Magnesium is an essential nutrient in our diet, it’s a mineral involved in many things including energy production, nervous system function, muscle contraction and calcium metabolism. Those in the fitness world often take magnesium to help with their recovery, but does it actually have an impact? Well a recent study carried out a systematic review to look at just that. Here we’ll dive into what they found and if it’s worth you supplementing with magnesium.

Creatine is the most well researched supplement out there, most commonly it’s used to increase strength, power and muscle mass, but there’s a decent amount of evidence to suggest that it may have some benefits for brain health too!

Another day and another research paper showing us just how effective creatine can be. Creatine is already one of the most well researched supplements on the market. Time and time again it’s been shown to be beneficial for strength, power, body composition and there’s even some emerging evidence to show it might be beneficial for brain health too. Which is why I recommend it as a key part of a nutrition plan for most athletes.

For anyone looking to build muscle, improve recovery or lose a little fat protein is a very popular topic. Whether it’s a case of wondering how much to get in across a day or what the best source of protein is, there is a lot to unpack when it comes to this macronutrient. One question I commonly get asked with regards to protein is “How much protein can you absorb in one meal?”. In this blog we’re going to dive into exactly that.

Black ginger (Kaempferia parviflora), a herb native to Southeast Asia, has a long history of use in traditional medicine. Historically it’s been used for its supposed ability to boost energy and stamina.

Recently, it’s been gaining attention in the sports nutrition world, with some research hinting at a few potential benefits. But, is there enough evidence to support its use as a supplement? In this blog, we’ll explore exactly that, looking at the potential benefits of black ginger and why it’s probably too early to recommend adding it to your supplement routine.

Jake Hendry is an elite CrossFit athlete with an incredible aerobic engine. After qualifying for the Semifinals last year, it became clear that while his raw capacity in cardio and monostructural events gave him an edge, his performance in strength-based and barbell-cycling workouts held him back. He consistently dominated in pure capacity events but struggled to keep pace in maximum strength tests, often coming near the bottom of the field.

In performance nutrition, many people want supplements that claim to raise testosterone, enhance performance, and speed up recovery. There’s a couple of supplements that have gained a lot of attention lately, one being Tongkat Ali which i’ve already covered, and the other is Fadogia Agrestis.

This blog has been adapted from lessons from the Engine Nutrition Program, to give you an insight into supplements to improve endurance performance! In the program we look at things from the perspective of aerobic capacity and then anaerobic capacity. Here, i’ve combined the supplement recommendations for the best supplements for endurance athletes. Enjoy!

Ashwagandha, a popular adaptogen, has garnered some interest recently for its potential to boost both physical endurance and muscle growth. This recent study by Verma et al. (2024) aimed to investigate its impact on resistance-trained individuals. Let’s dive into the details and see if it’s worth adding into your supplement rotation!

For a couple of years now i’ve been proud to support Theo Baker with his nutrition as he made strides into becoming an endurance athlete! As Theo Baker gears up for his next Ironman, we’ve left no stone unturned in preparing him to perform at his best. From testing fuel utilisation and hydration strategies to optimising his nutrition, our goal is to support Theo in every phase of his journey. Here’s a deep dive into how we've tailored his hydration, race-day fuelling, and recovery strategies to get him across the finish line faster and stronger.

When it comes to fuelling your performance, consuming the right amount of carbohydrates can be challenging and confusing. To make informed decisions, you’ll need to consider the duration of your training, the intensity of it, how well your body absorbs carbohydrates, and the potential for gastrointestinal (GI) distress. In this blog we’re going to talk through all of these using principles from the Engine Nutrition Program, to make sure you stay fuelled for longer!

Omega 3s are an essential fatty acid found in oily fish and algae. They have long been known to have a tonne of health benefits and in this blog we’re going to dive into 3 of the top reasons to take omega 3s backed by science. Before we dive in, it’s worth noting too that although you can get omega 3s from your diet such as in oily fish, from the amount of blood work i’ve seen and within certain research those who supplement are more likely to have omega 3 levels in the blood conducive to these benefits. So for the most part I recommend supplementing with Omega 3s as part of a healthy nutrition plan! Let’s get into it.

Hypertrophy is a common goal in the fitness world, who doesn’t want bigger and stronger muscles! And so a lot of research has been poured into nutrition for hypertrophy, especially around protein intake. We’re obsessed with finding the optimal amount of protein/day and wether or not timing matters. So much so that there’s pretty much a new study on it every month, including one that came out in August titled “Timing matters? The effects of two different timing of high protein diets on body composition, muscular performance, and biochemical markers in resistance-trained males”

When it comes to athletic performance, understanding how your body fuels itself during training is crucial. At the heart of it all is ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the primary energy source your muscles rely on for contraction. However, the key to sustained, optimal performance lies in understanding how our body’s energy systems work to constantly replenish ATP during exercise.

In the world of performance nutrition alcohol is most commonly discussed in the context of impaired recovery and physical performance, but what about cognitive performance? A recent meta analysis looked into the impact of alcohol on cognitive dysfunction, here we’ll be reviewing the research, answering the question of is moderation really the key and how to apply the results to your daily life.

In training athletes are often pushing their bodies to the absolute limit. Although this is crucial for growth, and muscle damage is a key factor in hypertrophy, too much muscle damage can lead to soreness, stiffness, reduced range of motion and reduced power output. There’s a number of things that can help reduce this and manage inflammation, allowing you to recover faster and train hard. One of these is Curcumin! In this blog we’re reviewing a recent research article on Curcumin highlighting it’s impact on muscle damage. Read on to find out what Curcumin is, If it’s beneficial, how it works, and how you should be taking it.

Fibre is a crucial component of a well-rounded diet, yet it’s often overlooked. Today, we're going to explore what fibre is, why it’s beneficial for your health, how much you should aim for, and how to manage any digestive discomfort that might arise from increasing your intake.

As a nutritionist I am fascinated by specific compounds that we consume that can improve our health and wellbeing. Something that has always intrigued me has been the potential benefits of psychedelics such as psilocybin. Recently a study was carried out that looked into the potential benefits on wellbeing for older adults. Here we’ll be reviewing that study, letting you know what they did, what they found and any key takeaways!

The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates famously said, "All disease begins in the gut." Today, modern science supports this notion, revealing that our gut microbiota—a diverse community of over 40 trillion bacteria and viruses—plays a critical role in our overall health and athletic performance. Gut health is one of the most impactful and researched aspects of nutrition around and in this blog we’ll shine a little light as to why and how you can look after your gut.

Welcome back to another little research review! This week i’m diving into a paper that investigated the impact of low energy availability on exercise performance in female endurance athletes by Jeppesen et al (2024)