy student Cate Gifford. Cate gives us an insight into her recent injury & subsequent surgery, and how living with a sports dietitian has changed her approach to nutrition and injury rehab.

We chat to Dr Rebekah Alcock, an Accredited Sports Dietitian who completed her PhD in the area of nutrition support for tendon and ligament health. We discuss the key nutrition considerations for runners, cyclists and triathletes affected by injury, the recent hype around bone broth, gelatin and collagen to support rehab, and other factors that are often overlooked.

A sports scientist & nutritionist by training, but also a Marathon des Sables competitor in 2019, Jodie gives an insight into her own event preparation when it comes to nutrition, and tips and hints she picked up along the way.

In another in-house episode we cover the science and practical issues of carrying your own food for a multi-day event. We discuss the common debates around pack weight vs optimal fuelling, carbs vs fat vs protein, how to maximise the nutrition from the food you carry, and some practical tips learnt from athletes we've worked with over the years.

We're joined by adventurer, runner and business consultant Richard Bowles to share some of his adventures, how he fuelled when running a marathon a day for more than 5 months, and his preference for keeping it simple when it comes to nutrition and recovery.

Fresh from a PhD studying nutrition for recovery optimisation, Bella shares with us the recent expansion through her research from the 3R's to the 5R's of recovery, what that means for the average runner, cyclist and triathlete, and when some R's are more important than others.

We're joined by Leah Kirchmann, a pro cyclist racing with Team DSM in the Women's World Tour. We chat post-stage nutrient goals, logistical challenges, Leah's ride snacks, whether nutrition should be different for amateurs vs pros, and what can happen when you get it wrong.

James Moran works as a dietitian with INEOS Grenadiers and Uno-X Pro Cycling Teams. Just back from an altitude training camp in Tenerife, we chat to James about nutrition for stage racing, the differences from one-day events, how the INEOS Grenadiers team does it, and what we can learn for amateur level stage racing.

Whether you're travelling to altitude to train, or using an altitude tent at home, nutrition can make a big difference to how much benefit you'll get from the lower oxygen environment. In this episode we're joined by Beccy Hall, a sports dietitian and researcher who’s worked with, and studied, elite athletes before and during altitude training camps. We’ll look at the key nutritional issues with altitude exposure, the importance of planning ahead before you even begin altitude training, and the factors to be aware of during and immediately after an altitude training block.

Podcast Guest:

• Rebecca Hall - formerly Australian Catholic University, Olympic Winter Institute of Australia, Australian Institute of Sport, and Canadian Sports Institute Pacific.

References/Resources discussed in the episode:

• AIS Sports Supplement Framwork - Iron Supplementation: https://www.ais.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/1000490/Sport-supplement-fact-sheets-Iron-v4.pdf

Fuelin:

This episode is supported by Fuelin, the world's first training-based nutrition app. It syncs with your training plan (in TrainingPeaks, Final Surge, and TriDot or Run Dot) and creates a personalised nutrition plan, built around your training schedule and tailored to your goals. You’ll see adjustments in your fuelling both within and outside of training sessions, using a traffic light system to adjust your carb intake to fuel appropriately for your needs. 

To get 20% off your first month, go to https://www.fuelin.com/ and enter the code FE20 at checkout.

Fueling Endurance eBook:

At over 260 pages, the Fueling Endurance eBook contains answers to 49 of the most common nutrition questions that runners, cyclists and triathletes ask. Covering the first two years of the podcast, the eBook contains additional insights, tips, and quotes from experts and athletes. Every copy sold helps cover the cost of making the podcast. 

Purchase directly from https://fuelingendurance.com/ or search Fueling Endurance on Amazon for the Kindle version.

We're joined by Ironman triathlete Kevin Fergusson, a 4 time age group world champion who was also awarded Legend of the Sport by Triathlon Australia. Kev shares what he's learnt about nutrition for Ironman racing over the years, and his greatest achievement in the sport.

