Is gut health just another nutrition fad, or a legit performance game-changer for triathletes?

In this episode, Taryn breaks down the gut microbiome in a way that makes sense for endurance athletes. Discover what it is, what it does, and how to support it without expensive supplements or trendy fermented food obsessions.

Key Takeaways:
Your microbiome impacts energy, recovery and immunity
Diversity in your diet equals diversity in your gut
Restrictive diets can trash your microbiome
Proper fuelling protects your gut lining

It’s not about probiotics, it’s about overall nutrition habits. 

Links & Resources

👉 Grab the free Triathlon Nutrition Checklist to find out exactly what you're missing:
https://www.dietitianapproved.com/checklist

🏊‍♂️🚴‍♀️🏃‍♂️ Build your personalised triathlon fuelling plan inside the Triathlon Nutrition Academy. 

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

SUPPORT THE PODCAST HERE

CONNECT WITH TARYN

Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

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

 

 

Is gut health just another nutrition fad, or a legit performance game-changer for triathletes?
In this episode, Taryn breaks down the gut microbiome in a way that makes sense for endurance athletes. Discover what it is, what it does, and how to support it without expensive supplements or trendy fermented food obsessions.
Key Takeaways:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Your microbiome impacts energy, recovery and immunity</li>
<li aria-level="1">Diversity in your diet equals diversity in your gut</li>
<li aria-level="1">Restrictive diets can trash your microbiome</li>
<li aria-level="1">Proper fuelling protects your gut lining</li>
</ul>
It&rsquo;s not about probiotics, it&rsquo;s about overall nutrition habits.&nbsp;
Links &amp; Resources
👉 Grab the free&nbsp;Triathlon Nutrition Checklist to find out exactly what you're missing: <a href="https://www.dietitianapproved.com/checklist">https://www.dietitianapproved.com/checklist</a>
🏊&zwj;♂️🚴&zwj;♀️🏃&zwj;♂️ Build your personalised triathlon fuelling plan inside the <a href="https://www.dietitianapproved.com/academy">Triathlon Nutrition Academy.&nbsp;</a>
Download the FREE audio series&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dietitianapproved.com/mistakes">The 5 Biggest Nutrition Mistakes Costing You Time on Race Day</a>
SUPPORT THE PODCAST&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dietitianapproved.com/legend">HERE</a>
CONNECT WITH TARYN
<a href="https://www.dietitianapproved.com">Website</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dietitian.approved/">Instagram</a> | <a href="https://wwww.facebook.com/DietitianApproved">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@dietitianapproved">YouTube</a>
The Triathlon Nutrition Academy&reg; is a podcast by Dietitian Approved&reg;. All rights reserved.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Welcome to the Triathlon Nutrition Academy Podcast! Brought to you by Advanced Sports Dietitian, Taryn Richardson. Listen as I break down the latest science to give you practical, easy to digest strategies to transform yourself into a Supercharged Triathlete! You have so much untapped potential...and I want to help you unlock that with the power of nutrition.

Triathlon Nutrition Academy

The Gut Microbiome Explained – How It Affects Performance

Is your calorie tracking app actually working against you?

You're logging everything, hitting your macros and training hard but your long sessions are falling apart, the scale won't budge and you're exhausted in a way that sleep just isn't fixing. The app says you're on track. So what's going wrong?

In this episode, Advanced Sports Dietitian Taryn Richardson breaks down why calorie and macro tracking apps - even the good ones built for active people - were never designed to teach a triathlete how to eat. The maths is educated guesswork, the protein targets are built backwards, and the app has no idea how to help you when your kid gets sick and your afternoon session gets cancelled.

