In this episode of Making A Runner, host Nic welcomes back Annie Bothma, a frequent guest with profound expertise in nutrition, especially in the context of running.

Annie dives into the intricacies of carbohydrate consumption and its pivotal role in endurance sports. Having previously covered pre race Carbo-Loading strategies as a topic as well as general nutritional advice for runners today we focused our conversation around runners preparing for longer distances such as marathons and ultra-marathons. Understanding how carbohydrates function as the primary fuel source becomes critical the longer we go, and Annie offers insights to dispel common misconceptions around this topic.

Drawing from her extensive background in sports nutrition and personal experience as an elite athlete, Annie shares the current and latest fueling guidelines along with practical advice on how to optimize fueling strategies before, during, and after training sessions.

Whether you're a novice just beginning your running journey or an experienced runner aiming for a personal best, this episode provides invaluable guidance on how nutrition can enhance your performance and overall health.

We hope you enjoy the episode and take up some of this advice. We guarantee it will make a difference to your running performance and longevity in the sport. If you would like to find out more about Annie and get in touch with her you can follow her on @annies_athletes on Social media and check out her website https://www.anniesathletes.org/

In this conversation, Host Nic and Andy Brodziak delve into the critical aspects of hydration and sodium intake for ultra marathon runners.

They discuss the importance of understanding individual sweat rates, the role of sodium in performance, and practical strategies for maintaining optimal hydration levels during training and races. The conversation emphasises the need for personalised hydration strategies, the dangers of over-hydration, and the significance of sodium in preventing performance drops and health issues during endurance events.

We delve into the critical aspects of hydration for runners and how it relates to Two Oceans and Comrades, discussing the importance of understanding hydration needs, practical strategies for race day, and the significance of gut training.

They share personal experiences and case studies, emphasising the need for tailored hydration plans based on individual sweat rates and sodium loss. The discussion highlights common mistakes runners make regarding hydration and nutrition, and offers actionable advice to optimise performance on race day.

We hope you have enjoyed the conversation and find it extremely useful in helping guide you to even better performance. As always, feel free to reach out to info@makingarunner.com with any questions or on our socials @makingarunner. You can also reach out to Andy on his socials @andybrodziak .

If you enjoyed the show, remember to leave a review and share it with your running buddies!

LINKS FROM THE CONVERSATION

How to measure your sweat rate to improve your hydration: https://www.precisionhydration.com/performance-advice/hydration/how-to-measure-your-sweat-rate/#:~:text=This%20is%20easy%20if%20you%20drink%20from%20a%20single%20bottle%20or%20two.&text=After%20exercise%2C%20towel%20yourself%20dry,clothes%20will%20hold%20some%20sweat).

Fuel and Hydration Testing Consultation: https://forms.gle/m3to8j1Y7LUy4RL37

In todays conversation your host, Nic, chats to Dr. Philip Batterson, a Physiologist, Coach and Endurance specialist from Oregon, USA.

Phil holds extensive knowledge in the field of exercise physiology and it's application when it comes to endurance sports. Today we chat in detail about heat and altitude training for endurance runners. We focus on:

• The science behind these methodologies of training.
• How to optimise your oxygen carrying capacity through heat or altitude stress.
• How to practically apply what the current best practices are.
• How to perfect racing in these environments.
• Alternative modalities of training around this topic.

Phil holds a PhD in Molecular physiology and has over a decade of coaching and physiological assessment experience. He was a fantastic guest who spoke confidently and shared loads of insight around these topics. If you are interested in hearing more from Phil you can go and give his own podcast a follow "Critical Oxygen" and give him a follow on social media @drphilbatterson.

I hope you found this conversation as insightful as we did and learn to make the most of your environment going forward become the best athlete you possibly can be.

Enjoy the conversation - As always, feel free to leave a comment, a review and share with your running buddies.