Have you ever felt like your body just isn’t cooperating, no matter how hard you train or how well you think you’re eating? You’re not alone. Many athletes have gone through this, and today’s guest, Laura Hoffman, is no exception. She previously struggled with iron absorption issues which severely impacted her training but overcame this with tailored nutrition. Recently, Laura achieved a 20-minute personal record (PR) at the Western Massachusetts 70.3 Ironman, and I got the inside scoop on how she did it!

To kick things off, Laura shares that her realistic goal for this race was five hours and 45 minutes, but her “super top secret” goal was a challenging five hours and 30 minutes. Despite facing less-than-ideal conditions, Laura did the unthinkable and crossed the finish line at exactly 5:30. She described the euphoric moment when she saw the time on the board and realised she had achieved her ultimate goal.

 The Game-Changer: Nutrition
The real secret sauce here was an incredible transformation in her approach to nutrition. Before she started working with me Laura was dealing with fatigue and iron absorption issues, leading her to need iron infusions every three months. Things got so bad she believed she might need to give up on triathlon!

Thankfully she came across the Triathlon Nutrition Academy and started on a nutrition plan that addressed her unique needs and the demands of a triathlete's lifestyle. For example, one change Laura made was fuelling within a specific time window post-workout, something she had overlooked before.  After just a few weeks of these simple adjustments, Laura noticed a monumental shift. Gone were the endless naps and two pots of coffee a day. Instead, she was energetic, needing just a single cup of half-caffeinated coffee to power through her increasingly active days.

There is no one size fits all in nutrition!
If you want optimal performance, you need to test and practice to find what works. Laura emphasises how important this was for her race-day nutrition.  She shares how bananas and Clif bars—which are often staple race foods—didn't sit well with her. Instead, precision fuel and hydration did the trick, “No gut upset and more energy than I’ve ever had during a race,” she remarked.

As Laura looks ahead to her next goal—racing in New Zealand at Worlds— she plans to adjust her strategy based on available local foods and race-day conditions. Whether it’s practising carb-loading or fine-tuning her race-day fuel, Laura is committed to continuous improvement.

Laura's story is testament to the transformative power of personalised nutrition. Not only did it help her achieve a phenomenal 20-minute PR, but it also addressed her long-standing energy issues, allowing her to continue with the sport she loves. So, if you’re also looking to break through your performance barriers, maybe it’s time to try a more personalised approach!

LINKS:

Check how well you’re doing when it comes to your nutrition with our 50 step checklist to Triathlon Nutrition Mastery: dietitianapproved.com/checklist

Start working on your nutrition now with my Triathlon Nutrition Kickstart course: dietitianapproved.com/kickstart

It’s for you if you’re a triathlete and you feel like you’ve got your training under control and you’re ready to layer in your nutrition. It's your warmup on the path to becoming a SUPERCHARGED triathlete – woohoo!

Join the waitlist for our next opening of the Triathlon Nutrition Academy www.dietitianapproved.com/academy

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Dietitian Approved acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, The Turrbal and Jagera peoples. We pay our respects to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.