As a sports dietician, I’m always thrilled to witness the remarkable transformations of athletes who discover the true potential of tailored nutrition. Today, I'm excited to share the incredible journey of Troy Bauerle, a triathlete from Echuca, Victoria, who improved his performance (practically) overnight by overhauling his nutrition. He’s fresh off a fantastic race performance at the Long Course Worlds in Townsville. Despite a major injury that prevented proper run training, Troy still completed the course in under six and a half hours. He’s an absolute weapon! Troy admits he was clueless about nutrition when he first started. He had no idea about the importance of carbohydrates or proteins or how essential it was to plan his meals around his training. Like many athletes, he thought sheer willpower and effort were enough for peak performance. However, this couldn’t have been further from the truth. Troy's major turning point was when he stumbled upon one of my podcasts. Realising the gaps in his knowledge, Troy took the plunge and decided to educate himself through the TNA program. He hasn’t been with us long but he’s already seeing big results from the changes he’s making. The first steps Troy took involved understanding when and what to eat. Initially, he was clueless about labels on food packaging. Now, he's far more confident, knowing exactly what his body needs, especially post-training. He no longer wastes hours of training due to improper nutritional recovery. Organisation was Troy’s biggest hurdle, given his busy schedule. Now, with a bit of planning, he prepares for his big training days in advance. This has resulted in less wasted time and a focused approach to his diet, making every meal purposeful. One of the most noticeable improvements for Troy has been his energy levels. He used to think it was normal to be utterly exhausted after long training sessions, but proper nutrition has shown him how different things can be. Instead of collapsing on the couch after his workouts, he’s experiencing a “snowball effect” where improved nutrition leads to better training sessions, which in turn results in less fatigue and better overall performance.   Carbohydrate Loading: A Turning Point Before the Long Course Worlds, I helped Troy with his carbohydrate loading plan. It was gratifying to see how this preparation translated to his race performance. Typically, carbohydrate loading isn’t covered until phase two of our programme, but I provided Troy with tailored advice for his immediate needs. The impact was astounding. During his practice runs and the actual event, he felt more energised, performed significantly better, and avoided the feeling of death he’d come to think was normal   Troy is now not only performing better but also feeling better. He’s found a way to balance his demanding job as a plumber with his intense training schedule, all thanks to better nutritional planning.  Looking ahead, he’s planning to race in the Western Sydney 70.3 Triathlon and aiming for the Olympic distance Worlds in Wollongong next year. Longer-term, he has his sights set on completing an Ironman by his 50th birthday.   I’ve loved working with Troy and seeing him come so far in such a short time. For those of you on the fence about investing time in nutrition education, take Troy’s experience to heart. Proper nutrition can elevate your performance, prolong your career in the sport, and most importantly, enhance your quality of life. LINKS: Check how well you’re doing when it comes to your nutrition with our 50 step checklist to Triathlon Nutrition Mastery: dietitianapproved.com/checklist   Start working on your nutrition now with my Triathlon Nutrition Kickstart course: dietitianapproved.com/kickstart It’s for you if you’re a triathlete and you feel like you’ve got your training under control and you’re ready to layer in your nutrition. It's your warmup on the path t