Paul Booth: Performance Nutrition And Fueling Strategies For UTMB

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Overview

Join Coach Scott Johnston for a conversation with Paul Booth, who works alongside Scott as a Performance Nutritionist on the teams of 2025 UTMB 1st-place finishers Tom Evans and Ruth Croft. In this discussion, they explore the fueling strategies and testing used for Tom and Ruth, examine how nutrition influenced their UTMB performances, and share tips and strategies for amateur and elite runners alike. See episode guide for topics covered. 

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Episode Guide

• 00:00:00 Introduction
• 00:00:39 Paul’s experience and educational background
• 00:04:57 Testing for and optimizing fueling strategies
• 00:14:57 Causes of GI upset
• 00:17:11 Effects of dehydration
• 00:19:29 Strategies for training your gut 
• 00:20:99 Fueling for running vs. cycling
• 00:28:38 Fat for fueling and fat adaptation
• 00:38:48 Glycogen depletion stimulus strategies
• 00:45:05 Pre-race gut training
• 00:46:59 Nutrition should support training load
• 00:49:54 Paul’s thoughts on Kilian Jornet’s fueling strategies
• 00:52:02 Work capacity of world-class athletes
• 00:59:40 Respiratory Exchange Rate explained
• 01:01:58 Carbon-13 isotope testing for measuring carbohydrate metabolism
• 01:10:44 The gamble of fueling and training approaches
• 01:16:20 Model for the future of trail running
• 01:18:09 Final thoughts