Why you’re still struggling with your nutrition (and what to do about it)

You’re training consistently, trying to eat well and doing all the “right” things… so why do you still feel exhausted, hungry and stuck?

If you feel like your nutrition isn’t matching your effort, this episode will help you understand exactly why and more importantly, what to do about it.

Because here’s the truth… it’s not that you need to try harder. You need a better approach.

In this episode, Advanced Sports Dietitian Taryn Richardson breaks down the most common reasons triathletes struggle with nutrition, even when they’re putting in the work and how to finally start seeing results from your training.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why doing “all the right things” still isn’t getting you results

• The biggest mistake triathletes make focusing on the wrong nutrition priorities

• How inconsistency is quietly sabotaging your energy, recovery and performance

• Why you need a structured nutrition system (not random tips from everywhere)

• The problem with “winging it” and how it leads to constant second guessing

• What actually matters for endurance performance and long term progress

Key takeaways:

You can’t out-train a poor nutrition strategy

Your body adapts to what you do consistently, not occasionally

The basics done well will always outperform the fancy stuff

A clear system removes the mental load and creates better results

Chapters:

• 00:00 – Do you feel like you’re doing everything right but still struggling?
• 01:00 – Why the issue isn’t effort, it’s your approach

• 03:00 – The trap of focusing on supplements and small details

• 04:00 – The “big rocks” that actually drive performance

• 05:00 – How inconsistency is holding you back

• 06:20 – Why your body needs consistency to adapt

• 07:00 – The missing piece: a structured nutrition system

• 08:00 – Why winging it leads to frustration and confusion

• 09:00 – What proper triathlon nutrition actually involves

• 10:50 – How to take action without overwhelming yourself

• 11:40 – Your next step to start making progress

Ready to stop winging it with your nutrition?

If you’re tired of second guessing what to eat, feeling flat in sessions and not seeing results from your training, it’s time to take a more structured approach.

Inside the Triathlon Nutrition Academy, you’ll learn exactly how to fuel for performance with a clear, evidence-based system that evolves with your training.

👉 Register your interest now: https://www.dietitianapproved.com/academy

Other Links & Resources

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

SUPPORT THE PODCAST HERE

CONNECT WITH TARYN

Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when someone with zero athletic background decides to completely change their life… and accidentally signs up for an Ironman four months later?

In this episode of the Triathlon Nutrition Academy Podcast, Advanced Sports Dietitian Taryn Richardson sits down with Triathlon Nutrition Academy athlete Chris Tubbs to unpack his incredible journey from couch potato to multiple Ironman finisher.

Chris started triathlon at 48 years old, while travelling 60% of the time for work in the biotech industry. Early on, things didn’t go to plan. Despite doing the training, races were ending in DNFs, cramping, nausea and serious frustration.

The surprising part? Fitness wasn’t the problem.

Through this conversation, Chris shares how dialling in his nutrition and hydration completely changed his ability to train, race and actually finish events. From ditching an expensive supplement habit to discovering he loses more than 2 litres of sweat per hour, this episode highlights just how powerful personalised nutrition can be for endurance performance.

It’s an honest, inspiring conversation about resilience, learning from mistakes and why it’s never too late to start something big.

In This Episode We Discuss

• How Chris went from “championship potato chip eater” to Ironman athlete

• The moment that sparked his decision to completely change his lifestyle

• Accidentally signing up for an Ironman just four months into triathlon

• Why he kept experiencing DNFs, cramping and poor race performances

• The surprising truth about supplements vs nutrition foundations

• How he saved hundreds of dollars a month by ditching unnecessary supplements

• Discovering his extremely high sweat rate of over 2L per hour

• Why hydration, not carbs, was the missing piece of his race-day puzzle

• The challenges of fuelling properly while travelling constantly for work

• How personalised nutrition strategies helped him finally finish races feeling strong

• The mindset shift that kept him pushing forward through setbacks

• Why it’s faster and far more effective to get expert help rather than trying to figure it all out alone

Key Takeaway

You can be incredibly fit, train hard and still struggle on race day if your nutrition and hydration aren’t dialled in.

Chris is proof that when you stop guessing and start fuelling strategically, everything changes.

Chapters

01:10 The photo that changed everything
03:00 From couch potato to triathlon at 48
06:10 Accidentally signing up for an Ironman
09:00 Why his early races kept falling apart
12:30 The supplement mistake many triathletes make
16:00 Discovering a massive sweat rate
19:30 Hydration vs carbs for endurance performance
23:10 Learning to fuel properly while travelling
27:00 Racing in heat vs cold conditions
30:30 The mindset shift that changed everything
34:00 Why getting expert help speeds up progress
37:00 Chris’ future triathlon goals

Links & Resources

Learn more about the Triathlon Nutrition Academy Program

Listen to Episode 101: How much money triathletes waste on supplements

Connect with Chris on Instagram
@iron_clydesdale

Other Links & Resources

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

SUPPORT THE PODCAST HERE

CONNECT WITH TARYN

Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trying to lean up but your FTP keeps tanking?

