Today on Coffee & Questions I answered Maggie's question on RED-S

"I Currently have RED-S for the second time while marathon training - is this something I'm prone to?"

What is it?

Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S)

The syndrome refers to impaired physiological function including, but not limited to:

• metabolic rate,
• menstrual function,
• bone health,
• immunity,
• protein synthesis,
• cardiovascular health

caused by relative energy deficiency - either by inadequate energy intake and/or increased energy expenditure

We need energy to support:

Daily function, growth and exercise. The body fuels exercise first - so if you're not eating enough to support training, you don't have enough energy to support daily function and this can have long term impact on our health.

RED-S is a continuous spectrum ranging from the healthy athlete with optimal energy availability, regular menses and healthy bones to the opposite end of the spectrum characterised by amenorrhoea, low EA...

Today on Coffee & Questions    I gave a brief overview of the...

It is an EPIC, evidence-based resource from the great minds of Sports Nutrition. As a globally recognised framework, I think it's important to showcase. 

You can check it out HERE

Before you reach for your supplements though, I want to share with you my philosophy.

My philosophy

As a Dietitian, my philosophy is always “food first”. Focus on eating unprocessed, real foods as the foundation of a good evidence-based sports nutrition plan. It's not until you've nailed the foundations that you would consider adding supplements. They should be used as a supplement to a great diet. Not the first point of call. 

Remember to build your nutrition cake or pyramid in the right direction. I talked about this in more detail last week. If you missed it, check it out HERE

HOWEVER, some supplements and sports foods can play a small (sprinkles) but valuable role...

Every week I have clients ask me if they should take a particular supplement. It's a new, sparkly product with unmatched results, "clinically proven" and taken by all the pro's.

But often they're looking for the 1% performance gains without the solid foundations first. They take an expensive supplement, yet don't fuel training properly or under recover or eat crap on the weekends ‍

Today on Coffee & Questions I talked about a specific supplement that seems to be prolific in the endurance space at the moment. Modex.

I’ve had a number of people ask me about it recently so I thought it would be useful to share with you in case you’ve got a mate raving about the benefits or you already take it.

I’m going to explain what it is, and walk you through the process I go through when looking into a new supplement/product with the critical eye of an Advanced Sports Dietitian. I don't simply google it, read it's website or a blog. 

On the Modex website,...

Today on Coffee & Questions I talked about race nutrition during the back end of an Ironman, in particular the run.

With Cairns IM only 8 weeks away, now is the perfect time to be perfecting your Ironman race nutrition plan. 

Here are the key points I talked about today:

1. Success in an IM comes from minimal fatigue from the swim and bike

2. The types of foods suitable for running - eating on your feet

3. The importance of practising with on-course nutrition

4. Train your gut! This includes both nutrition AND hydration

5. Do Sweat Testing to understand your individual hydration needs

6. Explore any cramping issues

7. What Caffeine options are there on the run?

8. Don't try anything new on race day!
   
   

If you're interested in Sweat Testing (and are located in Brisbane), register your details HERE to get notified about our upcoming sessions.

Should you eat before exercise? And if you do what should you eat?

Coffee & Questions is back!!

One of the biggest issues faced by the Dietitian Approved crew is fuelling for their training. Today I give you a few key pointers for fuelling before training. When it's a good idea to do training fasted versus when to fuel before training.

Sorry about the poor image quality - on the to-do list this weekend is to buy a new webcam!

If you need help with meeting your fuelling needs, invest in a Sports Dietitian to develop a customised plan for you!

www.dietitianapproved.com.au/services

If you're looking for a more cost-effective option, check out one of our Online Courses for a great place to start.

See you next week!

Taryn

Summer is well and truly here with the festive season in full swing. Many of us completely ‘let go’ over the festive season as we overindulge on delicious food and alcohol.

Our healthy lifestyle and fitness goals go straight out the window as soon as December hits and it’s not uncommon for people to just accept that weight gain is inevitable. After New Year’s, we then strive to get back on the bandwagon come January.

I challenge you to change your attitude this year and implement my Top 5 tips for SURVIVING this festive season to prevent the silly season bulge.

1. Aim for balance

The holiday period provides plentiful opportunities to overeat and over-drink as special occasions are often centred around food. It’s not a reason to eat as much as you can (despite our competitiveness) or ‘get your money’s worth’ from parties and gatherings. We tend to have this ‘All or Nothing’ mentality, and we forget that you don’t...

A question I get asked frequently in the clinic – What do I eat before a race?

Generally, I'd suggest organising a specific RACE NUTRITION PLAN for your specific event as everyone is different, but here are a few general guidelines to help you get started...

Pre-Race Meal Timing - How long do you have?

What you eat before a race depends on how long you’ve got to digest and absorb it. If you have multiple hours (for e.g. Byron Bay OD which doesn't start to lunchtime), something heavier and more solid is probably going to be ok.

Compared to a shorter time-frame i.e. 1 hour or less, something smaller and easily digestible will work best. In saying that, everyone is different and you need to figure out what works best for you.

If you know you are a nervous racer and food sits in your stomach for a while, I'd suggest getting up a little earlier to ensure you have something to eat 2-2.5 hours prior to the race start.

Go for a smaller volume but...

Today on Coffee & Questions I did a quick LIVE review of the new-ish YoPro Protein Bar

At 20g per bar, this is a great little protein hit which could be useful if:

• You can't get to a recovery meal within your window of opportunity post-training
• You need a high protein snack (although this is not so convenient if you're out as the product needs to be kept in the fridge)
• Your overall training demand is on the lower carbohydrate side so 20g of protein and 20g of carbohydrate is perfect for you post-workout
• You're looking to add collagen to your diet
• You have high energy needs so this immediately post-workout, followed up by a recovery meal 1-2 hours later fits within your overall requirements

A couple of downsides:

• It does need the fridge so is not as convenient as some of the 20g protein bars that are shelf stable if you're on the run
• At $4 per bar it's not the most cost effective snack going around!
• The best before date comes around really quickly 
• At over 1000kJ...