Meet Jo Hurley — mum of four, award-winning businesswoman, and now, unstoppable triathlete.

She’s gone from leading boardrooms to chasing finish lines, proving that it’s never too late to start something new. But despite her laser-sharp focus and a schedule that allowed her to train like a pro, Jo quickly discovered that her approach to fuelling wasn’t cutting it.

Because let’s be honest — you wouldn’t turn up to a race without training. You wouldn’t line up for an Ironman without a pacing strategy. So why are so many triathletes still winging their nutrition?

When Work Ethic Meets Misguided Fuelling

After selling her successful audit firm and stepping away from the corporate world, Jo found herself in early retirement — with the freedom and flexibility to train properly for the first time in her life.

She threw herself into swim, bike, run with the same determination that built her business. But when it came to fuelling that training? She was completely guessing.

She was piecing...

You’ve got all the gear. Your bike’s dialled. Your training plan is on point. But you’re dragging yourself through every session, and that spark you had at the start of the season? Gone.

You're constantly tired. Recovery is slow. Motivation is slipping.

Or maybe you’re still going through the motions—green boxes in TrainingPeaks, ticking off sessions—but when it comes to your nutrition, you're winging it. Buying every new gel and powder that hits the shelves hoping something sticks.

Sound familiar?

Here’s the hard truth: your nutrition is probably holding you back.

Most triathletes don’t have a solid, structured plan to fuel their training. But when you get it right—when you fuel properly for the right session, recover like a pro, and stop guessing—it changes everything. You’ll train harder, recover faster, and race like the athlete you know you can be.

Here are five red flags your nutrition is letting you down—plus what to do about it.

1. You’re Always Tired

Yes, triathlon tra...

Picture this: you're a dedicated triathlete, passionate about your sport and you’ve got a chronic condition that complicates every step of your training. 

My guest today is Tony Hampton and I’ll admit, he joined Triathlon Nutrition Academy (TNA) doubting whether I could help him at all. Spoiler alert - I did.

After navigating the complexities of Type 2 diabetes for over 25 years, Tony had tried everything to lose weight and get his blood sugar under control. He experimented with all sorts of diets and training regimens, but inevitably kept crashing when he hit the 2 hour mark.

Since working together in TNA, Tony’s results have been outstanding and in this conversation, we talk about his journey to weight loss, blood sugar control and what he’s learned about fuelling his body properly as a triathlete with type 2 diabetes.

Don’t Be Scared of Carbohydrates

One of the most significant shifts in Tony’s nutrition strategy was his approach to carbohydrates. Previously, he adopted a low-...

If you're racing an Ironman this season and you don’t want to be disqualified, I’m sharing some crucial information you need to know. As of 17th of March, the Ironman rules have changed which means that your current hydration set up may now be illegal.

Ironman has introduced new race regulations that limit how much fluid you can carry and trust me, you don't want to be caught off guard by these changes. 

Nobody has time to read the massive 34-page document outlining the new guidelines so today I’m breaking down exactly what the new rules mean for you. I’m sharing ways to tweak your hydration strategy and how to avoid penalties while still staying properly hydrated and fueled for peak performance.

Why the New Hydration Rules?

The new limits on how much and where you can carry fluids on your bike are grounded in safety concerns. Excess weight, especially up front, can mess with your bike handling. So, by standardising hydration setups, Ironman aims to promote fair play and improve ri...

You're checking all the right boxes to optimise your performance - good fuel, hydration, sleep and recovery. No way would you put anything toxic into your body. 

But what if there’s an invisible substance leaking into your system without you even knowing?

I’m talking about microplastics and they're not just floating around in the ocean anymore. They're showing up in places you'd least expect, including your bloodstream. 

There’s a sneaky, microscopic invader you're probably overlooking and in this episode,  I'm joined by  Dr. Heather Leslie, one of the world's leading researchers on microplastics, to shed some light on this topic that's both mind-blowing and crucial for athletes looking to optimise their performance and health.

Dr. Leslie is a renowned researcher specialising in plastic and chemical pollution and gained international recognition for her groundbreaking discovery of microplastics in the human bloodstream. In 2024, she established an independent consulting and researc...