 

In this episode you'll learn:
Why calorie apps were built for the sedentary population and why that model falls over for a triathlete training 10 to 20 hours a week
How inaccurate your wearable device actually is at measuring calorie burn (spoiler: up to 93% off)
Why the standard percentage-based protein model cuts your protein at the exact moment you need it most
The difference between hitting your macro numbers and actually knowing how to eat
Why underfuelling sneaks in even when you're tracking perfectly - and how quickly it affects your training
Two real athlete examples: one who was significantly underfueled despite doing everything the app said, and a vegan athlete whose app couldn't come close to meeting her needs
What it actually looks like to fuel for the work required, adjust on the fly and never need the app to make a decision for you

 

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Introduction: the athlete who's doing everything right and still going backwards

02:42 Why calorie apps were built for weight loss, not endurance athletes

05:29 The fundamental problem: apps treat food as a budget, your body treats it as fuel

06:59 How inaccurate is your wearable at measuring calorie burn? Stanford research

09:01 The problem with estimating calories in — why we're all bad at it

11:22 Why percentage-based protein targets are built wrong for athletes

14:16 Hitting your macros is not the same as eating well

16:59 The knowledge gap: how to eat for a light day versus a heavy training day

18:28 When life throws a curveball - why the app can't help you adapt

20:18 How underfueling sneaks in (2023 REDS consensus statement)

21:39 What fueling for the work required actually means

22:39 Athlete example 1: training tanked despite doing exactly what the app said

24:44 Athlete example 2: vegan athlete whose app could never meet her needs

27:04 TLDR summary: macros versus nourishment, the knowledge gap, and what to do next

 

STUDIES MENTIONED

- Shcherbina A, et al. (2017). Accuracy in Wrist-Worn, Sensor-Based Measurements of Heart Rate and Energy Expenditure in a Diverse Cohort. *Journal of Personalized Medicine, 7*(2), 3. https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm7020003

- Mountjoy M, et al. (2023). 2023 International Olympic Committee's (IOC) consensus statement on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs). *British Journal of Sports Medicine, 57*(17), 1073-1097. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2023-106994

 

If you're ticking off the macro boxes every day without ever really being taught how to eat, the Triathlon Nutrition Kickstart course is built for exactly that. Learn how to fuel your training and recovery properly so you're never stuck when the plan changes. Head to dietitianapproved.com/kickstart

