Racing Performance: Is Being Lighter Truly an Advantage? Lexi Kelson

Simon Ward, The High Performance Human Triathlon Podcast

"Simon, I’d like to lose some weight before my next Ironman event. I’m going keto!” Believe it or not, I hear this on a regular basis and it makes me anxious for the individual. Keto diets have been very successful in helping individuals lose weight although that's mostly due to the body needing to store less water from the reduced carbohydrate intake. True keto is also very restrictive and difficult to sustain for more than a few weeks. It is also stressful on the body. Training for an Ironman is also stressful on the body, which is why attempting both at the same time has the potential for disaster. Having said that, I’m sure there are folks who have done this successfully and if you are one of them, I’d love to hear your story. The truth is that there are much healthier options for losing weight, if indeed you really need to lose any at all. My guest today is Registered Dietitian, Lexi Kelson, who's making her fourth appearance on the show. She has a Master’s degree in Applied Nutrition with a focus on fueling for sports performance and is the perfect person to help us to understand the best approaches for endurance athletes to lose weight. In the world of social media there is a lot of noise, and it is difficult to work out what is nonsense and what to believe. So, if you are interested in getting to your race weight in a health and sustainable way for next season, by the end of this episode you will have a step by step process to help you do exactly that. We talk about:

• Do you really need to lose weight, and if so, why?
• Confounding factors which influence performance and weight
• Balancing health and performance goals
• How to track and monitor weight loss
• Strategies for sustained weight loss
• Influences of behaviour and culture
• Some considerations for aging athletes
• Balancing training and nutrition
• Guidance for peri & menopausal females regarding weight gain/weight loss
• Are meal replacements (such as Huel) a suitable alternative to real food?

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Here is some other cool stuff you might be interested in:

Metabolic adaptation explained: Ponzer study: Are you fueling adequately to maintain health and performance? RED-S: Optimal bodyweight for racing: is lighter really better? https://www.precisionhydration.com/performance-advice/hydration/racing-body-weight/#the-danger-of-focusing-on-weight-loss

Free online sweat test: https://sweattest.precisionhydration.com/pages/why-personalise-your-hydration-strategy
Quick carb calculator: https://www.precisionhydration.com/products/precision-fuel-sample-pack/#thecarbcalculator
Athlete Case Studies: https://www.precisionhydration.com/athletes/case-studies/triathlon/

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