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THE NAIL YOUR NUTRITION PODCAST

A podcast about endurance fueling for novice athletes, everyday athletes and veteran athletes. We translate sports nutrition research into practical bits to support you and your training. 
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Meet Your Hosts

Sarah Schlichter, MPH, RDN

Sarah has run three marathons and 10+ half marathons. She has worked with several athletes on refining their fueling plans and has helped several women conquer low energy availability and set PR's. Sarah is a mom to a toddler with another one on the way!

Marita Radloff, MS, RDN, CSSD

Marita has competed as an age grouper in dozens of triathlons from sprint up to Ironman 70.3, along with countless running races. She has worked with warrior-athletes and endurance athletes of all capabilities. She's also a new mom and military spouse.

Ep 1: Get To Know Us

Get to know your hosts and sports dietitians, Sarah and Marita, as they introduce the Nail Your Nutrition Podcast and share their endurance exercise stories and professional background. They also discuss what listeners can expect to hear and how they can submit questions and feedback. 


Learn more about our fueling course!

Ep 2: Training for Marathons and Triathlons as New Moms


Sarah and Marita discuss their personal journeys back to exercise after recovering from their first pregnancies and births. They also discuss tips for handling heavy training cycles with kids, including balancing nutrition needs, balancing time for training and family time, the logistics and “hows” of making it work and how they stay motivated. They also discuss the signs of exercise burnout and how you may know you’re taking on too much. 

Notes from this episode:



Ep 3: Two Sports Dietitians Share Their Fueling Plans


Sarah and Marita answer a listener question about gels vs. real food for fueling and talk about their own fueling plans for their respective endurance events, including pre-race meals, what they preferred to take and drink during exercise, and how they refueled after. They also talk about the logistics of finding the time to train for their respective events.


Want to support the show and help keep us going? Consider joining our Patreon group, where you get insider access and exclusive content!


Products Mentioned in this Episode:






Ep 4: Post Workout Fueling

Sarah and Marita answer a listener question about always feeling hungry when in a deep training cycle, and talk about the logistics of post workout fueling including:
  • What is the window and how long is it?
  • Can it be extended in certain circumstances?
  • What are the best foods to eat within window?
  • How does it vary with endurance vs. strength?
  • How to make it accessible with training/traveling
Want to support the show and help keep us going? Consider joining our Patreon group, where you get insider access and exclusive content!

Resources mentioned in this episode: 

Research Studies:

Ep 5: The Top 11 Sports Nutrition Myths

Sarah and Marita answer a listener question about gluten and whether everyone should avoid it to feel better and achieve better health. They also discuss how diet culture has demonized gluten and how it can fit into a healthy lifestyle. 

This episode breaks down the top 11 sports nutrition myths, including: 

1. Cutting out carbs will help me PR
2. Added sugar is “bad”
3. I’ll get an extra boost from supplements and vitamins
4. Too much protein will make me bulky
5. Coconut Water is the best electrolyte drink
6. Sports Drinks are the only way to get electrolytes
7. There is one diet or way of eating to boost your performance
8. Everyone needs to drink 8 cups of water per day
9. Lots of Protein will Improve Recovery
10. Consuming too many calories while training will cause weight gain
11. Following a vegan or vegetarian diet will not help performance 
 

Want to support the show and help keep us going? Consider joining our Patreon group, where you get insider access and exclusive content!


Ep 6: Runners Stomach and Other GI Issues When Training

We break down GI issues, aka runner's stomach, that affects as many as 30-83% of runners!

Have you ever had to stop running because you had to go to the bathroom right that instant? Or had sloshing, heartburn, or nausea while running? 

This episode goes over the exact reasons why you're experiencing or more prone to GI issues. Sarah and Marita break down the reasons why this may be happening and how to alleviate your issues. 


Want to support the show and help keep us going? Consider joining our Patreon group, where you get insider access and exclusive content!


Resources mentioned in this episode:



Research Studies:




Ep 7: Can a Low FODMAP Diet Improve Runners' Stomach?

Sarah and Marita continue talking about GI issues in endurance athletes and discuss what FODMAPS are, what foods and sports foods are high in fodmaps, and how a low fodmap diet may help IBS and runners’ stomach symptoms. 

A low FODMAP diet is typically used for treating IBS and other constant GI symptoms but is meant to be a short term diet. Sarah and Marita also discuss when you may want/need to consider this and what the risks can be. 


Want to support the show and help keep us going? Consider joining our Patreon group, where you get insider access and exclusive content!

Resources mentioned in this episode:



Check Out the Nail Your Nutrition Course

Ep 8: How to Hydrate For Summer Workouts

Sarah and Marita discuss hydration for workouts and everyday life. 

Topics include: signs of dehydration, how dehydration impacts performance, tips for staying hydrated during workouts and throughout the day, and our personal signs of dehydration and how we fix them.

Resources mentioned in this episode:



  • Want to support the show and help keep us going? Consider joining our Patreon group, where you get insider access and exclusive content!

Check Out the Nail Your Nutrition Course

Ep 9: Laura Norris, Run Coach, On Training During Quarantine and More

Today we have our first guest, Laura Norris! Laura is a RRCA and Run-Fit running coach who works with athletes 1:1 and with group coaching.


Want to support the show and help keep us going? Consider joining our Patreon group, where you get insider access and exclusive content!


In this episode, we discussed:

  • Training during quarantine and still seeing gains, even though races are cancelled/postponed
  • How to stay injury free and the best running posture
  • Returning to running after having a baby
  • Why hiring a coach can help you reach new levels of training
  • Why virtual races are awesome and how some of her athletes set new PRs during their virtual races
  • Laura's go-to fueling plan
  • How to safely increase mileage and get faster
  • The minimum amount of miles you need a week to run a marathon
  • And more!

Laura's Bio:

Laura Norris is a certified running coach, long distance runner, wife, and mom living in Northwest Indiana. She has a passion for helping runners achieve their full potential while enjoying their running. She has coached hundreds of runners to PRs, BQs, and first races. In addition to coaching, she creates content for runners on her website. When not running, Laura enjoys hiking and long walks, craft beer, gardening, and reading.

Get in touch with Laura to follow along on her awesome blog and social media:

Laura's blog
Laura's running coaching services
Instagram



Ep 10: What Runners and Triathletes Need to Know About Electrolytes

In this episode, we go over the four main electrolytes runners and triathletes need to know and include in their training. In this episode, we discuss:

  • The four major electrolytes you lose most while training
  • Why you need to replenish electrolytes as an endurance athlete
  • Which ones and how much electrolytes to include to fuel your training
  • Symptoms of deficiency in all of the major electrolytes
  • How to include them in your diet
  • And more!


Want to support the show and help keep us going? Consider joining our Patreon group, where you get insider access and exclusive content!


RESOURCES:


Check out the Nail Your Nutrition Fueling Course!

Ep 11: Body Image for Athletes with Fiona Sutherland

In this episode, we talk with Fiona Sutherland, Registered Dietitian and Body Image Expert based out of Australia. 

We discuss:

  • How both impactful and slow and non-impactful exercise can be beneficial for the body and the key to listening for both 
  • What body image is and how it differs from body positivity, body neutrality and more
  • Why athletes may be more pressured to fit a sport specific body image with “athlete culture”
  •  How body image can differ inside and outside of sport
  • What we can do to change the systemic culture in sport
  • The warning signs of poor body image
  •  How mindfulness may help us sit with thoughts and discomfort and where you can start if this is new
  • A little bit about why and how supervision an be helpful for health practitioners
  • And more!


Want to support the show and help keep us going? Consider joining our Patreon group, where you get insider access and exclusive content!

Resources mentioned:

SPORTS NUTRITION INSIDERS:

Ep 12: What Athletes Need to Know About RED-S

In this episode, we discuss Relative Energy Deficiency Syndrome, or RED-S. 

We go over:
  • Signs and symptoms of RED-S
  • How athletes can tell if they are at risk or may have RED-S
  • Why RED-S is so harmful and detrimental to performance and your overall health
  • What you can do to eliminate the symptoms of RED-S
  • Why athletes of all sizes are at risk

Resources:


SPORTS NUTRITION INSIDERS:

Check out the Nail Your Nutrition Fueling Course!

Ep 13: Registered Dietitian and 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials Finisher

Starla Garcia, M.Ed, RDN, LD, is a Registered Dietitian and marathoner based in Houston, Texas. She was a recent 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials Qualifier. Starla owns the private practice, The Healthy Shine, where she  helps runners stop under fueling to reach their next personal record with realistic and sustainable nutrition.

In this episode, we discuss: 
-       How working with a running coach and training group helped her reach her goals
-       What training for and running the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials was like
-       How she prioritized recovery and staying injury free when running marathons in back-to-back months
-       Her fueling plan for the marathon
-       How she recovered from an eating disorder
-       The body comparison and pressure to conform she felt as a Latina runner and how she thinks we can improve diversity and inclusivity in the sport of running
-       How she incorporates intuitive eating into her practice


Want to support the show and help keep us going? Consider joining our Patreon group, where you get insider access and exclusive content!