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

Recovery Accelerator Program

SUPPORT THE PODCAST HERE

CONNECT WITH TARYN

Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

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

Is your calorie tracking app actually working against you?
You're logging everything, hitting your macros and training hard but your long sessions are falling apart, the scale won't budge and you're exhausted in a way that sleep just isn't fixing. The app says you're on track. So what's going wrong?
In this episode, Advanced Sports Dietitian Taryn Richardson breaks down why calorie and macro tracking apps - even the good ones built for active people - were never designed to teach a triathlete how to eat. The maths is educated guesswork, the protein targets are built backwards, and the app has no idea how to help you when your kid gets sick and your afternoon session gets cancelled.
&nbsp;
In this episode you'll learn:
<ul>
<li>Why calorie apps were built for the sedentary population and why that model falls over for a triathlete training 10 to 20 hours a week</li>
<li>How inaccurate your wearable device actually is at measuring calorie burn (spoiler: up to 93% off)</li>
<li>Why the standard percentage-based protein model cuts your protein at the exact moment you need it most</li>
<li>The difference between hitting your macro numbers and actually knowing how to eat</li>
<li>Why underfuelling sneaks in even when you're tracking perfectly - and how quickly it affects your training</li>
<li>Two real athlete examples: one who was significantly underfueled despite doing everything the app said, and a vegan athlete whose app couldn't come close to meeting her needs</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>What it actually looks like to fuel for the work required, adjust on the fly and never need the app to make a decision for you</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Introduction: the athlete who's doing everything right and still going backwards
02:42 Why calorie apps were built for weight loss, not endurance athletes
05:29 The fundamental problem: apps treat food as a budget, your body treats it as fuel
06:59 How inaccurate is your wearable at measuring calorie burn? Stanford research
09:01 The problem with estimating calories in &mdash; why we're all bad at it
11:22 Why percentage-based protein targets are built wrong for athletes
14:16 Hitting your macros is not the same as eating well
16:59 The knowledge gap: how to eat for a light day versus a heavy training day
18:28 When life throws a curveball - why the app can't help you adapt
20:18 How underfueling sneaks in (2023 REDS consensus statement)
21:39 What fueling for the work required actually means
22:39 Athlete example 1: training tanked despite doing exactly what the app said
24:44 Athlete example 2: vegan athlete whose app could never meet her needs
27:04 TLDR summary: macros versus nourishment, the knowledge gap, and what to do next
&nbsp;
STUDIES MENTIONED
- Shcherbina A, et al. (2017). Accuracy in Wrist-Worn, Sensor-Based Measurements of Heart Rate and Energy Expenditure in a Diverse Cohort. *Journal of Personalized Medicine, 7*(2), 3.&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm7020003">https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm7020003</a>
- Mountjoy M, et al. (2023). 2023 International Olympic Committee's (IOC) consensus statement on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs). *British Journal of Sports Medicine, 57*(17), 1073-1097.&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2023-106994">https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2023-106994</a>
&nbsp;
If you're ticking off the macro boxes every day without ever really being taught how to eat, the Triathlon Nutrition Kickstart course is built for exactly that. Learn how to fuel your training and recovery properly so you're never stuck when the plan changes. Head to <a href="https://www.dietitianapproved.com/kickstart">dietitianapproved.com/kickstart</a>
Download the FREE audio series<a href="https://www.dietitianapproved.com/mistakes"> The 5 Biggest Nutrition Mistakes Costing You Time on Race Day</a>
<a href="https://www.dietitianapproved.com/recovery-nutrition-course-triathletes">Recovery Accelerator Program</a>
SUPPORT THE PODCAST<a href="https://www.dietitianapproved.com/legend"> HERE</a>
CONNECT WITH TARYN
<a href="https://www.dietitianapproved.com">Website</a> |<a href="https://www.instagram.com/dietitian.approved/"> Instagram</a> |<a href="https://www.facebook.com/DietitianApproved"> Facebook</a> |<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@dietitianapproved"> YouTube</a>
The Triathlon Nutrition Academy&reg; is a podcast by Dietitian Approved&reg;. All rights reserved.

Why Tracking Calories Is Making You Slower (Not Leaner)

What does it actually take to finish your first Ironman at 22 years old - and cross that finish line with a smile?

Lily Godding is a TNA athlete, a rugby rep player and a chef who had never raced a triathlon three years ago. On the weekend, she crossed the finish line of Ironman Cairns 140.6 in 13 hours, 21 minutes and 54 seconds. In this episode, Taryn sits down with Lily just days after the race to talk about what it took to get there — the brutal washing-machine swim, the six-and-a-half-hour bike leg, and the moment on the run where Lily quietly reminded herself: I can do hard things.

What you'll hear in this episode:
What Lily's nutrition looked like before TNA - and how far off the mark it was
How her race nutrition plan held up across 140.6km (spoiler: to a T)
The biggest mistakes younger triathletes make with nutrition and training
Why she almost didn't join TNA because of the price — and what changed her mind
How good recovery nutrition had her collecting her own bike the morning after the race
What Lily wishes she'd known sooner, and her advice for anyone tackling their first Ironman

 

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Lily opens: race nutrition to a T — gut trained, fuelled, mapped out

00:26 Welcome — Taryn introduces Lily, Ironman Cairns finisher

00:56 From rugby to triathlon: how Lily balances two completely different sports

02:11 What made her fall in love with triathlon and sign up for a full Ironman?