We're joined by Kate Penglase, a 2 time Australian champ and twice podium finisher at World Championships in 24 hr solo mountain biking. Kate gives an insight into her nutrition for 24hr racing, how she started out, and how and why her race plan has evolved over time. We also answer a listener question around dietary fibre for athletes.

A past winner of Ultra-Trail Australia and top 5 at Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc, Kellie shares her experience and tips for stepping up to ultra-distance running events, including what she did in her first ultra race, what she's learnt over the years, and what she sees in the athletes she coaches.

An in-house episode answering the question that gave rise to the entire podcast. If you're stepping up from marathon to ultras, 70.3 to Ironman, 6hr to 24hr MTB, or planning a bloody long bike ride, this episode is for you. When to prepare, how to prepare, do's and don'ts, and practical tips and suggestions galore.

Professional triathlete and coach Nathan Shearer joins us to discusses how beer fits into his Ironman training schedule, and how his prior sporting background exposed him to a lot more alcohol than the typical endurance athlete. We also wrap up the two episodes on beer and summarise its effect on post-exercise recovery, whether it's "a beer" or "getting on the beers".

A lecturer, researcher and sports dietitian, Ben has studied the effects of beer on post-exercise recovery. We discuss the R's of recovery (like a pirate!), including the all important (R)elaxation, and the effect beer may or may not have on these.

We're joined by ultra-runner Ben Duffus, recent winner of the Six Foot Track Marathon. Ben has faced some unusual challenges over the last few years, but used sweat sodium testing, in combination with a bunch of other measures, to complete the picture and figure out what was going wrong.

A lecturer & researcher at Monash University, practitioner with Triathlon Australia & in private practice. Alan investigated sweat testing and sodium needs of athletes during his PhD. What does sweat testing do, how accurate is it, and most importantly, how do you use the results of the test?

Fresh off the podium at the Australian XCO Championships, mountain biker Karen Hill joins us to discuss the recent changes she's made to her carb loading strategy. Imagine carb loading effectively with no gut upset, and still feeling hungry at the end of the day! An episode full of practical tips and tricks. 

An exercise physiologist, lecturer, researcher & cycling coach, José has travelled the world. Whilst working in Norway he completed a study summarising ~50 years of research on carbohydrate loading and the carb requirements of athletes into one comprehensive research paper. We discuss this research, the situations where carb loading may beneficial, and some of the practical considerations for doing it properly.

In the fourth episode of this special 6 part podcast series, we check in with our athlete guest Brett Kennedy in his preparations for the 100km UItra Trail Australia (UTA). We review Brett’s progress with his sweat rate testing and gut training, his run-through of eating the day before the race, and start to lock in his race day nutrition plan as we enter the last month before race day. If you're racing UTA or another event in May or June you can follow along and apply the same principles to your own race nutrition preparations.

T-12 is a brand new, unique podcast series that follows an athlete's journey as they prepare for race day. Over the final 12 weeks before the big event, we'll look at all aspects of race nutrition, from organising accomdation and race foods, to gut training and hydration, to eating during the taper and the day before the race.

A big thanks to Aid Station who have come on board to provide Brett with the race-provided products to try in training, to assist with his race nutrition planning. And you can get 10% off your Aid Station order by clicking this link https://www.aidstation.com.au/discount/FUEL10 or use the code FUEL10 at checkout*

Ellie Pashley has represented Australia in the 10,000 m & half marathon at World Champs. She's also finished top 10 at the 2019 New York Marathon, and currently aiming to qualify for the Tokyo Olympic team in the marathon. Ellie discusses her battles with iron deficiency, her experiences with supplementation and iron infusions, and her approach to supplementation for altitude training.

Pete's both a researcher at the University of Western Australia and a physiologist at the Western Australian Institute of Sport (WAIS). We discuss recent advances in our understanding of iron deficiency in athletes, when to supplement, and the safest and most effective way to do so.

