Want to get in touch? Send Claire a message!

In episode 119 of The Eat for Endurance Podcast, I’m on the mic solo to share some of my favorite travel nutrition tips for busy athletes, inspired by decades of personal experience and 10+ years as a sports dietitian helping active people fuel on the go.

Travel is fun, exciting, and can be an enriching experience from a fitness and nutrition perspective, but it can also throw your fueling routine completely off track.

Whether you’re headed out for local errands, a vacation, work trip, or a destination race, this episode will help you plan ahead with confidence (and without obsessing over every bite). You’ll walk away with practical, evidence-based strategies to stay fueled, hydrated, and energized wherever life takes you.

Key Takeaways:

• Why travel nutrition matters (and the most common fueling mistakes)
• How different types of travel impact your nutrition needs
• Tips for commuting around town, work travel, vacations, plane vs road trips, and traveling for a race
• How to stay proactive and create a flexible but individualized plan
• Packing the right sports nutrition and gear to stay active while you're away
• How to prep before and after a trip so you’re not scrambling for food

🎧 Tune in to learn more!

Links & Resources:

• Travel Nutrition Tips & Checklist Freebie
• Travel Snack Foods & Checklist Blog
• Fueling on the Fly Masterclass
• Carb Loading Mini Guide
• Free Race Day Fueling Plan Templates
• Join my membership service, Fuel for Life Crew, for $30/month (includes ALL of my masterclasses and downloads, cancel anytime)
• Check out my free nutrition downloads
• Interested in 1:1 coaching? Fill out a new client inquiry form
• Join my Patreon community
• Get in touch at claire@eatforendurance.com

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a 5-star review and subscribe to help more athletes fuel smarter!

Disclaimer: All information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is in no way meant to replace individual medical and nutrition recommendations.

Support the show

Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram and Facebook (@eatforendurance).

Want to get in touch? Send Claire a message!

In episode 118 of The Eat for Endurance Podcast, I’m joined by Aaron Gouw, an endurance cyclist and fellow Santa Cruz native. He's also the Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer of the sports nutrition brand Carbs Fuel.

Aaron holds a Master’s degree in High Altitude Exercise Physiology, and is currently finishing his PhD in Human Bioenergetics. For many years, he's been on his own journey as a competitive athlete trying to figure out how to fuel effectively without breaking the bank.

Aaron and I discuss:

• How his personal fueling strategy has evolved over the last decade (including a story about his greatest nutrition fail ever)
• What it takes to create an endurance gel from scratch in your kitchen
• The current science behind high carb fueling, and if you should try it
• Why simplicity, personalization, and gut training matter most when dialing in your fueling strategy

Key Takeaways:

• High carb fueling (i.e. >90g/hr) can improve endurance performance, but only if it works for you and makes sense for what you're doing
• Experimentation and gut training are both very important
• Carbs Fuel offers a simple 50g endurance gel for just $2, making it one of the best value gels on the market
• Fueling isn’t just about race day; it’s about consistently supporting your training, recovery, and life beyond the workout so you can feel your best

Whether you’re new to fueling or nutrition nerds like us, this episode is packed with practical advice and behind-the-scenes stories. Tune in to learn more!

FYI: This episode is NOT sponsored by Carbs Fuel. I enjoy their gel, love that it's affordable, and wanted to learn more about this brand. I encourage you to try lots of different brands and products to see which work best for you!

Links & Resources:

• Visit the Carbs Fuel website
• Join my membership service, Fuel for Life Crew, for $30/month (cancel anytime)
• Check out my free nutrition downloads
• Interested in 1:1 coaching? Fill out a new client inquiry form
• Use code EATFORENDURANCE20 for 20% off at Skratch Labs
• Join my Patreon community
• Get in touch at claire@eatforendurance.com

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a 5-star review and subscribe to help more athletes fuel smarter!

Disclaimer: All information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is in no way meant to replace individual medical and nutrition recommendations.

Support the show

Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram and Facebook (@eatforendurance).

Want to get in touch? Send Claire a message!

In episode 117 of The Eat for Endurance Podcast, I’m joined by fellow sports dietitian Vic Johnson, MPH, RDN, to break down one of the most talked-about and often misunderstood topics in the endurance world: performance supplements.

Vic works with many top trail and ultra athletes, and is an ultra runner himself, so he knows what it takes to fuel smart and optimize performance.

We dive into the latest research and give practical tips for popular endurance supplements like caffeine, ketone esters, and sodium bicarbonate, among others.

Our conversation will help you decide whether any of these ergogenic aids are worth your time and money. Spoiler alert: If the basics of fueling, hydration, sleep, and recovery aren’t dialed in yet, that’s where you should start!