03:02 Is Ultraman next? Lily's answer: a faster Ironman and maybe Kona

03:14 Come-down after Cairns — take me back to the finish line

03:54 The finish line moment: electric, community, absolutely amped

05:00 Taryn preps the toughest moment question

05:20 The toughest moment on course: the brutal washing-machine swim

06:38 70 people pulled from the water — absolute carnage

07:22 What a 13:21:54 finish at 22 years old actually meant to Lily

08:34 What young triathletes get wrong: nutrition and overtraining

09:49 Lily admits to being the over-trainer (just ask coach Pablo)

10:06 Advice for younger athletes who think nutrition can wait

10:24 TNA's first module: recovery nutrition changed everything

11:39 What Lily's nutrition actually looked like before TNA

13:05 Would she have finished Cairns without TNA?

13:20 "100% no. It was when I joined TNA I thought — yeah, I can do this"

14:00 How she tried to figure out nutrition on her own

14:27 Social media, the algorithm and the weight-loss noise aimed at female athletes

16:07 How TNA tuned out the noise — worksheets, carb loading, race plan

16:36 What TNA taught her about everyday eating

17:12 The forgotten stuff: colourful plate, healthy fats, nuts, seeds, beans

18:28 The protein myth - more protein isn't always the answer

19:03 Why nobody teaches us how to eat — health as a lifelong foundation

19:34 How did race nutrition hold up on race day?

20:01 Lily: to a T - gut trained, fuelled, everything consumed at the right time

20:55 The run: Coke, gels, chews and carrying her own water bottle

21:51 The one adaptation she'd make: take Panadol for tight calves and hamstrings

22:24 What would she do differently? Not play a rugby game the week before

22:59 First Ironman goal: just finish — next one is for performance

23:37 Recovery: went and got her own bike the morning after the race

24:31 The toilet test - she's perfected the technique

24:51 Balking at the price - what made Lily commit anyway

25:16 Joined in October after Port Macquarie with zero race nutrition plan

26:28 Is TNA worth the investment?

26:36 Lily: "113,472%. I would not be an Ironman finisher without TNA"

27:23 Youth alone isn't enough - nutrition is what gets you across

27:42 Advice for someone about to do their first Ironman

28:30 The finish line photo tip: arms up, smile, don't touch the Garmin

29:05 Has finishing an Ironman changed how Lily sees herself?

29:13 "I can do hard things" - the mantra that got her through lap three

29:49 The moment Taryn ran alongside Lily on the third lap

30:18 What's next: Kona, performance focus, so many years of triathlon ahead

30:57 The privilege of being able to race - and being an Ironman

31:14 Iron Woman? (Lily's aunt is campaigning for it)

31:26 Taryn's closing reflection on Lily's story — and the TNA CTA

33:54 Sign off

 

ABOUT THE GUEST

Lily Godding is a 22-year-old age-group triathlete, rugby rep player and TNA athlete from the Snowy Mountains, Australia. She completed her first sprint triathlon in November 2024 and progressed to Ironman 140.6 Cairns in June 2026, finishing in 13:21:54. A chef by trade, Lily balances high-level representative rugby with full Ironman training and gives a first-hand account of what evidence-based triathlon nutrition actually does for a young athlete.

Connect with Lily on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lily.godding

 

If the Cairns Ironman story has you thinking about your own race day nutrition, come and join us in the Triathlon Nutrition Academy. Head to dietitianapproved.com/academy and register your interest in our upcoming cohort.