Resources mentioned:


SPORTS NUTRITION INSIDERS:

Check Out the Nail Your Nutrition Fueling Course!

Ep 14: 12 Time Marathoner Natalie Mitchell on Training, Prioritizing Recovery, and Being a BIPOC Endurance Athlete

Natalie Mitchell is a Los Angeles based running coach, 12 time marathoner (with a PR of 3:05), and mom to three athletic and zany kids.

When she is not working with a client or chasing after her kids, you'll find her running on the roads or high up in the mountains near her home. Natalie also loves to cook healthy meals, bake and read in her spare time.


In this episode, we discuss:
  • How she started running
  • Her return to running after having three difficult pregnancies
  • How Natalie prioritizes recovery and staying injury free
  • Her time working with with famed half marathoner, Ryan Hall, as her coach this past year as she tried to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials
  • How it went when she tried to qualify for the OTQ
  • Her training, including working on form, drills, visualization, mileage, and cross training
  • Why age is just a number and how Natalie keeps getting faster as a masters runner
  • Her pre-workout go-to meal for her sensitive stomach
  • Natalie's experience as a BIPOC athlete and how white endurance athletes can make the sport more inclusive
  • Why Natalie and her husband created Suite Run, a way to give traveling runners a scenic, safe and accessible (3 or 5 mile) running route that starts from their hotel door.


Connect with Natalie:


SPORTS NUTRITION INSIDERS:

Check Out the Nail Your Nutrition Fueling Course!

Ep 15: Plant Based Athlete and Dietitian Kelly Jones on Becoming Plant Based and Intuitive Eating

Kelly Jones is a plant-based board certified sports dietitian who works primarily as a speaker, media spokesperson and nutrition communications consultant. 

Kelly has worked with athletes at every level and consulted for organizations such as USA Swimming, the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Road Runners, while contributing regularly to local broadcast and national digital media. She co-runs an online course for active women, co-hosts the Imperfect Health Podcast, and was an associate professor for 9 years.

In this episode, Kelly shares her sports nutrition knowledge and insight in terms of plant based eating, and how an athlete could get started with adding more plant foods to the diet. 

An underlying message here is that it doesn't have to be black and white in terms of eating all plant-based or not plant-based at all. There is plenty of room in the in-between and Kelly gives some great tips on how to get started with plant-based eating:

In this episode, we discuss:
  • How athletes can ensure they're getting enough protein with plant-based sources, especially surrounding a workout
  • Easy and actionable tips to incorporating more plant based meals and snacks
  • A breakdown of the documentary, The Game Changers, and what may have been blown out of proportion
  • How she handles plant-based foods with her family and toddler
  • How to handle wanting to eat more plant-based when you don't have a supportive environment or people around you
  • How she incorporates intuitive eating ("normal eating") into her prior work as a professor and current work with athletes
  • How athletes can maintain muscle with less training (more is not always better)
Get to know Kelly:
Check Out the Nail Your Nutrition Fueling Course!

Ep 16: Why Diets Don't Work

In this episode, we answer a listener question about how to understand if you’re eating out of boredom vs. true hunger, especially during the quarantine, leaving you with some practical tips you can ask yourself to determine between the two. 

We take a deep delve into dieting, and cover topics, such as:
·         Why and how calorie restriction leads a stronger hyperfocus around food, often leading to a binge-restrict cycle. The psychology of restriction explains that the dieting mindset overwhelmingly leads to feelings of rebellion, guilt, shame and deprivation. 
·         How the diet industry (a 70+ billion dollar industry) operates and why it is a BUSINESS, based on the idea that diets don’t work for the long term
·         How to seek out a credentialed provider and know whether you’re getting evidence-based advice
·         What the research shows about dieting in the long term, and how it can lead to weight cycling, hormonal changes, metabolism changes and more.
·         Why diets ignore your autonomy and are not personalized to your individual your nutrition needs
·         Why eating 1200 calories a day or less can be very damaging and the effects it can have on the body
·         An explanation of the results from the famous starvation study
·         How other behavioral factors, such as eating foods you enjoy, engaging in movement you enjoy, having a supportive social group, having access to healthy foods, genetics and more into your health more than your weight.

Resources:
Sarah's Hunger Ebook

Hunger Scale for Athletes (free download)

Studies:
Camps, S. G., Verhoef, S. P., & Westerterp, K. R. (2013). Weight loss, weight maintenance, and adaptive thermogenesis. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 97(5), 990–994. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.112.050310

Greenway, F. L. (2015). Physiological adaptations to weight loss and factors favouring weight regain. International Journal of Obesity, 39(8), 1188–1196. https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2015.59

Keys, A., Brozek, J., Henschel, A., Mickelsen, O., & Taylor, H. L. (1950). The Biology of Human Starvation: Volumes I and II. Minneapolis, MN: University Of Minnesota Press. Retrieved from https://amzn.to/2EmyxXf (The “Starvation Study”)

Mann, T., Tomiyama, A. J., Westling, E., Lew, A.-M., Samuels, B., & Chatman, J. (2007). Medicare’s search for effective obesity treatments: diets are not the answer. The American Psychologist, 62(3), 220–233. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.62.3.220

SPORTS NUTRITION INSIDERS:

Sign Up For the Nail Your Nutrition Course

Ep 17: What is Intuitive Eating and How Can it Benefit Athletes?

In this follow up episode to Ep 16: Why Diet's Don't Work, we break down what exactly Intuitive Eating is and how it can benefit athletes.

Sarah and Marita both use Intuitive Eating personally and professionally; we use the 10 principles of Intuitive Eating to help our athletes that we work with find food freedom, ditch diet culture, and never go on another diet again.

In this episode, we cover:

  • What Intuitive Eating is and isn't, and the benefits of it found from multiple studies
  • A summary of all 10 principles of Intuitive Eating
  • How we use these principles with our clients and ourselves
  • How Intuitive Eating can help you overcome disordered eating and reach performance goals

Sarah's Hunger Scale for Athletes (free download!)

Sarah’s Hunger Ebook

SPORTS NUTRITION INSIDERS:
Sign Up For the Nail Your Nutrition Course

Ep 18: How Disordered Eating Affects Current and Former Athletes of all Levels with Georgie Buckley, Dietitian and PhD Candidate

Today we have Georgie Buckley on the podcast.

Georgie Buckley is an Accredited Practising Dietitian (Aus RD equivalent) and PhD Candidate. She practices in eating disorders and sports nutrition and is informed by Health at Every Size principles with an increasing influence from feminist theory.  Georgie is in her final year of her PhD where she has been looking at disordered eating in current and former athletes. Her research has been largely informed by her background and lived experience in elite level track and field as a distance runner.

What started as exploring “gaps in the eating disorder literature” and looking at male athletes, has since extended to challenging sporting cultures and incorporating feminist theory in critiquing the way that those in sport comment on women and girls bodies. Georgie has a special interest in former athletes and the way that sport shapes their relationship with both food and body.

During this episode, we discussed:

  • How detrimental commenting on girls and women’s bodies in sport can be long-term
  • Her experience as an elite level track and field athlete
  • What exactly disordered eating is
  • How current and former athletes can heal from disordered eating
  • How sport culture imposes pressure on athletes to look a certain way
  • How we can change this obsessiveness with appearance and thinness in sport, especially endurance events.


SPORTS NUTRITION INSIDERS:
 
Sign Up For the Nail Your Nutrition Course

Ep 19: Why Sleep is so Important for Athletes and Successful Training from Sleep Expert Dr. Amy Bender


Today our guest is Dr. Amy Bender, a sleep expert and Senior Research Scientist at Calgary Counselling Centre, as well as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Kinesiology at the University of Calgary. 

Dr. Bender has helped develop the only validated sleep screening tool for athletes and has implemented sleep optimization strategies for numerous Canadian Olympic and professional teams. She’s also a former college basketball athlete and completed an Ironman in 2009, os she approaches her work with an athlete’s lens.


During this episode, we discuss:

  • Why sleep is so important for athletes
  • How it helps in so many different facets of our life and training
  • Exactly how much sleep athletes need
  • The not so well known importance of naps
  • What supplements help with sleep
  • If diet plays a role in sleep and if sleep plays a role in our diets
  • Why if you’re in a sleep deprived time of your life, aka a new parent, it’s probably not a good idea to take on a new training cycle and how that can affect your training

Connect with Dr. Bender:


SPORTS NUTRITION INSIDERS:


Sign up for the Nail Your Nutrition Course!

Ep 20: 11 Fueling Mistakes Endurance Athletes Make

Today we're breaking down 11 common mistakes endurance athletes make regarding fueling and training and how to not make them again!

We see these all the time with our clients (and maybe have made a few ourselves!)

We’ve touched on a lot of these myths over the last 19 episodes, but wanted to put all of the common fueling mistakes we see often in one place for you.