If every time you try to “eat less” your watts drop, your legs feel flat and your sessions turn into survival mode… this episode is for you.

In this week’s podcast, I’m breaking down how to lose body fat strategically without compromising performance. Because you don’t get faster by shrinking yourself. You get faster by building a strong engine and fuelling it properly.

Inside this episode, I walk you through:

• Why slashing carbs across the board is one of the biggest mistakes triathletes make

• How to fuel threshold, VO2, long bricks and key sessions properly without blowing your fat loss goals

• What carbohydrate periodisation actually looks like in a real training week

• Why protecting muscle mass is critical for both metabolism and power output

• How small, boring calorie deficits beat aggressive six week shreds every time

• A real athlete case study of a masters triathlete who lost 45 pounds while improving her FTP and keeping it off long term

This is the difference between dieting and performance nutrition. Dieting just shrinks you. Strategic fuelling supports your training, your recovery and your long term triathlon career.

If you’re training for three sports, juggling work and family and still trying to create a massive calorie deficit on top of that, you’re setting yourself up to underfuel and underperform.

You don’t need to eat less. You need to eat smarter.

Chapters:

00:00 Why your FTP drops when you try to lose weight
01:05 The biggest mistake triathletes make when dieting
02:40 Why cutting carbs hurts performance
04:15 Can you lose fat and maintain power?
05:30 Real athlete case study: 45 pounds down, FTP up
08:00 Fuel the sessions that matter
10:00 How to periodise carbohydrates properly
12:00 Protecting muscle mass and metabolism
14:00 Why your calorie deficit should be small
16:00 How to lean up without losing watts
17:30 What to do next

Links & Resources Mentioned

Triathlon Nutrition Kickstart Course
Step-by-step guidance to build your performance plate, pre-training fuel, during-training targets and recovery plan.

Triathlon Nutrition Academy Program
Ongoing coaching, support and accountability inside our comprehensive group program.

If you’re ready to stop guessing and start fuelling like a performance-driven triathlete, this episode is your starting point.

Other Links & Resources

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

SUPPORT THE PODCAST HERE

CONNECT WITH TARYN

Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Training hard but still feeling flat, constantly hungry or stuck at a performance plateau?

If you dropped into my world tomorrow as a triathlete, there are four things I would fix immediately. And no, it’s not your supplements, your race day gel strategy or your power to weight ratio.

In this episode, I break down the four big rocks of triathlon nutrition that almost every age group triathlete gets wrong. These are the foundations that make everything else work. Before you worry about fancy fuelling strategies, you need to get these right.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why recovery is more than just a protein shake and how to refuel properly after key sessions
• How to fuel before training, especially early morning sessions, without feeling heavy or sluggish
• What a true “triathlete’s plate” looks like on a double session Tuesday
• How to fuel during long rides, long runs and bricks without underdoing it or overdoing it
• Why inconsistent nutrition leads to cravings, poor sleep and stalled body composition
• How to stop DIY-ing your nutrition with piecemeal advice and build a structured weekly plan

Most triathletes love structure in their training but completely wing their nutrition. They copy what their mates are doing, grab tips from Instagram and end up with inconsistent carbs, random recovery and underfuelled long sessions.

Chapters:

00:00 - Training hard but still underperforming?
01:20 - Why most triathletes DIY their nutrition
04:10 - The 4 foundations that actually matter
06:15 - Fix #1: Recovery nutrition done properly
09:10 - Fix #2: Pre-training fuel, especially mornings
12:30 - Fix #3: Building your triathlete performance plate
16:55 - Fix #4: During-training carbs and sodium strategy
21:40 - What happens when you nail the fundamentals
24:30 - Stop jumping to advanced strategies
26:00 - How to get structured support

When you nail these four fundamentals:

• Your energy stabilises across the week
• Your session quality lifts almost immediately
• Cravings and snack-cidents reduce
• Recovery improves and sleep gets better
• Body composition goals become easier to achieve
• You build consistency and longevity in the sport

These aren’t sexy strategies. They’re the foundations. And they change everything.

Links & Resources Mentioned

Triathlon Nutrition Kickstart Course
Step-by-step guidance to build your performance plate, pre-training fuel, during-training targets and recovery plan.

Triathlon Nutrition Academy Program
Ongoing coaching, support and accountability inside our comprehensive group program.

If you’re ready to stop guessing and start fuelling like a performance-driven triathlete, this episode is your starting point.

Other Links & Resources

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

SUPPORT THE PODCAST HERE

CONNECT WITH TARYN

Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ironman has changed its on-course hydration globally. Sounds simple. It’s not.

All Ironman-branded events have now moved to PH1000 for hydration and Maurten for carbohydrate fuelling, separating fluids and carbs completely. If you’ve relied on sports drink to do both jobs, this shift has major implications for your race nutrition plan.

In this solo episode, I break down exactly what’s changed, how much sodium you’re actually getting per bottle and how to decide whether this setup works for your individual sweat rate, sodium losses and fuelling preferences.

