The demands placed on the body of a professional athlete are fairly extreme. The volume, intensity, and ultimately the training load are more than most athletes can cope with on a continual basis. This is what makes elite athletes such a unique group.
Ultimately, operating at an optimal level is what every professional athlete desires. For professional triathlete Holly Lawrence, this is what she was seeking in order to make the most of her 2023 season. In doing so, she sought out the expertise of Performance Nutritionist Scott Tindal of Fuelin. Here is what Holly had to say about the experience — both in article and video form.
Why Did You Reach Out for Nutrition Help?
Nutrition has always been a topic that has intrigued me. I’ve viewed it as integral to successful performances. I studied Sports Science at University and became interested in how I could apply what I learnt. But, managing my own nutrition plan led to too much overthinking, overwhelmed by information and conflicting theories. My partner Sean suggested I start working with a nutritionist to ensure I was fuelling enough for the training I was doing. Open to the fact that he might be right, I contacted Scott.
Why Did You Choose to Work With Fuelin for Nutrition Planning?
Several reasons. I have previously talked openly about issues I encountered when body weight/composition became my sole focus during a foot injury a few years back that led me to restrict my food intake and under-fuel. I have been conscious of avoiding that, all too aware of the negative consequences it can have on my body. This was first and foremost about health, with the secondary aspects of performance also playing a part.
Secondly, previous nutrition advice was too complicated to apply to my life consistently without a sustainable and practical system to meet my needs. Being able to understand what the process is and why I am doing it is incredibly important to me. I wanted a system that would work for my training and life balance.
Finally, I needed to make changes as I had some areas in health & performance that required attention. This is specific to my iron deficiency that I was struggling to raise with my general fuelling, as well as fine-tuning my race fuelling and hydration plan. The Fuelin system gave me confidence that this could be achieved in a simple, personalised and results-driven manner.
What About Fuelin Has Been Working for You?
What I love most about the Fuelin system is that it syncs directly with my coaches’ TrainingPeaks plan. This is a game-changer and nothing I have seen before. It means that every day of nutrition is specific to the training my coach plans for me. All my daily macros are laid out clearly, and I can sync my food tracker (MyFitnessPal or LoseIt) into Fuelin. The traffic light system they utilise highlights the amounts of carbs that I need before, during and after each session, making it intuitive and easy to manage from a planning and preparation perspective.
What Have You Learned So Far?
One of the first things that struck me after using the Fuelin system for the first month was that I had potentially been underfueling for a good part of my career. This is crazy to say, yet it is exactly what I mentioned to Scott Tindal in that first month. I have been a professional triathlete for many years. I continue to grow and learn. This is important to me and my career.
I also learned that carbohydrates are not something to be scared of. For so long, I had been restrictive in my approach to carbs. These were mainly false truths I had learned to believe about myself and my body over the years, which, sadly, I believe is all too common among athletes, and that is why I am now so passionate about this system!
I now have a new respect for carbs and enjoy the freedom to fuel as required. Most of all, I have lost the fear that in doing so, I would pile on the pounds, which would negatively affect my performance due to increased body weight. Friends and family have seen the difference. That difference is positive. In-session fueling for high-intensity sessions is a carb-consumption competition! Carb capacity is how they term it. I am learning what my upper limits are for the bike and run. It is exciting to see the data and the results that it brings in terms of effort and recovery.
What’s Next?
Adherence and consistency. One thing that Fuelin is not is a quick fix. The program is about being consistent day to day. No different from my training, nutrition is no different. The routine with nutrition is bringing a new-found consistency in training and recovery. The season is fast approaching, and I am excited to see what it brings.