During this episode, we discuss these mistakes and more:
  • MISTAKE #1: Skipping fueling workouts that are over an hour
  • MISTAKE #2: Not getting the recommended 30-90g/carbs/hour
  • MISTAKE #3: Not eating before and after a workout
  • MISTAKE #4: Eating a fiber, fat, or protein heavy meal before a workout
  • MISTAKE #5: Not drinking fluid before, during, and after a workout
  • MISTAKE #6: Only focusing on protein for recovery post-workout
  • MISTAKE #7: Skipping electrolytes during workouts
  • MISTAKE #8: Not eating enough carbs
  • MISTAKE #9: Waiting hours to eat after a workout
  • MISTAKE #10:  Not practicing your fueling before race day/ Trying something new on race day
  • MISTAKE #11: Overdoing it the night or day before a big run/race



SPORTS NUTRITION INSIDERS:
Sign Up for the Nail Your Nutrition Fueling Course!

Ep 21: Sarah Had a Baby + Marita is Pregnant! Life Updates and What Training Looks Like for Us While Postpartum and Pregnant

  • Welcome to Season 2! We are back after taking a break and can't wait to bring you amazing new content for this season! Here's what we discussed and what to expect for season two.

    During this episode, we discuss:
  • Big life updates for us- Sarah had her baby and Marita is pregnant with her second child
  • We discuss Sarah's home VBAC and how postpartum is treating her, including what returning to training has looked like
  • Marita discusses her pregnancy after a miscarriage in March, finding out the gender, and how training is going while pregnant
  • What to expect for season 2, including what topics we want to discuss 
  • We want to hear from you! Are you an athlete and want to share your fueling and training journey? Email us at nailyournutritioncourse1@gmail.com and we might feature you on the show!
  • The Nail Your Nutrition Fueling Endurance Course is on sale for Black Friday! Why the course is a game changer for athletes (or dietetic interns or dietitians!) and why the price is so low right now
  • What do you want to hear on the podcast? Take this survey so we can provide content you want to hear!

Use the code BLACKFRIDAY100 for $100 off the Nail Your Nutrition fueling course (code valid until Nov 28, 2020)

Things mentioned in this episode:


SPORTS NUTRITION INSIDERS:


Get $100 off the Nail Your Nutrition Endurance Fueling Course!

Ep 22: Why is Vitamin D Important for Athletes? What You Need to Know About Performance!

  • Why Vitamin D is important for athletes and why where you live may determine your Vitamin D status
  • The roles Vitamin D plays in the immune system 
  • Why Vitamin D deficiency can pose overall health problems
  • The relationship between sun exposure, Vitamin D and sunscreen
  • How much Vitamin D athletes may need
  • How treadmill runners, early morning runners, or athletes who wear many layers may want to get their Vitamin D levels tested
  • How to request a Vitamin D test
  • The discrepancies over Vitamin D recommendations and how they may differ for athletes
  • Is there such thing as Vitamin D toxicity?
  • The Vitamin D supplement we recommend
  • How Vitamin D status may impact CO-VID19 severity and symptoms
    We want to hear from you! Are you an athlete and want to share your fueling and training journey? Email us at nailyournutritioncourse1@gmail.com and we might feature you on the show!
  • What do you want to hear on the podcast? Take this survey so we can provide content you want to hear!

Things mentioned in this episode:


SPORTS NUTRITION INSIDERS:



Start the Nail Your Nutrition Course!

Ep 23: Six Diet Mentality Thoughts You Might be Having This Holiday Season and How to Let Them Go

In this episode, we dive into six common diet mentality thoughts that crop up during the six weeks between Thanksgiving and the New Year for athletes (and everyone!). 

We see these all the time in our clients, social media, and articles and want to give you actionable advice on how to put a stop to them so you can enjoy the holiday foods that are plentiful right now. 

Here are the six diet mentality thoughts you might be experiencing:
  • Running is cancelled so I am going to eat my feelings
  • How much weight will I gain if I don’t run it off? How many miles do I have to run to burn this off? 
  • Putting exercise and workouts before family/traditions etc. It becomes a problem when it impacts your quality of life, relationships, brain space, mental energy, etc. 
  • December is a wash, I’ll start over in January.
  • I won’t go back for seconds this year /I’ll only eat X amount of my favorite food
  • My holiday favorites have too much sugar

Sound familiar? We cover each of these in depth and provide takeaways so you don't have to battle these thoughts all month long!

Solo Stove Fire Pit
Primally Pure Deodorant
Sarah's Hunger and Fullness Cues for Athletes


SPORTS NUTRITION INSIDERS:
Learn to Fuel!

Ep 24: Balancing Motherhood and Training + Running Faster After Having Babies with Meghann Featherstun, MS RD CSSD


In this episode, we talk with sports dietitian, Meghan Featherstun about training and balancing motherhood, work, meal planning and family time. Meghan is a marathon runner and has dropped over an hour on her marathon time, even after having kids!

In this episode, we discuss: 

  • Sports nutrition requirements and how she got into sports nutrition 
  • How Meghan dropped over an hour between her first marathon and most recent marathon (3:58 to 2:57)
  • The importance of a training group for accountability and how she is able to wake up at 4am for her training runs, even in this COVID era 
  • How she has adjusted training with two kids
  • How family and support enables her training and how she's able to balance mom'ing, cooking, working, training and more!
  • What recovery from two C Sections looked like and returning to training
  • What training looks like leading up to a marathon 
  • Some of the biggest fueling challenges she sees among runners and athletes
  • How she balances nutrition and running to avoid injury
  • What her crosstraining and strength training looks like
  • How her fueling philosophy has changed over time

You can learn more about Meghann at:
Website
Instagram 


SPORTS NUTRITION INSIDERS:
Learn to Fuel!

Ep 25: How a Sports Dietitian Helps Professional Fuel

In this episode, we talk with sports dietitian, Jill Merkel, about how she has worked with professional athletes throughout her career. Jill is a Registered Dietitian specializing in sports nutrition, body image, disordered eating, and Intuitive Eating. She has worked with athletes and individuals from the high school level to the professional level and is currently in her 4th season as the team dietitian for the NFL Tennessee Titans. 

In this episode, we discuss: 

  • How she became a sports dietitian
  • Her various careers as a sports dietitian and what lead  her to becoming an entrepreneur and consultant for the NFL
  • How she helps professional athletes fuel 
  • If and how she implements Intuitive Eating into her practice, both with recreational and professional athletes
  • What the biggest issues are with fueling professional athletes, particularly NFL players, both on and off the field
  • If body image is a factor for professional athletes, and how she unpacks that with clients
  • Jill's personal running history and her goal to run a race in all 50 states

You can learn more about Jill at:

Things mentioned in this episode: 



OTHER NEWS:
Learn to Fuel!

Ep 26: How Our Relationships with Food and Exercise Have Changed Over Time + What is Orthorexia?

In this episode, we discuss our current relationships with food and exercise, and how they have evolved over time from what used to be an unhealthy relationship with each. We also talk about orthorexia and how it can present for athletes. 

-          What is orthorexia, what are the signs and symptoms?
-          How nutrition programs can affect relationships with food
-          How can orthorexia affect athletes?
-          The difference between healthy eating and orthorexia
-          Why where you get your nutrition information may be a contributing factor to orthorexia and disordered relationships with exercise
-          What can you do if you think you have orthorexia?
-          How Sarah and Marita got into nutrition
-          How our relationships with food has changed over time

Orthorexia Self Test

Research reviewed:


SPORTS NUTRITION INSIDERS:
Learn To Fuel!

Ep 27: How to Have the Best Off Season: The Lowdown on Off Season Nutrition


Today we're talking all about off season nutrition and how to maximize your off season for the best results when you start training again!

In this episode, we discuss: 

  • Why the off season is the perfect time to work on nutrition
  • What you should focus on for the off season based off your last training cycle
  • Using this time with less training to tap into hunger, fullness, and satisfaction cues
  • What to do if you want to gain or lose weight
  • How to gain muscle using nutrition
  • Setting goals for the off season to make the most of it

Research and links discussed:


SPORTS NUTRITION INSIDERS:

Start Your Off Season Right with the Nail Your Nutrition Course!

Ep 28: Courtney Carter - Philosophies on Training and Diversity in the Sport of Running

In this episode we talk with Courtney Carter. 

Courtney Carter is a lawyer by trade but hasn't practiced law since 2010. After leaving the active practice of law, she led a legal diversity pipeline program and then ran diversity initiatives for a small company. That led her to her current role leading diversity at a large law firm. She is responsible for everything from ensuring that her firm’s practices are inclusive to designing a firm-wide strategy. 

Courtney ran track in high school but didn’t start running long distances until she was in law school.  She ran her first half marathon in 2007 and then ran her first full marathon in 2013. She got bit by the marathon bug and ten marathons later, she’s hopeful about races coming back in full force in 2021. 

Courtney has been a member of the Oiselle Volee Team since 2013 and leads the Women of Color group. Recently she started serving as  DEI Advisor for Oiselle. She loves combining her professional work with her passion for running. 

In this episode, we discuss:
  • Her running history and how she got back into running while in law school
  • What it’s like running in the DC area, especially in this current climate
  • Why the DC Cherry Blossom 10 mile run is a race everyone should run 
  • How she determines her next race and training and how she stays motivated
  • How her fueling strategy has changed over time and the difference in how she practices vs. how she races 
  • What she eats before a run
  • How she utilizes the Hanson method of training
  • How cumulative fatigue has helped her distance running
  • How she stays injury free during training cycles and which specific cross training has helped her training
  • Her method for setting training goals
  • How social media integrates with her philosophies and training and the pros and cons of that
  • Her experience as a black runner in DC and at races
  • The importance of staying true to yourself
  • What we can do to make the sport of running more inclusive 

Things Courtney Mentions:


SPORTS NUTRITION INSIDERS:


Grab Our Marathon Fueling Course!