Because hydration and sodium are never one-size-fits-all. And winging it at 70.3 or full distance is how you end up walking the marathon.

Chapters & Highlights:

00:00 - Why this Ironman change matters
02:15 - What’s actually changed on course
05:30 - PH1000 explained: sodium without carbs
08:10 - How to calculate sodium per bottle
11:45 - Will this setup work for you?
14:20 - What if you prefer to drink your carbs?
16:00 - Why practising in training is non-negotiable
18:00 - How to build a race plan that actually works

Key Takeaways:

• PH1000 provides 1000mg sodium per litre and zero carbohydrate

• Carbohydrates now come separately via Maurten gels and solids

• Your sweat rate and sodium losses determine whether this works for you

• You may need to be more self-sufficient on race day

• Testing your full race setup in training is essential

Hydration isn’t about what’s on course. It’s about knowing your body and executing with confidence.

If you want help building a personalised race nutrition plan:

Register your interest for the Triathlon Nutrition Academy

Or start with the Triathlon Nutrition Kickstart Course

And if you’re not sure where your current plan stands, download the free Triathlon Nutrition Checklist

Other Links & Resources

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

SUPPORT THE PODCAST HERE

CONNECT WITH TARYN

Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does it take to go from a promising junior to a world champion triathlete?

In this episode, I sit down with Aussie triathlete and 2025 World Champion Matt Hauser for a real, behind-the-scenes chat about his training load, nutrition evolution and what’s driven his rise to the top of the world triathlon stage. Matt shares what his day-to-day looks like, how his mindset and fuelling approach have shifted over time, and the routines that support peak performance.

Whether you're an age-grouper trying to balance work and training, or just keen to hear what it takes to compete at the highest level, this episode is packed with golden takeaways.

Here’s what we cover:

⏱️ [00:00] Welcome and intro to Matt
⏱️ [01:08] Career highlights: From Junior World Champ to World #1
⏱️ [03:00] What it means to win on home soil
⏱️ [05:00] A typical training week: 30 hours of triathlon training
⏱️ [08:28] Daily routine: early starts, fuelling strategies & coffee orders
⏱️ [13:00] The role of gym strength in elite triathlon
⏱️ [15:27] Cramping: The strength connection
⏱️ [17:18] Matt’s fuelling evolution - from mayo subs to plain rice
⏱️ [21:00] The realities of early-career athlete life
⏱️ [24:44] Mental resilience, setbacks and chasing progress
⏱️ [27:00] Transitioning from raw talent to strategic athlete
⏱️ [29:29] Building an identity outside of sport
⏱️ [31:38] What’s next: Going back-to-back, Olympic goals & short course focus
⏱️ [35:00] Will Matt ever go long course? His take on 70.3 and Ironman
⏱️ [37:45] The future of triathlon and Matt’s legacy

If you’re ready to take your nutrition (and racing) to the next level, don’t just wing it. Start with the Triathlon Nutrition Checklist and get clear on what you need to work on today.

Links & Resources

🎙 Listen to the Episode that proves Results (EP 227)

👉 Grab the free Triathlon Nutrition Checklist to find out exactly what you're missing:

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

SUPPORT THE PODCAST HERE

CONNECT WITH TARYN

Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What do a rookie, a masters athlete and a seasoned racer all have in common?

They nailed their nutrition strategy - and the results speak for themselves.

In this episode, Taryn sits down with three very different athletes from the Triathlon Nutrition Academy - Jo, Kelly and Erin - to unpack the surprising impact of getting their fuelling right. Each had their own goals, challenges and training loads, but all saw game-changing results after implementing the same evidence-based framework.

If you’ve ever wondered whether nutrition could be your missing link, this episode will show you what’s possible when you get it right.

Timestamps & Highlights
00:00 – Intro: The effort gap between training and fuelling
01:35 – Meet Jo, Kelly & Erin: Different athletes, same frustration
06:00 – Why nutrition felt confusing (and what they used to get wrong)
14:00 – The turning point: How each athlete transformed their approach
22:00 – The race-day difference: Confidence, control and results
37:00 – Real-world results: Massive time gains, body comp shifts & more
51:00 – Advice for triathletes: When (and why) to start focusing on nutrition
58:00 – Final takeaways: What they'd tell their pre-TNA selves

Key Takeaways

• Why fasted training, bonking and confusing advice were holding them back
• How a repeatable fuelling strategy boosted their performance and recovery
• The underrated power of recovery nutrition (yep, everyone was doing it wrong)
• The value of education: apps are fine, but understanding is power
• Massive PBs, sustained weight loss, strength gains and podium finishes
  
  

Links & Resources

🎧 Want to feel confident in your nutrition like Jo, Kelly and Erin?
Join the next Triathlon Nutrition Academy intake at dietitianapproved.com/academy

🎙 Listen to the Episode that proves Results (EP 226)

👉 Grab the free Triathlon Nutrition Checklist to find out exactly what you're missing:

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

SUPPORT THE PODCAST HERE

CONNECT WITH TARYN

Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.