Vic and I discuss:

• Why caffeine is the most effective supplement for endurance performance
• How sodium bicarbonate might help during hard efforts, but why it's risky
• Whether ketones live up to the hype, and why they taste like battery acid
• Other supplements like dietary nitrates, polyphenols, creatine, and collagen
• How to safely and strategically approach supplements in training
• Why the basics, including nutrition and hydration, matter most

Key Takeaways:

• Caffeine has the most consistent benefits, but dose and timing matter
• Sodium bicarb and ketone esters may help some athletes, but come with GI concerns and a steep price tag
• Supplements are the cherry on top; focus on food, hydration, carb intake, recovery, and sleep first
• Always test out supplements in training and adjust based on tolerance

🎧 Tune in to learn more!

Links & Resources:

• Visit Vic’s Mountain Sports Nutrition website
• Follow Vic on Instagram
• Join my membership service, Fuel for Life Crew, for $30/month (cancel anytime)
• Check out my free nutrition downloads
• Interested in 1:1 coaching? Fill out a new client inquiry form
• Join my Patreon community
• Get in touch at claire@eatforendurance.com

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a 5-star review and subscribe to help more athletes fuel smarter!

Disclaimer: All information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is in no way meant to replace individual medical and nutrition recommendations.

Support the show

Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram and Facebook (@eatforendurance).

Want to get in touch? Send Claire a message!

In episode 116 of The Eat for Endurance Podcast, ultra runner Kabuki Snyder shares her powerful story, from struggling with disordered eating as a young ballerina to training for one of the toughest races out there: the Cocodona 250.

We dive into how she approaches ultra running nutrition, training, and balancing life and work with her endurance goals.

Kabuki and I discuss:

• Growing up in Ghana and how early memories shaped her relationship with food
• Transitioning from ballet and body image struggles to finding joy in ultra running
• Fueling strategies for single day trail races, stage races like Lapland and Atacama, and other long races like the Cocodona 250
• What real-life training and fueling looks like with a 4am wakeup call and a global work schedule
• How she has prepared for 250 miles with spreadsheets, snacks, and strong community support

Key Takeaways:

• You don’t need to “look like a runner” to be one
• Ultra running nutrition must be flexible, practiced, and personalized
• “Real food” can be part of your race plan
• Fueling enough everyday and surrounding exercise is non-negotiable
• You can balance ultra running goals with a full-time job (yes, really!)

🎧 Tune in to learn more! Also, a huge congrats to Kabuki on finishing the Cocodona 250 in 109:26:29, despite extremely challenging conditions!

Links & Resources:

• Follow Kabuki on Instagram
• Check out the Her Ultra Documentary on Roku
• Join my membership, Fuel for Life Crew, for $30/month (cancel anytime)
• Grab my free fueling downloads
• Interested in 1:1 coaching? Fill out a new client inquiry form
• Use code EATFORENDURANCE20 for 20% off at Skratch Labs
• Support the podcast on Patreon

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a 5-star review and subscribe to help more athletes fuel smarter!

Disclaimer: All information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is in no way meant to replace individual medical and nutrition recommendations.

Support the show

Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram and Facebook (@eatforendurance).

Want to get in touch? Send Claire a message!

In episode 115 of The Eat for Endurance Podcast, I welcome back Sports Dietitian Stevie Lyn Smith, MS RD CSSD to dive into how body weight impacts fueling needs during exercise.

For years, carb recommendations during exercise were based on duration and intensity, without considering body size. New research suggests that larger-bodied athletes may benefit from higher carb intake to optimize performance.

What We Cover in This Episode:

• Traditional carb guidelines during endurance exercise, and why they have been independent of body size
• How a 2024 study suggests a potential shift toward considering body-weight when setting carb fueling goals
• Why smaller athletes still need to fuel adequately
• How training status and workout intensity also play a major role
• Key considerations for long-course events like triathlons and ultramarathons
• The importance of fueling, regardless of weight loss goals

Key Takeaway:

Fueling needs are individual (have I said this one enough?!). Larger-bodied athletes may need more carbs during exercise, but every athlete, no matter their size, deserves and needs proper nutrition to perform and recover well.

🎧 Tune in to learn more!

Links & Resources:

• Stevie's website
• Join my monthly membership service, Fuel for Life Crew, for just $30/month (cancel anytime)
• Check out my free nutrition downloads
• Fill out a new client inquiry form if you’re interested in 1:1 nutrition coaching
• Support the podcast with my affiliate codes: EATFORENDURANCE20 for Skratch Labs
• Join my Patreon community
• Get in touch at claire@eatforendurance.com

Disclaimer – all information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is in no way meant to replace individual medical and nutrition recommendations

Support the show

Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram and Facebook (@eatforendurance).

Want to get in touch? Send Claire a message!

In episode 114 of The Eat for Endurance Podcast, Sports Dietitian Stevie Smith, MS RD CSSD joins me for the first in a two-part series on how various factors impact how you should fuel during endurance activities.

In Part 1, we discuss how exercise intensity affects fueling needs. More specifically, we tackle a question that we often hear from mid and especially back-of-the-pack athletes:

“Do I really need to eat that many carbs during exercise if I’m not very fast?”