Ep 29: Triathlon 101: A Deep Dive Into All Things Triathlon, Pt 1


Want to try a tri? Part 1 of this two part episode goes over everything you need to know to get started with triathlon!

In part 1, we dive into:

  • Marita's experience with starting triathlons with zero knowledge or experience
  • Marita's triathlon training schedule and progression
  • Breaking down triathlon distances and training
  • What you need to get started
  • Things that are nice to have and make triathlon easier, but aren't essential

Mentioned in this episode:

Learn to Fuel for Triathlons with our Endurance Fueling Course!

Ep 30: Triathlon 101: A Deep Dive Into All Things Triathlon, Pt 2


Want to try a tri? Part 2 of this two part episode covers fueling for triathlons best tips for each leg of triathlons.

In this episode, we cover:

  • Our postpartum fitness plans
  • Logistics of triathlon
  • Marita's best tried and true tips and advice, broken down by each sport: swim, bike, run, and transitions
  • How in the world to fuel for triathlons, from sprint to Ironman 140.6
  • The biggest takeaways to make training and race day easier and fun

Mentioned in this episode:



Stay connected:

Fuel Your Triathlon with the Endurance Fueling Course!

Ep 31: Sarah Talks About The Logistics of Qualifying for the Boston Marathon

 
In this episode, Marita interviews Sarah to hear all about how she dropped 11 minutes between her 1st and 2nd marathons to qualify for Boston. 

We discuss: 
·         The tips Sarah followed to qualify for Boston with training
·         How she approached this marathon differently than her prior marathons
·         How she incorporated speedwork and managed off days with her training schedule
·         How proper support is important for training goals and finding your tribe is so important 
·         Tips for joining a training group and running with them 
·         How to balance time with marathon training goals and life 
·         How to plan for training a destination race
·         The importance of core work and how to plan for it
·         How Sarah embraced flexibility to make training work for her 

Mentioned in this episode:

Get Nutrition Tips with our Marathon Training Course

Ep 32: Sarah Shares her Race Day Nutrition Plan for the Ogden Marathon

Tune in to part two as Sarah shares her journey to earning a Boston Qualifying time in her Utah Marathon and she breaks down her race day nutrition plan. 

In this episode, we cover:
  • How Sarah Fueled Before the Race, including pre race meal
  • What she ate the week before to ensure carbohydrates and sodium 
  • How she got the jitters out while traveling
  • Her morning routine and ritual
  • Sarah’s race day nutrition plan, how often she fueled and hydrated and more
  • Why she took water at every water stop
  • The struggles of calculating pace math
  • Tips for choosing a BQ course and fitting training in a busy schedule
  • How she recovered after 26.2

Resources/brands mentioned:

Follow Sarah's Fueling Tips with our Marathon Training Nutrition Course

Ep. 33: Pelvic Floor Health for Runners at All Life Stages with Dr. Abby Bales, DPT

Wondering about pelvic floor health as a runner, before kids, during pregnancy, and postpartum?

Dr. Abby Bales, DPT is here to answer all of your burning questions about pelvic floor health for runners and athletes at all stages of life.

In this episode, we cover:

  • Should you run while pregnant?
  • What you can keep doing while pregnant, and when to know the point to stop
  • What should return to running look like postpartum
  • Common pelvic floor issues seen in women and athletes
  • What are the signs and symptoms of pelvic floor issues 
  • Is it normal to have to pee during running, jumping, and other activitites?
  • Why “just in case” peeing is detrimental
  • How to know if you’re emptying your bladder at the appropriate time and intervals
  • How to do a proper deep squat to open the pelvis
  • How to properly do a kegel and advanced kegels
  • What’s the best way to improve pelvic floor health
  • And more! 

Resources mentioned in this episode:


About Dr. Abby Bales: Dr. Abby Bales, PT, DPT is the owner and founder of Reform Physical Therapy in New York City, a practice specializing in treating and training pregnant and postpartum clients. Dr. Bales received her doctorate in physical therapy from New York University and has advanced training in pelvic health. She also holds her Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist certification from the NSCA and guest lectures in the physical therapy departments at both NYU and Columbia University, as well as at conferences around the country. Dr. Bales has consulted for the top fitness studios in NYC and is a founding advisor and consultant for The Mirror and Olympya app. A lifelong athlete, marathon runner, and fitness professional, Dr. Bales is passionate about educating athletes, coaches, and physical therapists about the lifespan of the female athlete. She built Reform Physical Therapy to support pregnant and postpartum athletes and keep them active throughout their pregnancy and postpartum journey. Dr. Bales is a mom of two and lives with her husband and family in New York.

Connect with Dr. Abby Bales:

Reform PT NYC
Dr. Bales' Instagram
Reform PT Facebook Page

Stay connected:

Learn to Fuel with the Endurance Fueling Course!

Ep 34: Fueling for Trail Running and Ultra Marathon Distances with Kylee Van Horn

Kylee Van Horn, RDN is an endurance sports dietitian, who takes a balanced, sustainable approach to fueling for performance.  A competitive trail runner herself, she is on a mission to change the message in the endurance community to separate facts from fads and change the message from skinnier is better to one that celebrates performance no matter the body size.  Today, Kylee is the founder and owner of her sports nutrition business Flynutrition, which helps runners, triathletes, and skiers to learn not only the ‘why’ but the ‘how’ behind fueling for performance.  Beyond her work in endurance sports nutrition, Kylee can be found running peaks near Aspen, CO with her two australian shepherds and ultra endurance husband, Sean.


In this episode, we cover:
·         What she wishes more runners new about trail nutrition 
·         How she encourages runners to stay healthy and injury free while running on trails
·         Why eating enough is so difficult for many runners
·         Kylee’s running background and how it contributes to her nutrition outlook 
·         What makes trail running different from road running
·         How to fuel for ultra endurance events with sensitive stomachs
·         How to plan for aid stations in ultra endurance events
·         Tips for running in cold winter weather and preventing gel/water freezing

Resources mentioned in this episode

Stay connected:

Learn to Fuel with the Endurance Fueling Course

Ep 35: How Runners Can Avoid Injuries During Training, While Pregnant, and Postpartum with Jessica Valant, PT and Pilates Instructor

Are you a chronically injured runner or triathlete? 

Do you know you should incorporate strength and mobility work, but have no clue how and where to start?

Or maybe you're a pregnant athlete and want to avoid abdominal separation and issues down the line, but don't know what information to trust?
 
In this episode, we talk with Jessica Valant, PT and Pilates Instructor who breaks down how you can avoid injuries for life.

We discuss:


  • Jessica's journey with prolapse, an often not discussed but common problem postpartum
  • The main exercise modifications pregnant women should know about and what to avoid during pregnancy and in the postpartum period
  • How to identify a diastasis recti and how to repair it
  • Giving yourself grace and time in the postpartum period
  • What should runners and other endurance athletes be doing to avoid injuries? 
  • What are the benefits of pilates, especially for endurance athletes?
  • How can having more strength improve speed/performance in running, if at all?
  • The most common injuries in athletes and how to fix them 
  •  What can runners do to avoid or rehab a knee injury
  • What exactly is our core, and how can we keep it strong
  • Why balance in work/life/motherhood doesn't exist 
And more!

Resources and things mentioned in this episode:

Jessica's free YouTube workouts mentioned-

Glute workout



Knee injury workouts:

One

Two

Stay connected:



Injured? We have a whole module on that!

Ep 36: Dismantling Diet Culture in College Athletics with Rachel Manor, RD, CSSD

Rachel holds a BS in Life Science from the University of Portland in Portland, OR, where she was also a varsity athlete on the women’s basketball team. After college, Rachel completed a didactic program of dietetics at Middle Tennessee State University and then completed her dietetic internship and Masters of Science in Exercise Science and Nutrition at Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN. Rachel served as a sports dietitian at the University of Oregon for nearly two years and has been at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill for over eight years. She has supported national championship teams, and spearheaded weight-inclusive and Intuitive Eating education, while working toward removing diet culture from sport culture and optimizing performance. Rachel is credentialed as a Registered Dietitian (RD), Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, and is a Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD).

In this episode, we discuss:
  • What the culture in college sports look like
  • Rachel's responsibilities as the Director of Olympic Sports and how she got into sports nutrition and intuitive eating 
  • How she has helped institute intuitive eating in the college athletic setting
  • How to connect with athletes in the college setting and build rapport
  • How diet culture shows up in sport culture, and what diet culture is 
  • The transformation of athletes from the diet mindset to the fueling mindset
  • AND MORE!

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

Stay connected:

Learn More About Dismanting Diet Culture and Fueling Adequately!

