206. Nutrition for Ironman Triathlons + Sustained Elite Performance with Dede Griesbauer

Trigger warning for talk of disordered eating behaviors and weight control. Feel free to skip this episode or fast-forward from 34:00 to 43:45.  This episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast is with professional Ironman triathlete Dede Griesbauer. Dede shares her remarkable story from an NCAA DI swimming career to working on Wall Street. Over a decade later, she returned to competitive sport and became a professional Ironman triathlete aged 35. At 52 years old, Dede won the Ultraman World Championships, a multi-day triathlon event, and is still performing at an elite level now. We discuss tips for career longevity and how Dede has maintained her health and love for sport throughout. Dede’s events, Ironman and Ultraman triathlons, are long endurance events requiring considerable fuel before, during and after training and racing. We dive deep into fueling during exercise, comparing real food and sports nutrition products like gels and chews, creating a fueling plan, and problem solving GI issues. Dede shares advice for meeting your nutrition needs on a busy schedule, as well as how she uses food trackers to her benefit. We highlight how, with the support of a professional, trackers can support performance nutrition goals. This is not something I recommend my clients do because the risk of negative impacts is too high. Dede opens up about the negative food, body and weight messaging she received in college, and how her mindset has totally shifted to not monitor her weight, instead fueling for health and performance.  TOPIC TIMESTAMPS: 5:15 Returning to competitive sports as a master’s athlete  8:35 Finding Ironman triathlon  10:30 Becoming World Champion aged 52 after turning pro at 35 12:20 Tips for career longevity in elite sports  16:10 Female vs male performance differences  18:20 Increasing opportunities for women in sport post-college 21:40 What is an Ironman and an Ultraman triathlon? 24:35 Nutrition for an Ironman vs Ultraman; sports fuel vs real food; problem solving GI issues in races 28:00 Fueling with sports nutrition products vs “real food” 32:30 Daily vs performance nutrition  34:00 Shifts in fueling, weight and performance mindsets over time; Dede’s NCAA swimming experience 35 years ago 35:45 Uncoupling weight and performance; food is fuel 38:50 Dede’s current nutrition habits to fuel elite performance 39:55 Using food trackers and numbers to help performance 43:45 Performance supporting habits outside of training  47:00 Tips for fueling with a busy schedule  51:25 End of the podcast questions  For more on food tracking, check out Episode 146: Nutrition Apps + Fitness Trackers: Helpful or Hurtful?  Find Dede at dedegriesbauer.com  Follow on Dede Instagram @dedegriesbauer and me, your host Lindsey Cortes, @female.athlete.nutrition  SIGN UP FOR EMAIL LIST: https://riseupnutrition.activehosted.com/f/6  Check out our NEW website with resources, blogs, and more: www.FemaleAthleteNutritionPodcast.com Join our amazing "FANS": Female Athlete Nutrition Supporters by considering a contribution of just $5 a month: https://www.patreon.com/femaleathletenutrition Health Practitioner or Dietitian? Check out ThatCleanLife for recipes & meal planning software: https://get.thatcleanlife.com/femaleathletenutrition Check out more brand partners and affiliates at: https://www.femaleathletenutritionpodcast.com/affiliatepartners We are so grateful to our FANS and listeners! I hope you enjoy the episode.