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

Recovery Accelerator Program

SUPPORT THE PODCAST HERE

CONNECT WITH TARYN

Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

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

What does it actually take to finish your first Ironman at 22 years old - and cross that finish line with a smile?
Lily Godding is a TNA athlete, a rugby rep player and a chef who had never raced a triathlon three years ago. On the weekend, she crossed the finish line of Ironman Cairns 140.6 in 13 hours, 21 minutes and 54 seconds. In this episode, Taryn sits down with Lily just days after the race to talk about what it took to get there &mdash; the brutal washing-machine swim, the six-and-a-half-hour bike leg, and the moment on the run where Lily quietly reminded herself: I can do hard things.
What you'll hear in this episode:
<ul>
<li>What Lily's nutrition looked like before TNA - and how far off the mark it was</li>
<li>How her race nutrition plan held up across 140.6km (spoiler: to a T)</li>
<li>The biggest mistakes younger triathletes make with nutrition and training</li>
<li>Why she almost didn't join TNA because of the price &mdash; and what changed her mind</li>
<li>How good recovery nutrition had her collecting her own bike the morning after the race</li>
<li>What Lily wishes she'd known sooner, and her advice for anyone tackling their first Ironman</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Lily opens: race nutrition to a T &mdash; gut trained, fuelled, mapped out
00:26 Welcome &mdash; Taryn introduces Lily, Ironman Cairns finisher
00:56 From rugby to triathlon: how Lily balances two completely different sports
02:11 What made her fall in love with triathlon and sign up for a full Ironman?
03:02 Is Ultraman next? Lily's answer: a faster Ironman and maybe Kona
03:14 Come-down after Cairns &mdash; take me back to the finish line
03:54 The finish line moment: electric, community, absolutely amped
05:00 Taryn preps the toughest moment question
05:20 The toughest moment on course: the brutal washing-machine swim
06:38 70 people pulled from the water &mdash; absolute carnage
07:22 What a 13:21:54 finish at 22 years old actually meant to Lily
08:34 What young triathletes get wrong: nutrition and overtraining
09:49 Lily admits to being the over-trainer (just ask coach Pablo)
10:06 Advice for younger athletes who think nutrition can wait
10:24 TNA's first module: recovery nutrition changed everything
11:39 What Lily's nutrition actually looked like before TNA
13:05 Would she have finished Cairns without TNA?
13:20 "100% no. It was when I joined TNA I thought &mdash; yeah, I can do this"
14:00 How she tried to figure out nutrition on her own
14:27 Social media, the algorithm and the weight-loss noise aimed at female athletes
16:07 How TNA tuned out the noise &mdash; worksheets, carb loading, race plan
16:36 What TNA taught her about everyday eating
17:12 The forgotten stuff: colourful plate, healthy fats, nuts, seeds, beans
18:28 The protein myth - more protein isn't always the answer
19:03 Why nobody teaches us how to eat &mdash; health as a lifelong foundation
19:34 How did race nutrition hold up on race day?
20:01 Lily: to a T - gut trained, fuelled, everything consumed at the right time
20:55 The run: Coke, gels, chews and carrying her own water bottle
21:51 The one adaptation she'd make: take Panadol for tight calves and hamstrings
22:24 What would she do differently? Not play a rugby game the week before
22:59 First Ironman goal: just finish &mdash; next one is for performance
23:37 Recovery: went and got her own bike the morning after the race
24:31 The toilet test - she's perfected the technique
24:51 Balking at the price - what made Lily commit anyway
25:16 Joined in October after Port Macquarie with zero race nutrition plan
26:28 Is TNA worth the investment?
26:36 Lily: "113,472%. I would not be an Ironman finisher without TNA"
27:23 Youth alone isn't enough - nutrition is what gets you across
27:42 Advice for someone about to do their first Ironman
28:30 The finish line photo tip: arms up, smile, don't touch the Garmin
29:05 Has finishing an Ironman changed how Lily sees herself?
29:13 "I can do hard things" - the mantra that got her through lap three
29:49 The moment Taryn ran alongside Lily on the third lap
30:18 What's next: Kona, performance focus, so many years of triathlon ahead
30:57 The privilege of being able to race - and being an Ironman
31:14 Iron Woman? (Lily's aunt is campaigning for it)
31:26 Taryn's closing reflection on Lily's story &mdash; and the TNA CTA
33:54 Sign off
&nbsp;
ABOUT THE GUEST
Lily Godding is a 22-year-old age-group triathlete, rugby rep player and TNA athlete from the Snowy Mountains, Australia. She completed her first sprint triathlon in November 2024 and progressed to Ironman 140.6 Cairns in June 2026, finishing in 13:21:54. A chef by trade, Lily balances high-level representative rugby with full Ironman training and gives a first-hand account of what evidence-based triathlon nutrition actually does for a young athlete.
Connect with Lily on Instagram:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/lily.godding)">https://www.instagram.com/lily.godding</a>
&nbsp;
If the Cairns Ironman story has you thinking about your own race day nutrition, come and join us in the Triathlon Nutrition Academy. Head to <a href="https://www.dietitianapproved.com/academy">dietitianapproved.com/academy</a> and register your interest in our upcoming cohort.
Download the FREE audio series<a href="https://www.dietitianapproved.com/mistakes"> The 5 Biggest Nutrition Mistakes Costing You Time on Race Day</a>
<a href="https://www.dietitianapproved.com/recovery-nutrition-course-triathletes">Recovery Accelerator Program</a>
SUPPORT THE PODCAST<a href="https://www.dietitianapproved.com/legend"> HERE</a>
CONNECT WITH TARYN
<a href="https://www.dietitianapproved.com">Website</a> |<a href="https://www.instagram.com/dietitian.approved/"> Instagram</a> |<a href="https://www.facebook.com/DietitianApproved"> Facebook</a> |<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@dietitianapproved"> YouTube</a>
The Triathlon Nutrition Academy&reg; is a podcast by Dietitian Approved&reg;. All rights reserved.

