Still Googling “what to eat before training” at 9pm the night before your race?

If you’re relying on free calculators, generic meal plans or advice from your training buddy to fuel your triathlon, this episode is your wake-up call. Because while DIY nutrition might get you started, it won’t get you to your full potential.

In this episode, Advanced Sports Dietitian Taryn Richardson unpacks why the DIY approach has an expiry date and what it’s really costing you in performance, time and results.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why free online nutrition calculators are designed to sell products, not optimise your performance
• The problem with generic meal plans and why they fail busy triathletes
• How Googling and AI tools give you answers without context (and why that’s risky)
• The hidden dangers of taking nutrition advice from unqualified sources
• Why “doing what works for someone else” rarely works for you
• The real reason you feel stuck, fatigued or not improving despite training hard
• How DIY nutrition slows your progress and keeps you guessing
• Why understanding your nutrition (not just following a plan) changes everything
• What it actually takes to fuel properly for your training, racing and lifestyle

Key takeaways:

• DIY nutrition isn’t wrong, but it has a ceiling
  It can help you get started, but it won’t evolve as your training and goals do
• Generic advice lacks context
  Your body, lifestyle, training load and goals are unique and your nutrition needs to reflect that
• You can’t troubleshoot what you don’t understand
  Without knowing the “why”, you’re stuck when things don’t go to plan
• Nutrition is the fourth leg of triathlon
  You can’t out-train poor fuelling, no matter how hard you push

Real athlete example:

Taryn shares the story of Sarah, a self-confessed back-of-the-packer who used to bonk in every Olympic distance race. After learning how to fuel properly and periodise her nutrition, she no longer hits the wall and finally feels in control of her performance.

Loved this episode?

If this hit a nerve, it might be time to stop piecing your nutrition together and start doing it properly.

Head to the Triathlon Nutrition Academy and learn how to fuel your body with confidence so you can 

Links & Resources

• Join the Triathlon Nutrition Academy
• Grab the FREE Triathlon Nutrition Checklist
• Listen to Sarah’s full story: Episode 212

Download the FREE audio series The 5 Biggest Nutrition Mistakes Costing You Time on Race Day

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The Triathlon Nutrition Academy® is a podcast by Dietitian Approved®. All rights reserved.