In a world obsessed with youth in sports, there's a quiet revolution happening among athletes in their 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond. These masters of endurance aren't just participating – they're demolishing expectations and rewriting the rules of athletic performance. It’s fantastic to see and gives me hope for my future as an ageing athlete. 

That makes me sound old when in reality, I’m only just reaching my 40th year. I still feel like I can train in a similar way to what I did in my 20s - going hard with limited recovery. Though, perhaps that isn’t the smartest way to train as I age.

When I recently sat down with Joe Friel, the author behind 'Fast After 50', he revealed insights so powerful they're transforming how we think about ageing in endurance sports. What he shared is more than a training theory – it's a blueprint for athletic longevity that's backed by decades of coaching elite masters athletes. 

What follows isn't just advice – it's a complete shift in how we approach athle...

If you're a masters triathlete, you already know that training in your 40s, 50s, and beyond isn’t the same as it was in your 20s. Recovery takes longer, muscle maintenance becomes more important, and let’s be honest—energy levels aren’t always what they used to be. But the good news? The right triathlon nutrition can help you train harder, recover faster, and keep smashing your goals well into your 80s and 90s if you want to!

In this guide, we’re diving into the key nutrients every masters triathlete needs to perform at their best. We’ll cover fuelling strategies for endurance training, how to support muscle recovery, and the nutrients that help you stay strong and healthy for the long haul.

That’s where health span comes in. Unlike lifespan, which is simply how long you live, health span is about how long you can live well—training, racing, and feeling great without chronic disease, injuries, or a decline in mobility. The right triathlon nutrition isn’t just about fuelling today’s s...

Can you really swap your Maurten Gels for a handful of Nerd Clusters and still smash your training and racing? Today, we’re diving into the ultimate endurance fuelling showdown—sports nutrition science vs. candy aisle convenience!

If you've ever wondered whether you need expensive sports nutrition products or if something like Nerd Clusters can do the job just as well, you’re in the right place. We’ll break down the carb content, sodium levels, gut comfort, practicality, and real-world performance of these two fuelling options—so you can make the best choice for your training and racing.

How This Conversation Started

This topic came up in the Triathlon Nutrition Academy community after athletes shared a reel of a doctor completing Ironman training and racing entirely on Nerd Clusters. Naturally, this sparked debate—can you actually fuel long-course triathlon with candy? Or is it just another social media trend with little science behind it?

As a Sports Dietitian with decades of exp...

One of the most common questions I get asked is, “Can you help with triathlon nutrition as a vegan?” The short answer? Absolutely.

My entire approach to nutrition is built around education—not just handing out meal plans or telling you what to eat, but teaching you how to fuel your body so you can perform at your best, no matter your dietary preferences. I like to say, “Give a triathlete a fish, and they’ll eat for a day. Teach a triathlete how to fish, and they’ll eat for a lifetime.”

Whether you're vegan, gluten-free, diabetic, or can’t tolerate dairy, my job isn’t to tell you what you can’t have—it’s to show you how to get everything you need to train harder, recover faster, and smash your goals.

So, if you've ever wondered how to fuel triathlon training on a plant-based diet, you're in the right place. Today, we’ll cover the key nutrients vegan triathletes need to focus on and how to make sure your nutrition supports your performance—so you’re not just surviving, but thriving in...

Welcome back to part 2 of my conversation with the incredible Mark Allen! 

Dubbed the greatest endurance athlete of all time by ESPN, Mark is sharing the secrets behind his amazing results. Today in particular we’re focusing on mindset and motivation.

If you haven’t heard part 1 yet, I highly recommend you do that first so you don’t miss any of the wisdom he shares. 

Mindset is a big part of triathlon training and races. Whether you’re gearing up for a major training session or standing at the start line, the thoughts running through your mind greatly impact your performance.

He shares the moment from his first triathlon when he realised what a difference they made. When a competitor passed him, he felt the doubt creep in, his body tightened up and everything started to feel harder. Taking a moment to clear his mind he was able to acknowledge there was still plenty of time to retake his position. This allowed him to regain his stride and overtake the competitor, securing fourth pla...