An incredible story from Spanish pro triathlete Eneko Llanos. After several years struggling to finish Ironman races, Eneko was finally able to determine the cause of his gut problems, put the appropriate strategies in place, and got back to the top of his game. We discuss this, how trial and error didn't work for him, and what's involved in assessing it properly.

A very common and frustrating issue, especially for runners and long-course triathletes. We're doing this one in-house given it's Steph's area of expertise. We unpack the actual causes of gut issues during exercise, why trial and error rarely works, how to figure out the cause, and what to do about it.

Our athlete perspective this week with Chris Ord who wears many hats - an outdoor/adventure journalist, founder & original publisher of Trail Run Magazine (Aus/NZ), race director, adventure running tour guide, and trail runner in his own right. We also finish with an easy guide for assessing the credibility of scientific information, to help your BS detection skills.

At the heart of many of our podcast topics/questions is confusion, misconceptions and misinformation. We chat to Dr Tim Crowe about why there are so many mixed messages in nutrition science, the role of the media and social media, and tips for developing a good BS detector. Tim's also a marathon runner, so we chatted about his own experience and what he learnt from experience that science couldn't teach him.

Our combined athlete perspective episode for the last two topics. Marathon runner and dual Olympian Jess Stenson joins us to discuss the evolution of her preparation for hot races, from the 2013 Moscow World Champs, to the 2016 Rio Olympics, the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games & the follow up Gold Coast marathon a few months later.

The 2nd half of our chat with Prof. Ollie Jay (University of Sydney). We cover myths, facts and sucessfully used cooling strategies from professional sport, whether you should drink or pour water over yourself, the difference between actual cooling & the perception of feeling cooler, and heat acclimation.

Is it genetics? Body fat? Or completely random? Prof. Ollie Jay (University of Sydney) joins us in a fascinating discussion about how our bodies figure out how much sweat to produce during exercise, why it varies so much between people, as well as from day-to-day within the same person. A bit technical in parts, with an easy-to-digest summary at the end.

Australian distance runner Julian Spence joins us to talk about his experience running the marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Doha in 2019, a hot race run in the middle of the night. We chat about his approach to hydration for the event, watching fellow competitors need medical assistance in the women's race a few nights prior, and what it's like training on a treadmill next door to a fish n chip shop!

In the third episode of this special 6 part podcast series, we check in with our athlete guest Brett Kennedy less than 8 weeks out from the 100km UItra Trail Australia (UTA). We catch up on his attempts to collect sweat rate data, and how he's gone with his gut training. We then focus on planning nutrition for the day before his race, and the pre-event meal. If you're racing UTA or another event in May or June you can follow along and apply the same principles to your own race nutrition preparations.

T-12 is a brand new, unique podcast series that follows an athlete's journey as they prepare for race day. Over the final 12 weeks before the big event, we'll look at all aspects of race nutrition, from organising accomdation and race foods, to gut training and hydration, to eating during the taper and the day before the race.

A big thanks to Aid Station who have come on board to provide Brett with the race-provided products to try in training, to assist with his race nutrition planning. And you can get 10% off your Aid Station order by clicking this link https://www.aidstation.com.au/discount/FUEL10 or use the code FUEL10 at checkout*

Dr Lewis James (Loughborough University, UK) joins us to discuss what has often times been a highly controversial topic. Lewis is a senior lecturer at Loughborough and has conducted some of the world's only blinded hydration and performance studies. An awesome discussion about the controversies and difficulties in hydration research, why there hasn't been more studies in the area, and some practical considerations to get you thinking about how you hydrate for your next event.

In our athlete perspective episode, pro triathlete Emma Jeffcoat joins us to discuss her journey as it relates to matching her nutrition to her training demands. We also chat to Emma about her goals for next year's rescheduled Tokyo Olympics, and her love of Biscoff!

Dr Sam Impey (Mitchelton-Scott Pro Cycling Team) joins us to discuss this very common question. Sam's PhD research led to the now ubiquitous phrase "Fuel for the work required". We discuss the pros and cons of different fuelling strategies for long training sessions, and make practical recommendations based on the the type and purpose of the training session.