Episode 37: Disordered Eating Behaviors in Athletes

In this episode, Sarah talks about:
  • Some of the disordered behaviors she sees in athletes that may be impacting performance and recovery
  • What athletes can do instead
  • How to transition to healthier behaviors
  • How to know if you're eating enough
  • What is nutrient timing and how can it help you?
  • The impact of the microbiome on health and performance

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:


 
Stay connected:

 

Please leave a review for the podcast! 

 
Join the course for endurance athletes

Episode 38: A Former Collegiate Athlete and Coach Shares His Experience with Running, Spotting Eating Disorders, and Figuring out Fueling (A Talk with Sarah's Husband)

Sarah's husband, Ed, is on the podcast sharing his expertise and experience as a highschool and college runner, and then as a collegiate coach. Ed shares about some of his fueling mishaps and how he fixed them for future races, how his mindset has shifted and evolved over time and what he wants athletes to know about the authenticity of running to keep it special.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:


 
Stay connected:

 

Please leave a review for the podcast! 

Episode 39: Are You Making Any of These 11 Fueling Mistakes?

Today we're breaking down 11 common mistakes endurance athletes make regarding fueling and training and how to not make them again!

We see these all the time with our clients (and maybe have made a few ourselves!)

We’ve touched on a lot of these myths over the last 19 episodes, but wanted to put all of the common fueling mistakes we see often in one place for you.

During this episode, we discuss these mistakes and more:
  • MISTAKE #1: Skipping fueling workouts that are over an hour
  • MISTAKE #2: Not getting the recommended 30-90g/carbs/hour
  • MISTAKE #3: Not eating before and after a workout
  • MISTAKE #4: Eating a fiber, fat, or protein heavy meal before a workout
  • MISTAKE #5: Not drinking fluid before, during, and after a workout
  • MISTAKE #6: Only focusing on protein for recovery post-workout
  • MISTAKE #7: Skipping electrolytes during workouts
  • MISTAKE #8: Not eating enough carbs
  • MISTAKE #9: Waiting hours to eat after a workout
  • MISTAKE #10:  Not practicing your fueling before race day/ Trying something new on race day
  • MISTAKE #11: Overdoing it the night or day before a big run/race



SPORTS NUTRITION INSIDERS:

Episode 40: Fitting in Training While Traveling (Welcome Back Marita!)

Marita rejoins the podcast after maternity leave and brings us up to date on parenting two small humans and how she is fitting in exercise and movement right now.

Marita and Sarah also discuss tips for packing and training while traveling and how to stay sane while doing so.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode: 
Support Us on Patreon!

Episode 41: Listener Q&A

In this episode, we cover protein powders and plant based protein powders, fueling options for sensitive tummies, fueling as a vegan runner, protein and fat needs, increasing fuel to match an increase in mileage and more. To have your question answered on a future nail your nutrition podcast episode, email us at nailyournutritioncourse1@gmail.com.

Products Mentioned (please note, some may be affiliate links, thank you for supporting us!)

Fueling & Hydration

Snack Bars and Protein Powders

Tips for sensitive stomachs

Previous Episodes Mentioned:
Check out the Plant Based Fueling Module

Ep 42: Maddie Alm, Olympic Track and Field 5k Trials Runner + Sports Dietitian


What do you do days before you compete in the Olympic Track and Field 5k Trials? Eat ice cream!

 Maddie Alm, fellow sports dietitian and US Olympic Track and Field 5k spills the beans on competing in the trials in June 2021 in the heat of Eugene.  Maddie qualified for the Olympic trials in the 5k at the Sound running meet in LA mid-May 2021 with a time of 15:19. Going into the trials, she ranked 29th but crushed the race and finished 12th with a 15:58 time. 

In this episode, we cover:

  • What it was like qualifying and competing at the trials
  • What the lead up to the race was like
  • Her race day nutrition
  • What it's like being a part of Team Boss
  • What Maddie's training looks like
  • How Maddie works with elite and everyday athletes, and the differences between the two
  • How Maddie helps athletes improve their relationship with food
  • And more!

Mentions:

Connect with Maddie:

Start the endurance fueling course now!

Episode 43: Marathon Training 101: Your Definitive Guide to Nutrition + Gear for the Marathon

Are you training for your first marathon? 

Are you looking to PR in the marathon or BQ and want to learn how to properly fuel? 

Overwhelmed with all of the gear and have no idea where to start?

This episode is one of two special episodes focusing just on marathon training! 

Consider it your definitive guide to everything marathon training.

In this episode, we cover:

  • The gear you absolutely need to make training and race day easier and more enjoyable
  • Our go-to gear for long runs
  • Why you need to fuel your training, so you understand how important it is 
  • What to eat the night before your long runs
  • What to eat before, during, and after runs
  • Hydration and electrolytes- what you really need to feel great during runs
  • How mental training can be beneficial for your race and training
  • And more!






Leave a Review for the Podcast!

44: Marathon Training 101: Your Definitive Guide to Training with Coach Laura Norris


Are you training for your first marathon? 

Are you looking to PR in the marathon or BQ and want to learn how to properly fuel? 

Overwhelmed with all of the gear and have no idea where to start?

This episode is one of two special episodes focusing just on marathon training! 

Consider it your definitive guide to everything marathon training.

In this episode, we cover:


  • What is the “best” training plan for a beginner marathon? Intermediate? Advanced?
  • How long should training plans be?
  • How many days a week should you run?
  • How long should the long run be?
  • How many speed workouts should I do per week?
  • How do I PR or BQ?
  • How do I get faster?
  • What running "easy" really means and how to do it.
  • What’s the best strategy for injury prevention.
  • How much and what kind of strength training do I need to do?
  • Do I need to foam roll/stretch every day?
  • How to balance training with real life.
  • Race day strategy
  • And more!

Things mentioned in this episode:


Connect with Laura:

Laura's Website, LauraNorrisRunning.com
Instagram
Facebook




Leave a Review for the Podcast!

45: Listener Q&A Part 2

In this episode, we cover topics from intermittent fasting to short run nutrition, to body image for athletes, to protein needs – a wide range. If you have a question you’d like us to answer, hit us up on Instagram or email the show at nailyournutritioncourse1@gmail.com. 
 
If you're enjoying the show, Don’t forget to leave us a typed review on your podcast listener of choice, and the best thing you can do is share our podcast with a friend or training partner. 

Things mentioned in this episode: 

Sign up for the course!

46: Supplements - What to Take Vs What to Skip

In this episode, Sarah and Marita discuss some of the top supplements they recommend to endurance athletes and why, as well as a few you can skip! Some of the supplements we review include: 
  • creatine
  • turmeric
  • tart cherry juice
  • pre workout 
  • antioxidants and more 

Listen in to learn more. Want to know about the other supplements we recommend? Join the course!

Resources From this episode:

Products we recommend: 

Research:
Want more supplement info? Join the course!

Ep 47: Iron for Runners: Supplements, Signs and Symptoms, and What You Can Do with Dr. Kelly Pritchett, PhD, RD, CSSD


Are you wondering if you're low in iron?

Have you seen chatter on social media about many endurance athletes being low in iron, and see people you follow touting iron supplements?

This episode breaks down the science of iron needs for endurance athletes! Up to 90% of female endurance athletes have low ferritin, and male athletes are also at risk, so this is an important topic for most endurance athletes!

We enlisted Kelly Pritchett, PhD, RD, CSSD to give us the lowdown on all things iron and athletes.

In this episode, we cover:


  • What exactly iron is and why it's important for endurance athletes
  • What are signs and symptoms we should look for of low iron?
  • How can we measure iron in ourselves?
  • What is considered low iron?
  • The best way for athletes to improve their ferritin stores
  • What if you’re a plant based athlete?
  • What is the best type of supplement to take?
  • The best time to take a supplement
  • Side effects commonly seen when taking iron

Things mentioned in this episode:


Follow along with Kelly Pritchett, PhD, RD, CSSD:

Kelly's Instagram
Inside Sports Nutrition Instagram
TriDimensional Consulting

Kelly's bio:

Kelly Pritchett is an Associate Professor in Nutrition and Exercise Science at Central Washington University. As a board-certified specialist in sports dietetics, she has consulted with both elite and collegiate athletes as well as with active individuals. While in college, she competed on the swimming and diving team at the University of Alabama. Pritchett serves on the leadership committee of the Academy's Sports, Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutrition dietetic practice group as the Education Coordinator, and served as a National Media Spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Pritchett is an active member of the American College of Sports Medicine. She has authored research articles for scientific journals and presented at regional and national conferences. Her current research interests include post exercise nutrition for recovery, vitamin D and the athlete, and energy availability in spinal cord injured athletes. In her spare time, she enjoys running and spending time with her three active boys. 


Ready to take your performance to the next level? Get the Nail Your Nutrition course!

Ep 48: Protein For Runners and Endurance Activity

Are you constantly sore or hungry? Not recovering quickly from your workouts?

You may not be getting enough quality protein, or timing your protein correctly!

In this episode, we discuss:
  • The role of protein in your diet and in activity
  • Why protein after exercise is important
  • Why endurance athletes need more protein than once thought
  • What protein timing is and how you can implement it
  • Signs you’re not getting enough protein

Things Mentioned in this Episode: 

Learn More about Protein in the NYN Course

49: Should You Try to Lose Weight While Training?


