We Do Science

On this episode of We Do Science, Dr Laurent Bannock welcomes back Dr Dana Lis, registered dietitian and performance nutrition practitioner, alongside chef and nutritionist Nicki Strobel, to discuss their paper Plate to Performance: Culinary Nutrition Support for Professional Road Cycling, part of the UCI Sports Nutrition Project.

Drawing on years of experience in elite cycling, Dana and Nicki explain how the culinary nutrition team of nutritionists, chefs and soigneurs turns evidence into food riders will actually eat across Grand Tours, Classics and training camps. The conversation covers the chef–nutritionist relationship, on-bike fuelling, menu planning around stage demands, and how power meter data, doubly labelled water and continuous glucose monitors inform daily decisions.

Laurent, Dana and Nicki also discuss educating riders in a decentralised sport, building buy-in across the team, planning for illness, crashes and kitchens without power, and where the journey from science to plate most often breaks down. With lessons that apply well beyond cycling, this episode offers sports nutritionists, chefs, coaches, students and athletes a practical look at how performance nutrition is delivered in the real world.

Subscribe for more conversations exploring the science and practice of sports nutrition.

Read the paper:
Plate to Performance: Culinary Nutrition Support for Professional Road Cycling
https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ijsnem/36/3/article-p335.xml

Connect with Dana:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-dana-lis/

Connect with Nicki:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicki-strobel-44b41347/

Connect with Laurent:
Substack: ⁠https://substack.com/@laurentbannock⁠
LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurentbannock/⁠
Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/laurent_bannock⁠
Website: ⁠⁠https://www.laurentbannock.com

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
03:13 Welcoming Dana and Nicki to We Do Science
04:31 Bridging the gap between science and practice
06:35 Dana's background and career
10:08 Nicki's journey from Michelin-star chef to pro cycling
15:20 How the Plate to Performance paper came about
20:38 Why chefs and nutritionists need a shared language
23:18 Cooking on the road: chefs, hotels and logistics
26:27 Prioritising nutrition interventions
28:41 The chef–nutritionist relationship
33:12 On-bike nutrition and the role of soigneurs
38:02 Keeping the evidence intact across the team
42:01 Planning menus around race demands
45:15 Day types, fuelling time points and daily adjustments
49:56 The data behind fuelling decisions
52:55 Energy availability and RED-S in the field
56:16 Turning precise numbers into real meals
59:36 Rider education in a decentralised sport
1:04:06 Building rider buy-in
1:07:11 Working through the rider's support network
1:11:04 Establishing yourself in a new team
1:15:25 When things go wrong on the road
1:17:26 Planning for illness and injury
1:22:09 Where the science breaks down in practice
1:24:47 What Dana and Nicki have changed their minds on

We Do Science with Dr Laurent Bannock returns, now with video! In this first episode back, Laurent welcomes Professor Michael Gleeson, Emeritus Professor of Exercise Biochemistry at Loughborough University, to explore the four Ps of performance nutrition: personalise, periodise, pre-fuel and prepare.

Drawing on his research and experience in sports nutrition, Michael explains how this framework can help practitioners turn scientific evidence into practical decisions for their athletes. The conversation covers carbohydrate fuelling, hydration, gut training and supplements, alongside the importance of adapting nutrition strategies to training demands, individual preferences and the realities of competition.

Laurent and Michael also discuss the role of wearables and testing in personalised nutrition, the challenges of supplement marketing, and why more information doesn’t always lead to better decisions. With examples from football and endurance sport, this episode offers sports nutritionists, coaches, students and athletes a practical look at choosing, applying and evaluating nutrition strategies.

Subscribe for more conversations exploring the science and practice of sports nutrition.

Connect with Michael:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-gleeson-218565b9/

Connect with Laurent:
Substack: https://substack.com/@laurentbannock
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurentbannock/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurent_bannock
Website: ⁠https://www.laurentbannock.com

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
02:47 Welcoming Michael back to We Do Science
04:18 Michael’s background and research
08:06 Why develop the four P's of performance nutrition?
14:18 Using the framework to guide decisions
19:40 Personalise: tailoring nutrition to the athlete
24:22 Personalisation, testing and getting the basics right
30:28 Periodise: matching nutrition to training demands
34:11 Gut training and rehearsing competition nutrition
37:23 Pre-fuel: preparing for competition
43:22 Prepare: hydration, fuelling and supplements
49:19 Athlete preferences and practical problem-solving
52:27 Cultural considerations and World Cup nutrition
55:29 Choosing what belongs in the framework
56:35 Supplement evidence and marketing
1:03:38 Applying and evaluating the four Ps
1:05:35 The future of personalised sports nutrition
1:09:05 The future of sports nutrition textbooks

We Do Science is back — and this time, you can watch as well as listen.
Launching Friday 25 September, Season 2 brings a new series of conversations exploring the science and practice of sport and exercise nutrition.
Following 182 audio episodes published between 2014 and 2023, this new chapter introduces video on Spotify, with audio available for listeners who prefer to tune in on the move.
Watch the trailer for a taste of what’s ahead, and follow We Do Science so you’re ready for the first episode.
Explore the original audio archive here on the show page.

Episode 188 of the Institute of Performance Nutrition's "We Do Science" podcast! In this episode, I (Laurent Bannock) discuss "Embracing the Ethos of Scientific Scepticism" with Dr Nick Tiller PhD (Harbor-UCLA, USA) and Prof Stu Phillips PhD (McMaster University, Canada)
Discussion Topics Include:
Snake oil and fraudulent claims in the health, wellness and sports nutrition industry
Bad science and its impact on research and practice
Why being a responsible sceptic requires a comprehensive set of critical thinking skills
Why having the courage to confront pseudoscience can potentially alter the paradigm, and reverse the current emphasis on marketing over science

Key Paper(s) / Book(s) Referred to:
How Skepticism (not Cynicism) Can Raise Scientific Standards and Reform the Health and Wellness Industry
Baseless claims and pseudoscience in health and wellness: A call to action for the sports, exercise, and nutrition-science community
The Skeptic's Guide to Sports Science

Related Podcast Episodes:
#123 - "Nutrition and single-stage ultra-marathon" with Dr Nick Tiller PhD

Check out our other podcasts, publications, events, and professional education programs for current and aspiring sports nutritionists at www.TheIOPN.com and follow our social media outputs via @TheIOPN

Episode 187 of the Institute of Performance Nutrition's "We Do Science" podcast! In this episode, I (Laurent Bannock) discuss "Creatine: Beyond Strength and Power" with Dr Scott Forbes PhD (Brandon University, Canada)
Discussion Topics Include:
Summary of dietary sources and mechanisms of action of Creatine Monohydrate and its potential impact on adaptions to resistance training, strength, power and muscle hypertrophy
Emerging research for novel applications of Creatine on health, cognitive functions, immunity, glycogen storage,  and in particular endurance training and performance

Key Paper(s) / Book(s) Referred to:
Creatine Supplementation and Endurance Performance (paper currently in final review stage)

Related Podcast Episodes:
#147 - "Creatine myths and common questions" with Dr Scott Forbes

Check out our other podcasts, publications, events, and professional education programs for current and aspiring sports nutritionists at www.TheIOPN.com and follow our social media outputs via @TheIOPN