Diet is an important aspect of performance in all sports, while Nutrition is a field plagued with poor—or even false—information. The crossroads of the two is where many athletes find themselves, especially since questionable information (in the field of nutrition) is often presented as “research,” but is just as likely to be marketing-speak masquerading as facts. There’s a lot of money in the supplement industry; an industry that is is loosely regulated, at best. Sports...
As Period I wanes and the Tour de Ski approaches, curiosity is naturally piqued as to how various athletes are analyzing their first four weekends of World Cup racing. In particular, our focus is drawn to Olympic medal hopefuls, like last year’s World Cup Overall Champion Jessie Diggins. How is she feeling as she heads into the holiday break, with two individual and one team sprint podium already under her belt and another six weeks...
Fans of ski-mountaineering, mountain-running, or ultra events will likely have heard of Emelie Forsberg. A Swedish athlete representing Salomon, Forsberg has an impressive racing resume including, numerous ski-mo World Cup victories, World Championships titles from the Sky running ultra distance series and the women’s Fastest-Known-Time (FKT) on Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn, the Grand Teton, and more. Her partner, Kilian Jornet, is a world-renown athlete whose many feats are too numerous to list here. The two...
In this episode, we bring Kris Freeman back to Nordic Nation. For those unfamiliar with Freeman, he skied in four Olympics from 2002 to 2014, placed fourth on two occasions at the World Championships in the 15 k classic, and stayed at the sharp end of American distance skiing until retiring in 2018. After leaving the ski realm, Freeman — now 40-years old — switched his focus to long distance triathlon and has now completed...
Starting with a quick disclaimer, I’ve been a fan of Emma Coburn, Olympic Bronze Medalist and World Champion steeplechaser, for most of her career. Spending this winter in her hometown of Crested Butte, Colorado has, if anything, amplified my appreciation for her as both an athlete and role model for other female runners. As such, I was very excited this fall when she announced the release of her cookbook, “The Runner’s Kitchen”, and immediately pre-ordered. I’m...
This podcast is part of a series on female athlete specific physiology and sports nutrition. With the help of experts and novel research in this area, this series unpacks how the menstrual cycle might influence training adaptations and provides female athletes and coaches with the information to help optimize fueling and training schedules accordingly. You can find a primer on the menstrual cycle and training here. Based in Boulder, Colorado, Maddie Alm is the face...
As summer training hours trend toward a peak, many athletes are looking for ways to support their nutritional needs, matching high volume training with high volume eating. A new product that should be on your radar is Drink Wholesome protein powder, created by former Williams ski racer Jack Schrupp. This protein is basically the RXBAR of protein powders: all natural without artificial flavorings or sweeteners, packing a high nutrient protein dense punch in each scoop. The...
The countdown is on. Marathon season is underway and we are inside the final two weeks before the American Birkie. At this point, “the hay is in the barn” when it comes to training, but there is still time to dial in a nutrition plan to stay fueled and all the way from Cable to Hayward. For pro tips, FasterSkier reached out to last year’s Birkie winner, Alayna Sonnesyn (SMST2), for insight into the system...
Looking for a fall meal that is both comforting and deeply nourishing? Steamboat Springs, CO based Registered Dietician Nutritionist Cara Marrs shares a mouth-watering anti-inflammatory recipe that we can attest fits the bill. Marrs supports clients through her practice in person and online, and has worked with local Winter Olympians as well as recreational, junior, and collegiate xc skiers on their daily and performance nutrition needs. Outside of nutrition counseling, Marrs is an avid trail...
Trick or Treat! ‘Tis the season of hyperglycemia. Before balking at the amount of candy that may be lingering in your house over the next few weeks, it might be worth considering mixing it into your stash of bars and gels to be consumed during a long ride, run, or ski. After all, your body relies primarily on carbohydrates for energy during exercise and candy is loaded with simple sugars. Favorites of the FasterSkier team...
Here we are in late August, halfway between the start of the training year in early May and the beginning of the competition season in late November. Volume is the name of the game during the summer and at this time of year, it is not uncommon for top athletes to train 20 to 30 hours per week. Typically, the training logs prescribe athletes to head out on long runs, rides, and rollerskis at a...
From the dawn of sports nutrition when PowerBars were ubiquitous to the DIY world of handcrafted nibbles for athletes on-the-go and recovering, sports nutrition has become an industry. For this Wednesday Workout, we wanted to revisit a few classic low cost and relatively simple items when it comes to nutrition. Without diving into the deep science, the basics are well agreed upon: you’ll need some protein, carbohydrates, and some ingredients to make it all palatable....
Kate Oldham is a U18 athlete from Carbondale, CO who skis for the Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club. After strong results at US Nationals, Kate was selected as one of the six female U18 skiers to travel to Otepää, Estonia from January 20th – 30th to race in the Nations’ Cup races, where she competed in a field of about 40 junior athletes from Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Estonia. Kate finished 24th in the...
New research shows that nearly 20 percent of female junior skiers and biathletes in Norway display disordered eating, with the percentage even higher at elite sports high schools.
Adam Loomis moved from Wisconsin to Utah when he was 17. His brother Ben was 11 at the time. Together again in Park City, the two U.S. Nordic Combined B-team members try to sync schedules on the weekends whenever possible. "There’s definitely a special competition that provides extra motivation between brothers!" Adam explains.
Herbal supplements and micronutrient vitamins are largely unregulated and may in fact contain substances prohibited by WADA. But a new study also shows that they cause thousands of emergency room visits per year in the U.S.
A study of competitive female endurance athletes in Denmark showed surprising patterns in diet among those with low energy availability and skipped periods: too much fiber, and not enough carbohydrates. That enables better recommendations for athletes looking to get healthy while not gaining weight.
Nutrition expert Georgie Fear explains how to ward off illness when training volume is at its highest. "As the season approaches, athletes want to be strong, fast, and lean, and putting in the hours to train is essential," she says. "It’s also critical for good nutrition to be a part of your routine."
On race morning, with all its accompanying nerves, it’s hard enough for cross-country skiers to choke down a single meal. But for sprinters, that’s a scenario that sometimes must be repeated three more times before the day is over. With races sometimes stretching over several hours, from a qualifying round through three heats, sprinters know that a steady intake of food and drink is crucial to maintaining high energy levels—though that’s easier said than done,...
Days are getting shorter, life is getting busier and ski racing is just around the corner – all kinds of good reasons to make it easy to cook healthy food.