The Truth About Expired Sports Nutrition Products: Lessons from My Personal Inventory Check

As cyclists, athletes and fitness enthusiasts, we focus a lot on our training regimens and often invest in a varied collection of sports nutrition products. However, do we always keep track of when these products expire?

Recently, I embarked on a daunting task that had been on my list for at least half a year - a complete inventory check of my sports nutrition cupboard.

Spoiler alert: it was a wake-up call.

Dr. Gemma Sampson shares insights from her recent adventure with Lucca Cycling Club in Italy. Delve into the essential role of a sports dietitian on cycling camps and discover how proper nutrition can transform long, grueling rides into successful and sustainable experiences. Whether it's crafting the perfect ride lunch or managing dietary preferences, Dr. Sampson emphasizes that nutrition is more than just fuel – it's a holistic approach to enhancing performance and mood.

Do you know how much carbohydrate to eat before, during and after competition for optimal performance? The Carbohydrates for Endurance Athletes in Competition Questionnaire (CEAC-Q) was designed to help guide where you could optimise your race and training nutrition strategy.

Many cyclists want to lose weight to improve power-to-weight ratio. But, what do you do when you see a number on the scale that you don’t like?

Why do you think your nutrition needs to be really hard and complicated for it to work as a cyclist trying to lose weight and improve your power to weight ratio?

Is sugar water the ultimate fuelling strategy for cyclists? I looked at the research and took it to the test to see if sugar really is the best fuelling strategy for cyclists and if it does get the sports dietitian seal of approval.

Do you need a protein supplement as a cyclist? Protein pancakes, protein brownies, protein popcorn… Protein intake is often overlooked by many of the athletes I work with. A question I am often asked is whether the protein you’re eating from real food good enough or do you need a protein supplement as well?

Are you caught in the trap thinking that just because you're out training all the time as a cyclist you can eat whatever you want? While it may be getting enough energy to keep your body going, are you really fuelling yourself optimally with the nutrition to achieve your greatest potential?

When I meet cyclists and other endurance athletes, it’s very common for them to tell me that they aren’t fuelling their rides because commercial bars, drinks, gels and other sports nutrition products are so expensive. What else can you eat on the bike? Dried fruit!

As a cyclist have you found yourself feeling completely drained, a bit dizzy or emotional with jelly legs during a ride? Chances are you have bonked and need to find a cafe pronto to refuel! What is bonking and how can you beat the bonk?

More than just replacing the fluids we lose as sweat, drinking enough on the bike and being well hydrated on a ride can improve your cycling performance. Are you drinking enough on your rides?

As a female athlete it's important to consider what we eat before and after training to protect our bone health, reduce risk of injury and time off training and competition. Here's two easy ways female athletes can improve bone health with diet.

As long as your plant based or vegan diet is high in protein, it can be just as effective for muscle gain and recovery as a mixed diet. The key factor is that you need to eat enough plant protein overall spread out regularly throughout each meal to achieve at least 1.6g.kg.

Over the past month I have used Supersapiens continuous glucose monitor to learn what happens to my blood glucose levels so I can better advise my athletes using it. While running a busy sports nutrition clinic, I train an average 14h of cycling, 300km a week. Here’s what I learned and the nutrition tips I recommend for anyone starting to use Supersapiens.

Taking on an Ironman triathlon with a 3.8Km swim, 180-Km bike and 42.2Km run is no mean feat.

Thinking of doing an Everesting? Deciding to climb 8848m on the bike in one ride is no mean feat. Beyond the mental and physical challenge, ensuring that you are well fuelled and hydrated to support your efforts is a key factor in your success. Here's an insight into the nutrition planning that went behind fuelling an Everesting attempt for me.

Want to get better cycling results next season? Perhaps it’s time to start thinking about working with a coach. Without a doubt, I think it can be one of the most worthwhile investments you can make as an athlete for optimal performance gains.

You don't have to be an elite or professional athlete to benefit from nutrition support and advice. Here's 10 reasons why you should see a Sports Dietitian to get the most out of your cycling and triathlon training.

"I'm training all the time, but I'm not losing weight. Where am I going wrong?" Getting the right balance as an athlete can be a challenge when trying to improve body composition and your power to weight ratio.

Some say you should always eat before a training session, others praise the benefits of fasted cardio. Is there a best approach and should you eat before training?