How to Fuel Your First Ironman and Actually Enjoy It with Lily Godding

Are you actually going to hit the start line ready - or are you going to arrive having done all the training but undone the work in race week?

Taryn is recording this one live from Cairns, where the TNA crew has flown in from all over the world to race the 70.3 and Ironman. Every single one of these athletes had their race nutrition dialled in months ago. Not this week. Not over last night's bowl of pasta. Months ago.

In this episode, Taryn shares the five habits that separate triathletes who arrive on race morning topped up, adapted and confident from those who roll up to the start line under-fuelled before the gun has even gone off.

 

What you'll learn:
Why race week is not the time to train harder or eat less - and what the taper trap actually does to your fuelling
How recovery nutrition session by session is what makes the hard work stick
Why rehearsing your race fuelling on long sessions is non-negotiable (and what happens when you wing it on race day)
The one habit that quietly takes more athletes out of their A-race than any fuelling mistake out on course
How to carb load properly - because no, it is not a giant bowl of pasta the night before

 

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Introduction — Live from Cairns

06:37 Habit 1 — Bank the adaptations and protect the taper

09:11 Habit 2 — Recover from every session

12:38 Habit 3 — Rehearse race fuelling on long sessions

15:02 Habit 4 — Protect your immune system

17:48 Habit 5 — Plan and practise your carb load

20:14 Race Day Pack List

21:40 Summary and close

 

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Recovery Accelerator - the exact framework Taryn teaches TNA athletes for what to eat after every training session and every race (the four R's, when to eat, what to eat and when to prioritise it). You can get through it all in one trainer session or one long run

Free Race Day Pack List - everything you need for swim, bike and run, plus before and after your race, ready to print and reuse for every race

 

STUDIES MENTIONED

Gunzer, W., Konrad, M., & Pail, E. (2012). Exercise-induced immunodepression in endurance athletes and nutritional intervention with carbohydrate, protein and fat: What is possible, what is not? Nutrients, 4(9), 1187-1212. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu4091187

Knowledge of carbohydrate requirements does not predict carbohydrate intake around competition in endurance athletes. PMC11451575

(2025). A review of carbohydrate supplementation approaches and strategies for optimising performance in elite long-distance endurance. Nutrients, 17(5), 918. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17050918

Gatorade Sports Science Institute. Dietary carbohydrate and the endurance athlete: contemporary perspectives.