Have you been trying to lose weight while in the middle of a marathon or triathlon training cycle?

Do you struggle with injuries, low energy, and poor recovery while trying that new diet?

We get this question so much- How can I lose weight while training? We broke down the science behind weight loss during training for you.

In this episode, we cover:

  • The latest research on why cutting calories during training can be harmful and hinder performance 
  • A thorough breakdown of just how many calories are needed to support your training per day
  • Discussions about body image and performance that don't serve you as an athlete
  • Why extreme diets don't work for most people, and how they can be keeping you from seeing your full athletic potential
  • How to shift your focus away from weight loss to more productive things
  • And more!


Calorie breakdown:

  • Let's say Jessica eats 2000 calories, but burns 500 calories running. She would have 1500 calories left to use to fuel the normal functions of her body. To figure out if she’s getting enough calories to support her activity, we find her FFM. Jessica is 150 lbs and has 20% body fat. Her fat free mass is about 120 lbs (54.4 kg). 
  • Now take this 1500 calories and divide it by Jessica’s fat free mass in kg and you have EA. Her EA would be 27.5 kcal/kg FFM/day. Optimal health is associated with EAs of 40 - 45 kcal/kg FFM/day in athletes (2176-2448 kcals)
  • Clinical studies have reported that even a short period of EA (5 days) <30 kcal/kg FFM/day (<1632 kcals for our above 150 lb woman) causes severe endocrine and metabolic alterations In female athletes, EA <30 kcal/kg FFM/day is typically defined as clinical low energy availability and EA between 30 and 45 kcal/kg FFM/day as subclinical LEA. (subclinical means not showing sign/symptoms yet)



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50: Ask Us Anything (Listener Questions)

In honor of our 50th episode, we're answering some questions from listeners, from our Facebook group and Instagram communities. Tune in to learn a little bit more about the hosts behind your favorite endurance podcast!

We talk about 
  • How nutrition differs between half and full marathon training
  • Breastfeeding newborns and training for half marathons 
  • Communication strategies for your partner
  • Our favorite parenting mantras
  • Races we want to run
  • and more!



Resources mentioned: 


Grab the NYN Course Now!

51: Six Diet Thoughts You Might be Having This Holiday Season and How to Let Them Go (Re-Release)

 In this episode, we dive into six common diet mentality thoughts that crop up during the six weeks between Thanksgiving and the New Year for athletes (and everyone!). 

We see these all the time in our clients, social media, and articles and want to give you actionable advice on how to put a stop to them so you can enjoy the holiday foods that are plentiful right now. 

Here are the six diet mentality thoughts you might be experiencing:
  • Running is canceled so I am going to eat my feelings
  • How much weight will I gain if I don’t run it off? How many miles do I have to run to burn this off? 
  • Putting exercise and workouts before family/traditions etc. It becomes a problem when it impacts your quality of life, relationships, brain space, mental energy, etc. 
  • December is a wash, I’ll start over in January.
  • I won’t go back for seconds this year /I’ll only eat X amount of my favorite food
  • My holiday favorites have too much sugar

Sound familiar? We cover each of these in depth and provide takeaways so you don't have to battle these thoughts all month long!

Solo Stove Fire Pit
Primally Pure Deodorant
Sarah's Hunger and Fullness Cues for Athletes

BLACK FRIDAY SALE! BUY THE COURSE AND GET OUR 3 MOST POPULAR EBOOKS FOR FREE!

BUY THE NAIL YOUR NUTRITION COURSE AND GET 3 EBOOKS FREE!


SPORTS NUTRITION INSIDERS:

52: Michelle Baxter on Training in the Winter, Staying Injury Free, and Gunning for a sub-3:00 Marathon

Today we have Michelle Baxter, also known as The Runner's Plate on social media, to talk all things running! Michelle is an accomplished everyday runner who is crushing her training lately, so we wanted to bring her on to pick her brain about her running progression and so much more.

In this episode we talk about: 

  • How Michelle took her marathon time from 3:42 to 2:58
  • Michelle's tips on waking up early to workout consistently 
  • Tips for winter training
  • How she stays occupied on the treadmill
  • How training is going for CIM with big training volume
  • The one nutrition tip that is helping keep Michelle injury free
  • And more!

Follow along with Michelle:

Instagram
The Runner's Plate blog



53: Your menstrual cycle and training

In this episode, we discuss what the (limited) research says about menstrual cycles and training, and how nutrition needs may be impacted by different phases of the menstrual cycle. 

We refer to the following episodes:
  • Episode 15 - Plant Based Nutrition with Kelly Jones, MS, RD, CSSD
  • Episode 47 - Iron for Runners with Kelly Pritchett, RD, CSSD PhD

Research discussed:

Effect of 8 weeks aerobic exercise on the severity of physical symptoms of premenstrual syndrome – Mohebbi Dehnavi et al. BMC Women's Health (2018) 18:80


Solli GS, Sandbakk SB, Noordhof DA, Ihalainen JK, Sandbakk Ø. Changes in Self-Reported Physical Fitness, Performance, and Side Effects Across the Phases of the Menstrual Cycle Among Competitive Endurance Athletes. International Journal of Sports Physiology & Performance. 2020;15(9):1324-1333. Accessed November 12, 2021.  


Prado RCR, Silveira R, Kilpatrick MW, Pires FO, Asano RY. The effect of menstrual cycle and exercise intensity on psychological and physiological responses in healthy eumenorrheic women. Physiol Behav. 2021;232:113290. 


Rodrigues P, de Azevedo Correia M, Wharton L. Effect of Menstrual Cycle on Muscle Strength. Journal of Exercise Physiology Online. 2019;22(5):89-96. Accessed November 12, 2021.

Martin ŞA, Tomescu V, Hadamaş RM. Effects of menstrual period on daily energy demands in a group of elite female rowers. Sports Medicine Journal / Medicina Sportivâ. 2016;12(1):2709-2714. Accessed November 16, 2021.


Gorczyca A, Sjaarda L, Mitchell E, et al. Changes in macronutrient, micronutrient, and food group intakes throughout the menstrual cycle in healthy, premenopausal women. European Journal of Nutrition. 2016;55(3):1181-1188. Accessed November 16, 2021.
Learn to Fuel Today!

54: New Year's Resolutions for Runners

2022 is here and you're probably being inundated with diet messages right now, like....

"Lose weight to get faster!" or "Ditch the covid pounds."

We're here to tell you that a) dieting doesn't work and b) you can make New Year's resolutions that have nothing to do with weight but that will benefit your health and your training!

In this episode, we cover six New Year's resolutions you can make that will help you crush your training, heal your relationship with food, and improve your overall health. These include:


  • Increase or improve strength, stretching, and mobility
  • Improve sleep/ Get more sleep
  • Ditch the diet mentality
  • How to set  goals that have nothing to do with times or PRs
  • Work on mental toughness
  • Figure out fueling
  • And quick ideas for non-weight centered resolutions 

Resources and things mentioned:

{Re-Release} Ep 55: What to Focus on in the Off Season of Running

Today we're talking all about off season nutrition and how to maximize your off season for the best results when you start training again!

In this episode, we discuss: 

  • Why the off season is the perfect time to work on nutrition
  • What you should focus on for the off season based off your last training cycle
  • Using this time with less training to tap into hunger, fullness, and satisfaction cues
  • What to do if you want to gain or lose weight
  • How to gain muscle using nutrition
  • Setting goals for the off season to make the most of it

Research and links discussed:


SPORTS NUTRITION INSIDERS:

Episode 56: Meal Prep for Athletes

We simplify meal prep for athletes in this episode, sharing all of our best tips for a busy lifestyle to meet your needs!

In this episode, we talk about our best tips for prepping snacks, breakfast for athletes, prioritizing protein, convenience staple items and more. 

RESOURCES MENTIONED: 

SPORTS NUTRITION INSIDERS:
Learn to fuel here!

Ep 57: Starla Garcia on Fueling for Ultras + Being an Advocate for BIPOC Athletes

Starla Garcia, M.Ed, RDN, LD, is a Registered Dietitian and marathoner based in Houston, Texas.  She was a recent 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials Qualifier and ran in the trials in Atlanta in February 2020. Starla just completed the JFK 50 miler in November 2021 and paced the 3:00 hour marathon group for the Chevron Houston Marathon. Starla is also a new podcast host for the podcast, Fueled for More.

In this episode, we discuss: 


  • How training for an ultra differs from training for a marathon
  • Recovery nutrition for ultras
  • Fueling strategy for ultras
  • Goals for her first ultra and if she achieved them
  • How pacing the 3:00 pace group was for the Houston Marathon and training for that race
  • How to incorporate cultural favorites when working with athletes and fueling plans
  • What it's like to be a BIPOC cultural advocate
  • If improvements have been made for BIPOC runners and athletes in the last two years
  • Her new podcast, Fueled for More
  • Whether she'll go for the 2:37 OTQ for 2024

And more!

Things mentioned in this episode:

Get started with the Nail Your Nutrition Fueling course here!

