187. How a Professional Athlete Fuels and Trains + Why You Should Embrace Fats! With Dani Moreno

This episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast is with Adidas-sponsored professional trail runner Dani Moreno. Dani ran cross country and track at the NCAA Division I level, where she struggled with burnout and all the demands of student-athlete life. Following graduation, she found balance outside of sport, before returning to competitive running, this time on the trails. She shares these challenges, as well as how she navigated puberty and body changes in high school that affected her performances. We discuss how nailing your nutrition is a constant learning curve, sharing our current health-promoting nutrition goals. Dani highlights her favorite foods for fueling training and recovery, including the importance of fats like butter and whole milk. Dani talks about her life as a professional athlete running sub-ultra trail distances, and the importance of recovery for performance. Dani is a wonderful example of a fast, fit, and fueled female athlete, and we hope you enjoy this episode! TOPIC TIMESTAMPS: 2:00 Dani’s athletics journey: from HS soccer to pro running 4:45 Puberty and body change challenges; the power of positive mentors 12:00 Burnout as a college athlete 16:00 Finding a life outside of sports; returning to competitive running on the trails  21:45 Day in the life of a professional trail runner 25:00 Nutrition goals (“healthy” ones!) 27:40 Fueling tips for training and recovery: the importance of fats (e.g. butter and whole milk) and protein for performance and staying injury free 31:00 Race day nutrition and hydration: before, during and after 35:00 Highlighting sub-ultra trail running with Dani’s SubHub podcast 40:05 End of the podcast questions  Check out the SubHub podcast Follow Dani on Instagram @dan_yell_a and your host, Lindsey Cortes, @female.athlete.nutrition  Natural Cycles: Check out Natural Cycles here and 20% off subscription plus free thermometer! Our NEW Website is NOW LIVE! Check it out here: https://www.femaleathletenutritionpodcast.com/  Support the podcast with a financial contribution: https://www.patreon.com/femaleathletenutrition   THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: Practice Better Click the link below to view plans and get a 14-day free trial. Then use the code RISEUP20 for 20% off your first 4 months: https://practicebetter.grsm.io/runp  Previnex: https://www.previnex.com/ use code RISEUP for 15% off at checkout InsideTracker: www.insidetracker.com use code LINDSEYCPRO25 for 25% off the entire store  THIS PODCAST IS ALSO SUPPORTED BY: Orgain, head to www.orgain.com and use the code RISEUP30 for 30% off your first order. Repeat customers can use the code OA2203 for 25% off future orders. Practice Better Click the link below to view plans and get a 14-day free trial. Then use the code RISEUP20 for 20% off your first 4 months: https://practicebetter.grsm.io/runp  Jen & Keri: https://jenandkeri.com/ use code RISEUP10 for $10 off your order