Insights from the first episode of the VOOM Performance Podcast with sports dietitian and eating disorder specialist Renee McGregor
Despite decades of research, endless social media posts, and widespread awareness of sports nutrition, many athletes are still underfuelling. We know that inadequate nutrition impacts performance, recovery, hormonal health, injury risk, and long-term wellbeing. So why does it keep happening?
That was the central question explored in the debut episode of the VOOM Performance Podcast, where host Mel Berry sat down with renowned sports dietitian and eating disorder specialist Renee McGregor to discuss the complex relationship between nutrition, performance, body image, and athlete identity.
The Hidden Cost of Under-fuelling
After more than 20 years working with elite athletes, professional sports teams, and everyday runners, Renee sees the same patterns emerge time and time again.
According to Renee, three major issues continue to hold athletes back:
- Not eating enough to support training demands.
- Failing to prioritise recovery.
- Maintaining a body composition that isn’t sustainable for their physiology.
While the fitness industry has become better at promoting training plans and performance metrics, many athletes still underestimate how much energy their bodies actually require to perform, recover, and stay healthy.
The belief that “lighter is faster” remains deeply ingrained in endurance sport, despite growing evidence showing that strength, muscle mass, and adequate energy availability are often more important predictors of performance.
When Running Becomes More Than Running
One of the most powerful parts of the conversation was Renee’s reflection on her own journey.
Growing up as a child of colour in the 1980s, experiencing racism and trauma, and later developing an eating disorder at just 13 years old, Renee described how movement became a way of coping, processing emotions, and reconnecting with herself.
Running didn’t enter her life until much later, after the birth of her second daughter. What began as a short run along a canal towpath became something much bigger.
“It was time where I was Renee again,” she explained. It offered peace, connection with nature, and a sense of identity beyond motherhood and work.
Her story serves as a reminder that for many people, sport is about far more than fitness. It’s about connection, wellbeing, and finding space in a busy world.
Menopause, Performance and Learning to Listen
Even with decades of expertise in sports nutrition and hormonal health, Renee admitted that navigating perimenopause has been one of the most challenging experiences of her life.
After turning 50, she experienced significant changes in mood, energy, motivation, and her relationship with exercise. Despite understanding the science, she found herself questioning why she no longer felt like the athlete she’d always been.
What followed was an important lesson in self-awareness.
Instead of forcing herself through hard training blocks, she stepped back. Running volume was reduced. Walking, yoga, Pilates, and simply spending time outdoors became priorities.
The result?
Not only did she begin feeling more like herself again, but she also rediscovered what running actually meant to her.
“It’s never been about my worth,” she reflected. “Running is about connection.”
For many athletes, particularly women navigating hormonal changes, this message is incredibly powerful. Sometimes progress isn’t about pushing harder—it’s about listening more closely.
Understanding RED-S and Low Energy Availability
One of the key topics discussed was Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S), a condition becoming increasingly recognised across endurance sports.
At its core is a concept known as Low Energy Availability (LEA).
This occurs when the body doesn’t have enough energy left over after exercise and daily movement to support normal biological functions such as:
- Hormonal health
- Bone health
- Recovery and adaptation
- Digestive function
- Immune function
- Nervous system regulation
Over time, chronic low energy availability can lead to RED-S, affecting both performance and health.
Common Signs of RED-S
According to Renee, symptoms can include:
- Recurrent injuries and niggles
- Stress fractures
- Tendon and ligament problems
- Persistent fatigue
- Digestive issues
- Changes in menstrual cycles
- Increased illness frequency
- Stagnating or declining performance
- Low mood and reduced motivation
Importantly, RED-S isn’t always caused by intentional under-eating. It can also result from:
- High training loads
- Inadequate recovery
- Life stress
- Poor sleep
- Trying to balance training with work and family commitments
Recovery: The Missing Piece
While nutrition conversations are becoming more common, recovery is still often overlooked.
Many amateur athletes try to train like professionals while juggling careers, families, and busy lifestyles. The problem is that the body doesn’t separate training stress from life stress.
Your nervous system experiences it all.
As Renee explained, recovery isn’t just about taking a rest day. It’s also about allowing sufficient time between major events, races, and training blocks for true physiological adaptation to occur.
Without adequate recovery, athletes can find themselves stuck in a cycle of fatigue, injury, and underperformance, even when their training plan looks perfect on paper.
Why Hydration Is More Than Just Drinking Water
Hydration is another area where athletes often get things wrong.
Many assume that drinking more water is always the answer. In reality, hydration is about maintaining the balance between fluid, sodium, and carbohydrate intake.
Even mild dehydration can negatively impact both physical and cognitive performance.
For longer endurance events, replacing sodium becomes particularly important because sodium helps the body absorb and retain fluid effectively.
Without enough sodium:
- Hydration becomes less effective.
- Carbohydrate absorption can suffer.
- Nausea and gastrointestinal issues become more likely.
- Decision-making can deteriorate.
The key takeaway? Hydration strategies should be personalised. What works for one athlete won’t necessarily work for another.
Stop Being Afraid of Carbohydrates
Perhaps the strongest nutritional message from the conversation was simple:
Carbohydrates are not the enemy.
Despite overwhelming evidence supporting their role in performance and recovery, many athletes continue to restrict carbs, especially on rest days.
Renee strongly challenged this mindset.
Carbohydrates are essential not only for training performance but also for:
- Replenishing glycogen stores
- Supporting recovery
- Repairing muscle tissue
- Promoting adaptation to training
- Maintaining hormonal health
A well-fuelled athlete isn’t just better prepared for today’s session—they’re better prepared for tomorrow’s as well.
The Problem with Modern Running Culture
When asked what she would change about running culture, Renee didn’t hesitate.
Her two biggest frustrations?
- The rise of running influencers.
- The persistent belief that lighter automatically means faster.
Social media often promotes unrealistic expectations around body composition, training volume, and performance. Athletes can quickly find themselves comparing their reality to carefully curated highlight reels.
The result is often unnecessary pressure, guilt, and a disconnect from why they started running in the first place.
Three Takeaways Every Runner Should Remember
As the episode drew to a close, Renee offered three simple but powerful pieces of advice:
1. Don’t Rush
Progress takes time. Fitness isn’t built overnight, and neither is resilience.
2. Remember That Running Should Be Fun
The best training plan in the world means very little if you’ve lost the joy of movement.
3. Never Let Running Become Your Worth
Your value as a person is not determined by a finish time, a race result, or a training session.
Final Thoughts
The “Nutrition Gap” isn’t really a knowledge gap.
Most athletes know they should eat more, recover better, and stop obsessing over body weight. The real challenge lies in changing the beliefs, habits, and cultural narratives that continue to drive underfueling and overtraining.
As Renee McGregor’s story demonstrates, performance isn’t simply about doing more. Sometimes the most powerful thing an athlete can do is listen.
Listen to their body.
Listen to their recovery.
And remember that health, performance, and enjoyment are never mutually exclusive.
Listen to Episode 1 of the VOOM Performance Podcast, featuring Renee McGregor, for a deeper conversation on nutrition, performance, recovery, RED-S, menopause, and finding a healthier relationship with sport. You can also download the transcript here.