Episode 58: Giving Yourself Grace in Sport and Life with The Sassy Dietitian

Laura Ligos, RD, CSSD, also known as the Sassy Dietitian, joins us today to talk about how she learned to give herself grace. We discuss:
  • Her journey as a former college athlete and what exercise looks like for her today
  • Her identity as an athlete
  • How her fueling changed over the years
  • How she recognized what burnout looks like
  • How she has made peace with her body to feel more safe
  • How athletes can recognize overtraining or if something is off
  • Practical tips for prepping meals throughout the week
  • and more!

Things mentioned in this episode: 

Thank you to Nature Nate's for sponsoring this episode. Don't forget to look for their single serving mini packets for fueling during your run. 
 
Learn to Fuel Your Next Race

Episode 59: Sugar 101: How it Works for Your Sport

In this episode, we answer a listener question about why you may have trouble sleeping after a long run, and break down what sugar actually is and isn't, and how it functions for sport and endurance exercise. 

There are several myths out there about sugar (such as sugar is addicting), so we address some of these and explain why they aren't true. We also discuss artificial sugars, and differentiate between sugar when you're performing and when you're not.

Things mentioned in this episode: 

Resources:

Learn to fuel your next race

60: Hormone Health for Endurance Athletes with Kaely McDevitt, MS, RD, LD

Hormones are the major buzz word right now on social media, but do you know what they really are and how they can affect your training (and life)?

We enlisted the help of Kaely McDevitt, MS, RD, LD, a fellow dietitian who specializes in women's health to untangle what exactly hormones are and why they matter to you as an athlete and woman.

In this episode we covered:

  • What hormones are most important for active women
  • How does intense exercise affect stress in the body
  • Does hormonal birth control have any effect on our overall health, especially within an endurance athlete lens?
  • What is allostatic load?
  • Does sleep affect certain hormone pathways?
  • Common micronutrient deficiencies seen in active women
  • Why you shouldn't be drinking a gallon of water a day
  • Is adrenal fatigue real?
  • How long does it take for someone who is undereating and/or overexercising to feel adverse symptoms?
  • How does intense exercise affect those reproductive hormones?
  • Is it possible to use an online blood lab instead of working with someone 1:1?
  • What about blood sugar and hormone health?

Things mentioned in this episode:
Ep 47: Iron for Runners

Ep 61: Are You a Fueled or Underfueled Runner?

Do you wonder if you're eating enough for your training and recovery? We share 10 tips and symptoms to tell if you're a fueled or underfueled runner. 

These include:
  • How well you recover
  • How training is actually going
  • If you can hit paces during runs
  • How your sleep is going during training
  • Missed hunger cues
  • Your menstrual cycle cues
  • You're constantly injured
  • Your blood work and vitals are off
  • And more!
Join Our Free Facebook group!

62: How to Carb Load for Races

Do you have a race on the horizon and want to properly carb up for it? This episode is all about carb loading so you're ready to hit the road and crush your race!

In this episode, we cover:

  • What exactly is carb loading and why it's important
  • How carb loading works and how you can make it work for you
  • How carb loading can help you increase performance by 2-3%
  • Exactly how to carb load, from timing to serving sizes
  • Can you carb load during training?
  • And more!
Join our free FB group for runners!

63: Challenging Food Rules with Ultra Runner Kayla Fitzgerland, RD and Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor

In this episode, we talk with Registered Dietitian, ultrarunner and mom, Kayla Fitzgerald, about how she balances training with family life, and her journey through Intuitive Eating. We also discuss how runners can learn to dismantle food rules to improve their relationship with food. 

We discuss: 
- how she got into distance running and progressed to her first marathon and then ultramarathon
- her experience working with a coach vs doing her own training 
- reasons to get a running coach
- how her nutrition has changed as running distance increased
- how clients can learn to recognize and work through food rules
- how to keep your love for running authentic 

Resources Mentioned:
Sign Up For the NYN Course

64: How to Fuel Long Runs and Rides

Are you starting to train for a fall race and have no idea how to fuel for those long runs, rides, or races?

This is your go to episode! 

In this episode, we cover:


  • Why it's so important to fuel long endurance efforts, and the science behind it
  • Exactly how much you need for fuel
  • How you can start to practice on your next long run or ride
  • Hydration and electrolyte needs
  • And more!

 Thank you to Nature Nate's for sponsoring today's episode! Nature Nate's have portable honey packets that are perfect for your next run or ride. They're tasty, all natural, and give a quick shot of carbs to keep you going. Check out Nature Nate's minis here!

65: What Athletes Need to Know About Plant Based Eating and Nutrients

Do you follow a plant-based, vegan or vegetarian diet? This episode is for you! 

In this episode, we review some of the key nutrients and deficiencies, how to meet them, how and when to supplement, and how performance may be impacted.
 
You'll learn:
- what nutrients may be missing or lower in a plant-based diet and how to get them
- when to supplement 
- how nutrient deficiencies may impact your endurance performance and overall well-being
- resources to help you meet your plant-based nutrition needs.

Mentioned in this show:
Learn About Plant-Based Eating Here

66: How Caffeine Can Help (And Hinder) Your Performance

Do you down coffee before runs in the hopes that it will make you faster?

Or maybe you always pick gels for caffeine for that extra boost?

We broke down the science on why caffeine and endurance workouts go hand in hand! This episode will cover the many reasons why caffeine can benefit your next run or ride, while also giving some cautionary advice on why too much caffeine isn't always better.

In this episode, we cover:


  • How caffeine affects your performance
  • Side effects of caffeine for your daily health and endurance workouts
  • How much caffeine you need to see those effects
  • The science behind why caffeine works so well when on the run/ride/swim
  • Amounts of caffeine before and during workouts to see those effects
  • Why too much caffeine isn't always better


Mentioned in this episode:

ep 29: Triathlon 101: A Deep Dive Into All Things Triathlon pt 1

ep 30: Triathlon 101: A Deep Dive Into All Things Triathlon pt 2

ep 19: Why Sleep is so Important for Athletes with Dr. Amy Bender

Research: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33388079/ 


Harty PS, Zabriskie HA, Erickson JL, Molling PE, Kerksick CM, Jagim AR. Multi-ingredient pre-workout supplements, safety implications, and performance outcomes: a brief review. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2018 Aug 8;15(1):41. doi: 10.1186/s12970-018-0247-6. PMID: 30089501; PMCID: PMC6083567.


Sign up for the Fueling Course for Your Next Marathon!

67: Michele Fumagalli, Nutrition for Professional Athletes and Work-Life Balance as a Mom

In this episode, we talk with MLS Chicago Fire sports dietitian, Michele Fumagalli. We talk about her career as a professional athlete, the culture of working in professional athletics, how she fuels athletes, and how she manages her own nutrition, fitness and family life outside of work and travel. 

In this episode, we cover: 
- Michele's former stint as a professional soccer player
- changing culture in a MLS organization to reduce diet culture
- what soccer players eat before matches
- the importance of hydration/electrolytes
- how she balances traveling as professional sports RD and family life and her fitness
- her flexibility with food mindset
-  intuitive eating with children

Mentioned in this episode:
- Episode 25 with Jill Merkel, fueling professional football players
- Precision Hydration
- Performance Plates
Sign up for the Fueling Course

68: 9 Ways to Have Your Best Long Run

Are you training for a marathon or triathlon and want to set yourself up for success for long runs?

Do you dread long runs because they always seem *so hard* and you're not quite sure why?

We cover the nine best ways to have your most successful and awesome long run. Using these tips, you'll have more energy during your run, not feel so fatigued after, and be able to recover better.

Episodes mentioned:

66: How Caffeine Can Help (and Hinder) Your Performance

64: How to Fuel Long Runs and Rides

10: What Runners and Triathletes Need to Know About Electrolytes

8: How to Hydrate for Summer Workouts
Sign up for the Nail Your Nutrition course!

69: Taper Nutrition for the Marathon

You've been training hard for the past few months for your marathon, and the time is finally here! 

But how do you handle taper nutrition?

This episode covers:

  •  Why you need to taper
  • The evidence behind tapering
  • Taper nutrition and how you can utilize it to crush your marathon
  • And more!
Episodes mentioned in this episode:
Ep 62: How to Carb Load for Races
Ep 56: Athlete Meal Prep Tips
Ep 11: Fiona Sutherland, Dietitian and Body Image for Athletes Expert on How Athletes Can Improve Body Image

Ready to take your fueling further? Sign up for the Nail Your Nutrition course to figure out your fueling, along with important topics like intuitive eating, fueling specifics for women, macronutrients, supplements, injury nutrition, and more! The course has 14 modules to help you crush your next race, feel better during workouts, and recover well.

Questions? Email us at nailyournutritioncourse1@gmail.com

This episode is sponsored by Nature Nate's. We love and recommend Nature Nate's all the time- it's the best honey to sweeten your day, and your training! Take a mini pouch with you on your next run for a great fueling source.

70: How to Train for Half and Full Marathons with Running Explained

Why we take easy runs easy, how to adapt to training and more

Elisabeth Scott is the founder and head coach at Running Explained. She is on a mission to help runners of all abilities and experience levels become better, smarter, faster runners. Find her at runningexplained.co, on Instagram at @runningexplained, and every week on new episodes of The Running Explained Podcast. 

