Episode 51: The Intersection of Health and Athletic Performance with Kylee Van Horn and Zoë Rom

In this episode of the “All Things Endurance Podcast,” host Rick Prince chats with Kylee Van Horn (registered dietitian, author, podcaster) and Zoë Rom (journalist and podcaster). Rick, Zoë and Kylee discuss whether the nutrition trends and practices currently fueling endurance athletes are, at times, at odds with overall health.          

Below are the specific areas that Rick, Zoë and Kylee chat about during this episode:         

1. In the world of endurance sports, there is a lot of talk surrounding ways to increase performance, whether it’s related to training or nutrition. However, the topic of health is often left on the sidelines. Why is this, and do you think that overall health needs to be brought more into the conversation when discussing human performance?
2. There is a recent trend of super high carb intake. Gut adaptation aside, is this healthy, and does the health aspect depend, to some degree, on the exercise intensity?
3. What are some of the unhealthy things that you see endurance athletes do in the name of performance?
4. Let’s chat about supplements. What are some things that you see athletes doing with supplements that are likely not healthy, whether or not these things increase performance?
5. Like the high-carb trend, there is also a fad around high protein. Is there a point at which too much protein becomes unhealthy, or at the very least, doesn’t provide benefit?
6. Do you find that many athletes focus too much on the marginal gains areas and not enough on the fundamentals (enough sleep, eating healthy, etc.)?
7. With respect to nutrition, if an athlete wants to ensure that what they are doing is both healthy and likely to increase performance, who should they reach out to?

Check out Kylee’s and Zoë’s podcast, “Your Diet Sucks,” on their website: https://www.yourdietsuckspodcast.com/

For $75 off a UESCA certification, use code ATE75