Nutrition Myths, Fasted Training, and Individual Responses with Dr Jeff Rothschild and Prof Paul Laursen

What should endurance athletes actually eat before training? Does fasted training improve adaptation? And why do some athletes thrive on high carbohydrate intake while others perform better with less?

In this episode, Dr Jeff Rothschild joins the podcast to unpack the complexity behind endurance nutrition, recovery, and training adaptation. Drawing from his work as a sports dietitian, researcher, and performance analyst, Jeff shares insights from years of research exploring carbohydrate practices, fasted training, substrate utilization, and individual variability in athlete response.

The conversation explores why high intensity sessions may not require fasted training to stimulate adaptation, how recovery responses differ dramatically between athletes, and why generalized nutrition guidelines often fail to capture individual needs.

Jeff also discusses the growing role of data science, machine learning, and longitudinal athlete monitoring in understanding recovery and fueling strategies, along with the practical realities of applying nutrition science in elite sport.

This episode offers a balanced and highly practical discussion on endurance nutrition, helping athletes and coaches better understand how to fuel training without getting lost in dogma or extremes.

Today’s speakers:

Prof Paul Laursen https://www.paullaursen.com/
Dr Jeff Rothschild https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-rothschild-phd-016170146/

https://www.eatsleep.fit/