 

If you want to toe a start line with the TNA crew somewhere in the world, get your name on the Triathlon Nutrition Academy waitlist at dietitianapproved.com/academy. You'll be first to know when the next cohort starts.

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

Recovery Accelerator Program

SUPPORT THE PODCAST HERE

CONNECT WITH TARYN

Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

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

Are you actually going to hit the start line ready - or are you going to arrive having done all the training but undone the work in race week?
Taryn is recording this one live from Cairns, where the TNA crew has flown in from all over the world to race the 70.3 and Ironman. Every single one of these athletes had their race nutrition dialled in months ago. Not this week. Not over last night's bowl of pasta. Months ago.
In this episode, Taryn shares the five habits that separate triathletes who arrive on race morning topped up, adapted and confident from those who roll up to the start line under-fuelled before the gun has even gone off.
&nbsp;
What you'll learn:
<ul>
<li>Why race week is not the time to train harder or eat less - and what the taper trap actually does to your fuelling</li>
<li>How recovery nutrition session by session is what makes the hard work stick</li>
<li>Why rehearsing your race fuelling on long sessions is non-negotiable (and what happens when you wing it on race day)</li>
<li>The one habit that quietly takes more athletes out of their A-race than any fuelling mistake out on course</li>
<li>How to carb load properly - because no, it is not a giant bowl of pasta the night before</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Introduction &mdash; Live from Cairns
06:37 Habit 1 &mdash; Bank the adaptations and protect the taper
09:11 Habit 2 &mdash; Recover from every session
12:38 Habit 3 &mdash; Rehearse race fuelling on long sessions
15:02 Habit 4 &mdash; Protect your immune system
17:48 Habit 5 &mdash; Plan and practise your carb load
20:14 Race Day Pack List
21:40 Summary and close
&nbsp;
RESOURCES MENTIONED
<a href="https://www.dietitianapproved.com/recovery-nutrition-course-triathletes">Recovery Accelerator</a> - the exact framework Taryn teaches TNA athletes for what to eat after every training session and every race (the four R's, when to eat, what to eat and when to prioritise it). You can get through it all in one trainer session or one long run
<a href="https://www.dietitianapproved.com/racepacklist">Free Race Day Pack List -</a> everything you need for swim, bike and run, plus before and after your race, ready to print and reuse for every race
&nbsp;
STUDIES MENTIONED
Gunzer, W., Konrad, M., &amp; Pail, E. (2012). Exercise-induced immunodepression in endurance athletes and nutritional intervention with carbohydrate, protein and fat: What is possible, what is not? Nutrients, 4(9), 1187-1212.&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/nu4091187">https://doi.org/10.3390/nu4091187</a>
Knowledge of carbohydrate requirements does not predict carbohydrate intake around competition in endurance athletes.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11451575/">PMC11451575</a>
(2025). A review of carbohydrate supplementation approaches and strategies for optimising performance in elite long-distance endurance. Nutrients, 17(5), 918.&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17050918">https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17050918</a>
Gatorade Sports Science Institute. Dietary carbohydrate and the endurance athlete: contemporary perspectives.
&nbsp;
If you want to toe a start line with the TNA crew somewhere in the world, get your name on the Triathlon Nutrition Academy waitlist at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dietitianapproved.com/academy">dietitianapproved.com/academy</a>. You'll be first to know when the next cohort starts.
Download the FREE audio series<a href="https://www.dietitianapproved.com/mistakes"> The 5 Biggest Nutrition Mistakes Costing You Time on Race Day</a>
<a href="https://www.dietitianapproved.com/recovery-nutrition-course-triathletes">Recovery Accelerator Program</a>
SUPPORT THE PODCAST<a href="https://www.dietitianapproved.com/legend"> HERE</a>
CONNECT WITH TARYN
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The Gut Microbiome Explained – How It Affects Performance

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