In this episode, we discuss:
-  Red flags of training for runners to know  
- When it's okay to increase distance
-  Importance of base building for distance
- The importance of easy runs and taking them easy, and how to determine your easy effort zone
- How to increase endurance
- Why we taper and how to get through it
- How to know if you’re adapted to training

Resources mentioned: 

-          Laura Norris episode 9 and episode 44 on marathon training
-          Carb loading - episode 62
Grab the courseJoin our Facebook group

71: Functional Nutrition for Runners with Kirsten Screen, RD

In this episode, we have Integrative Performance dietitian and RD business coach, Kirsten Screen on, to share all about hormone health for runners. 

In this episode, we discuss: 
- what hormones runners should be aware of
- what labs to look at and what those tests may mean
- what's normal and not normal for runners to experience
- why iron and ferritin may not be as low as we think they are
- why bloodwork is not the end all be all we think it is and what else matters

Ready to take your fueling further? Sign up for the Nail Your Nutrition course to figure out your fueling, along with important topics like intuitive eating, fueling specifics for women, macronutrients, supplements, injury nutrition, and more! The course has 14 modules to help you crush your next race, feel better during workouts, and recover well.

Questions? Email us at nailyournutritioncourse1@gmail.com

Get in touch with Kirsten on Instagram to learn more about her coaching opportunities. 
Grab the courseJoin our Facebook Group

72: How to Recover After a Race Using Nutrition

Did you just run a big race and want to maximize recovery?

This episode is for you! 

In this episode, we go over everything you can do to boost recovery using nutrition. In this episode, we discuss:

  • Why hydration is so important post-race
  • Why you might not be hungry after a race, and what to do about it
  • What nutrients to prioritize in the hours and weeks after a race
  • How to reduce inflammation post-race
  • What supplements to prioritize post-race
  • The number 1 most important thing to emphasize post-race
  • And more!

This episode is sponsored by Nature Nate's. We love and recommend Nature Nate's all the time- it's the best honey to sweeten your day, and your training! Take a mini pouch with you on your next run for a great fueling source.


LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Magnesium Supplement
Tart Cherry Juice Concentrate
Skratch Clear Hydration Mix


Ready to take your fueling further? Sign up for the Nail Your Nutrition course to figure out your fueling, along with important topics like intuitive eating, fueling specifics for women, macronutrients, supplements, injury nutrition, and more! The course has 14 modules to help you crush your next race, feel better during workouts, and recover well.

Questions? Email us at nailyournutritioncourse1@gmail.com



Join our Facebook group!

73: What my Eating Disorder Took From Me and Running and How I Overcame It Mentally with Nicky Tamberrino, Running Enthusiast

In this episode, we hear from Nicki Tamberrino, a runner, self actualization enthusiast, entrepreneur, and podcast host, herself. She shares her experience with us about her interesting journey through an eating disorder while running and training, how she knew something was wrong, and how she sought help. She also shares about her mindset work and how that was a helpful tool for her. 

You can find more about Nikki at her wesbite, and at @1classy_motherunner. She hosts the podcast, Maybe Running will Help.

Ready to take your fueling further? Sign up for the Nail Your Nutrition course to figure out your fueling, along with important topics like intuitive eating, fueling specifics for women, macronutrients, supplements, injury nutrition, and more! The course has 14 modules to help you crush your next race, feel better during workouts, and recover well.


This episode is sponsored by Nature Nate's. We love and recommend Nature Nate's all the time- it's the best honey to sweeten your day, and your training! Take a mini pouch with you on your next run for a great fueling source.

74: Amelia Boone on Eating Disorder Recovery and Racing

We had the great privilege of interviewing Amelia Boone! Amelia Boone is a full time attorney, obstacle race, and ultra runner. She’s a 4x world champion and one of the most decorated obstacle racers in history. She has been on the podium over 50 times and won over 30 times in obstacle racing, including the Spartan world champion in 2013, 3x winner of the world’s toughest mudder, and 3x death race finisher.  Not only that, but Amelia has been very open about her eating disorder and how her recovery has been for most of her adult life.

In this episode, we discussed:

  • Eating disorder recovery and how that looks today versus 20 years ago
  • Why incorporating movement into recovery is so crucial
  • How she trains now and how her philosophy for training has changed
  • How she deals with pressure on race day
  • Race day fueling and what she always eats before a race
  • Dealing with injuries 
  • Her fertility journey 
  • And more!
To connect with Amelia, follower her on Instagram and at her website. 

Things mentioned in this episode:


This episode is sponsored by Nature Nate's. We love and recommend Nature Nate's all the time- it's the best honey to sweeten your day, and your training! Take a mini pouch with you on your next run for a great fueling source.

75: Why "Being Fed is Our Best Shot at Performance" with Leslie Schilling, MA, RDN, CSCS, CEDRD-S

Do you struggle with underfueling? Even unintentionally?

Or maybe you're tired of the hustle culture of endurance athletics and just want to be?

If this resonates, this episode is for you!

We talk with Leslie Schilling, MA, RDN, CSCS, CEDRD-S who is an expert in multiple areas, including sports nutrition, family nutrition, and eating disorders. Leslie sat down with us and shed light on how she helps athletes get back to a fed state so they can perform at their best. We also discussed her book, Born to Eat, and how that plays into being an athlete as well. 

We also discussed:

  • All things underfueling
  • How to spot underfueling
  • Why body image is so difficult for athletes
  • What else can athletes focus on aside from weight when training and performing?
  • And more!

Leslie is a fellow dietitian and wears many hats- she works with athletes, she writes, speaks, and has been featured in many publications like women’s health and the huffington post. Leslie is also the co-author of born to eat, which was a staple for both Sarah and me when we were introducing solids to our little ones. Leslie takes a weight neutral and non diet approach, and we talked about her work with performance athletes like the cirque de soleil athletes she works with and how she handles that. We really dove into under eating though and the detrimental affects that has across so many different facets of athlete’s lives.

To connect with Leslie, follow her on Instagram and at her website.

Sign up for her More than a Menu newsletter here.

Join our FB group here!

76: Food Insecurity in Athletes with Leslie Bonci, MPH, RDN, CSSD

In this episode, we talk with Leslie Bonci about food insecurity and how it comes up in athlete populations. We discuss resources for food insecurity, dollar store meals, how athletes can meet nutrient needs, canned foods for performance, budget friendly and shelf stable creative options, supplements and so much more. 
 
We also discuss:
-          How food insecurity comes up and how it applies to athletes, and what resources they have available
-          Budget friendly, shelf stable food options for athletes and how to prepare them
-          Dollar store meals
-          Is plant based eating feasible for people?
-          How diet culture pops up
-          Canned foods for performance
-          Tips for quick meal planning
-          How do supplements fit into food insecurity? Should you take them?
-          Fast food for performance
-          Ways to fuel without an oven, stove, microwave, etc. How fast food can fit into a healthy athlete diet
-          Resources for those experiencing food insecurity/availability
- Lending Lockers
- Find a food bank
 

To connect with Leslie, follow her on Instagram and at her website.
Join our FB GroupGet Access to the course

Welcome To The Nail Your Nutrition Course

We're Marita and Sarah, your sports dietitians and course instructors. We are both endurance athletes ourselves, having run several triathalons, Ironman 70.3, half marathons and marathons between us. We work with endurance athletes of all capabilities to optimize nutrition and improve performance.

Oh, and we're both moms too - we get how overwhelming balancing training, nutrition, work and parenting can be - that's why we've created one place for all of the resources you need! 


Join the Tribe

Join our weekly newsletter for more training tips, giveaways and nutrition recommendations. Plus, get a free list of the best post workout foods for athletes once you sign up!

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sports nutrition

  • $25

How to Have your Best Training Cycle Guide

This guide will teach you how to crush your next training cycle, going over everything from the 5 critical daily tasks you need to be doing, hydration, electrolytes, pre/during/post fueling, intuitive eating, gear you need, carb loading, and more! There's also a journal to help you reflect on what is going well during your training and what needs improvement. It's your go-to guide for your next big training cycle!
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  • $297 or 2 monthly payments of $159

Nail Your Nutrition Course Bundle

For a limited time, grab the Fueling Course and Endurance Fueling Chart Comparison Guide BONUS for FREE in this limited Bundle!
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  • $25

Pre/During/Post Run Fuel Guide

This step by step guide will tell you how to fuel before, during, and after your workouts to maximize recovery, crush your workout, and feel awesome on the road!
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  • $208 or 2 monthly payments of $104

🎄Black Friday Course Bundle: 30% off the course + 3 Free Ebooks!🎄

Black Friday Sale! Buy the course at 30% off (from $297 to $208) and you'll also get: Sarah's Simplifying Hunger & Fullness ebook (a 60 page ebook!) 💫 $25 dollar value 💫 Endurance Fueling Chart to help you pick the best gel/sport food 💫 $10 dollar value 💫 Marita's How to Have your Best Training Cycle Guide 💫 $25 dollar value 💫 All for free! Sale ends Saturday, November 30, 2025
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