Triathlon Nutrition Academy

What if one of the biggest factors affecting your energy, recovery and long-term health wasn’t your training or nutrition… but the light you’re exposed to every day?
Most triathletes spend hours dialling in their fuelling, sessions and recovery protocols. But modern life has quietly changed something fundamental to human biology. We now spend around 90% of our time indoors under artificial lighting that is very different to the sunlight our bodies evolved with.
In this fascinating episode, Advanced Sports Dietitian Taryn Richardson sits down with Professor Glen Jeffery, a neuroscientist from University College London and one of the world’s leading researchers on how different wavelengths of light influence our biology.
Professor Jeffery explains how light interacts directly with your mitochondria, the tiny energy factories inside your cells. And why certain types of light may influence everything from energy production and inflammation to recovery, metabolism and ageing.
You’ll also hear why athletes might be using red and infrared light the wrong way, and why the biggest benefits could actually come after hard training sessions rather than before.
If you’ve been curious about red light therapy devices or wondering whether they’re worth the investment, this episode will help you separate real science from marketing hype.
And if you want the full deep dive specifically for athletes, check out the brand new Red Light Therapy Masterclass here: https://www.dietitianapproved.com/redlighttherapy
In This Episode We Discuss
Why light is far more than just something that helps us see

The surprising role of mitochondria in responding to light exposure

How modern LED lighting may be quietly impacting metabolism and health

The difference between short wavelength light vs long wavelength light

Why sunlight contains critical wavelengths most indoor lighting lacks

The link between light exposure, inflammation and blood glucose regulation

Whether red light therapy can actually improve athletic performance

Why athletes may benefit more from post-training light exposure for recovery

The problem with many expensive red light therapy devices

Simple, low-cost ways to improve your daily light environment

Key Takeaways for Triathletes
Mitochondria respond directly to certain wavelengths of light, influencing energy production.

Long wavelength light (including infrared) may help reduce inflammation and support cellular recovery.

Athletes are already highly efficient metabolically, so red light therapy may have limited benefits before exercise.

The biggest opportunity may be after hard sessions, when mitochondria are stressed and recovery is needed.

Many commercial red light devices deliver far more energy than necessary, meaning more is definitely not better.

About the Guest
Professor Glen Jeffery, PhDProfessor Glen Jeffery is a neuroscientist at University College London and a leading expert on how different wavelengths of light affect cellular health and biological function.
Chapters:
00:00 – The surprising role of light in human health03:00 – The spectrum of sunlight explained05:00 – Why mitochondria are the key to energy production08:00 – The problem with modern LED lighting11:00 – How indoor environments may influence metabolism and inflammation16:00 – The benefits of long wavelength light20:00 – Can red light therapy improve recovery and health?21:00 – Simple ways to improve your light environment29:00 – The explosion of red light therapy devices30:00 – Why athletes may not benefit before exercise32:00 – Where red light may actually help athletes recover faster35:00 – Practical advice for athletes experimenting with red light therapy37:00 – The potential risks of overusing red light devices
If today’s episode sparked your curiosity about how light impacts recovery and performance, dive deeper with the Red Light Therapy Masterclass for Athletes here:https://www.dietitianapproved.com/redlighttherapy
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 everything03:00 From couch potato to triathlon at 4806:10 Accidentally signing up for an Ironman09:00 Why his early races kept falling apart12:30 The supplement mistake many triathletes make16:00 Discovering a massive sweat rate19:30 Hydration vs carbs for endurance performance23:10 Learning to fuel properly while travelling27:00 Racing in heat vs cold conditions30:30 The mindset shift that changed everything34:00 Why getting expert help speeds up progress37:00 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 weight01:05 The biggest mistake triathletes make when dieting02:40 Why cutting carbs hurts performance04:15 Can you lose fat and maintain power?05:30 Real athlete case study: 45 pounds down, FTP up08:00 Fuel the sessions that matter10:00 How to periodise carbohydrates properly12:00 Protecting muscle mass and metabolism14:00 Why your calorie deficit should be small16:00 How to lean up without losing watts17:30 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 nutrition04:10 - The 4 foundations that actually matter06:15 - Fix #1: Recovery nutrition done properly09:10 - Fix #2: Pre-training fuel, especially mornings12:30 - Fix #3: Building your triathlete performance plate16:55 - Fix #4: During-training carbs and sodium strategy21:40 - What happens when you nail the fundamentals24:30 - Stop jumping to advanced strategies26:00 - 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 matters02:15 - What’s actually changed on course05:30 - PH1000 explained: sodium without carbs08:10 - How to calculate sodium per bottle11:45 - Will this setup work for you?14:20 - What if you prefer to drink your carbs?16:00 - Why practising in training is non-negotiable18:00 - 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.