Here’s what we cover to answer this question:

• Why higher intensity exercise, even at a slower pace, demands more carbs
• How to adjust fueling based on YOUR effort level, not just pace or duration
• The risks of underfueling, including fatigue, poor performance, increased injury risk, and mental burnout
• High carb fueling and who may (and may not) benefit
• Practical guidelines for pre-, during-, and post-workout fueling and for a variety of sports (e.g. road running, trail/ultra, triathlon)
• How to adjust your fueling strategy when unexpected challenges occur and throw you off pace

It doesn't matter if you're chasing a PR or just trying to finish strong. Whether you're an elite or back-of-the-pack athlete, your body needs fuel that matches your effort.

🎧 Tune in to learn more!

Links & Resources:

• Stevie's website
• Join my monthly membership service, Fuel for Life Crew, for just $30/month (cancel anytime)
• Check out my free nutrition downloads
• Fill out a new client inquiry form if you’re interested in 1:1 nutrition coaching
• Support the podcast with my affiliate codes: EATFORENDURANCE20 for Skratch Labs
• Join my Patreon community
• Get in touch at claire@eatforendurance.com

Disclaimer – all information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is in no way meant to replace individual medical and nutrition recommendations

Support the show

Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram and Facebook (@eatforendurance).

Want to get in touch? Send Claire a message!

Last week in Episode 112, I sat down with Tara Dower to hear about how she fuels trail running, thru-hiking, and FKTs, including her record-breaking FKT on the Appalachian Trail. But what does it take to SUPPORT an athlete through such a grueling feat?

In this bonus episode, we’re diving behind the scenes with Amy Good, an endurance athlete and crucial member of Tara’s support crew. Amy is not a nutrition expert, but she did a fantastic job of keeping Tara well-fueled on the AT.

Amy played a key role in supporting Tara throughout her journey, preparing nutrient-dense meals and snacks for the majority of Tara's effort. But this experience wasn’t just about Tara’s success. Amy found a deep sense of purpose and fulfillment in being part of something bigger than herself.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How Amy ensured Tara had high-carb, high-calorie meals to sustain her daily mileage
• The importance of meal timing, hydration, and electrolyte balance
• Why the support crew plays a crucial role in endurance efforts
• How this experience changed Amy’s perspective and personal life goals

Tune in to hear Amy’s insights, behind-the-scenes stories (including a big reveal that even Tara doesn't know about), and other incredible moments from Tara’s Appalachian Trail FKT.

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe and leave a review to help more athletes fuel smarter!

Links & Announcements:

• Listen to Tara's interview from last week
• Join my membership, Fuel for Life Crew, for $30/month (cancel anytime)
• Check out my free nutrition downloads
• Fill out a new client inquiry form if you’re interested in 1:1 nutrition coaching
• Support the podcast with my Skratch affiliate code EATFORENDURANCE20
• Join my Patreon community

Disclaimer – all information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is in no way meant to replace individual medical and nutrition recommendations

Support the show

Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram and Facebook (@eatforendurance).

Want to get in touch? Send Claire a message!

In Episode 112 of The Eat for Endurance Podcast, I chat with ultrarunner and thru-hiker Tara Dower, aka Candy Mama. If you don’t already know Tara, she’s an incredible endurance athlete with multiple FKTs, podium finishes, and race wins under her belt.

Most notably, she set the overall Fastest Known Time (FKT) on the Appalachian Trail (AT) in September, breaking the previous record by 13 hours! She also recently secured her golden ticket to the Western States 100 with a second-place finish at the Black Canyon 100K.

Tara has gone through a huge transformation in how she fuels for endurance sports in recent years, and it has taken her performance to the next level.

Here's what we cover in this episode:

• How she grew up as a selective eater, and what types of foods she currently enjoys
• How she uses dramatically different fueling approaches for thru-hiking compared to ultras and FKTs
• Why she relies on whole foods for FKTs but sticks to gels and liquid calories for races
• How her crew supported her with nutrition on the AT (bonus episode coming out next week on this!)
• How she overcame throwing up during ultras by training her gut to handle higher carb intakes and personalizing her hydration strategy
• Tara’s recovery strategies after huge endurance efforts, including what she eats post-race and how she balances rest and training
• How she manages anxiety and mental challenges during long efforts and in everyday life, including the grounding techniques that help keep her present

Tune in now to hear Tara’s full story and learn how she’s gearing up for Western States!

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe and leave a review to help more athletes fuel smarter!

Links & Announcements:

• Follow Tara on Instagram and check out her new podcast, DNF Diaries
• Join my membership, Fuel for Life Crew, for $30/month (cancel anytime)
• Check out my free nutrition downloads
• Fill out a new client inquiry form if you’re interested in 1:1 nutrition coaching
• Support the podcast with my Skratch affiliate code EATFORENDURANCE20
• Join my Patreon community
• Get in touch at claire@eatforendurance.com

Disclaimer – all information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is in no way meant to replace individual medical and nutrition recommendations

Support the show

Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram and Facebook (@eatforendurance).