A new chapter for Dietitian Approved.

We’re thrilled to share some exciting news! Kelly Estes has joined Dietitian Approved as our Chief Operating Officer (COO).

Kelly isn’t new to our community. He’s a Triathlon Nutrition Academy alumnus and passionate advocate for triathlon nutrition education. Now, he’s stepping into this key leadership role to help us scale with intention and continue delivering world-class nutrition education for endurance athletes across the globe.

About Kelly

Hailing from Idaho, USA, Kelly recently returned to triathlon after a successful career in the nuclear industry, where he held senior leadership positions at the Idaho National Laboratory. His previous roles include Director, Advanced Test Reactor (ATR), Business Affairs Division; Deputy Director, ATR Life Extension Program; Manager, ATR Production Control; and various leadership and project management positions.

Kelly brings decades of experience in operations, project management, and strategic planni...

Triathletes, are you sidelined with an injury? You train hard, race harder, but when injury strikes, it can feel like everything comes to a screeching halt. That was Brian's reality after tearing his ACL in a backyard basketball game. But just nine months later, he’s back in the saddle, smashing 90km rides and prepping for Ironman 70.3 races. So, what helped him recover fast and come back stronger? Nutrition.

In this blog, you'll learn:

• How strategic fuelling accelerated Brian's ACL rehab
  
• The common mistakes he made early on
  
• How he now fuels smarter for training, recovery, and performance
  
• The mindset shift that helped him go from couch-bound to race-ready
  

Let’s dive into Brian’s nutrition-fuelled comeback.

The Injury That Changed Everything

What started as a fun Dads vs Sons basketball game ended in a torn ACL for Brian. Already deep in prep for 70.3 Chattanooga, his injury meant hitting pause on training, racing, and life as he knew it.

"The identity hit was huge," Brian ...

Are electrolyte drinks helping your training or just making expensive pee?

If you're a triathlete, you've seen the pastel-coloured powders and slick marketing promising better hydration, more energy and faster recovery. But here's the truth: most of it is hype. For endurance athletes, hydration is critical, but the way we use electrolytes needs to be strategic.

In this blog, we’ll unpack:

• Why triathletes actually need electrolytes

• The dangers of drinking too much plain water

• What to look for in a quality electrolyte product

• How to create a personalised hydration plan

Not everyone needs electrolyte drinks every day

From skin patches to chews and brightly branded sachets, electrolytes are marketed as essential. But unless you're training long, sweating heavily or racing in heat, plain water (plus food) is usually enough.

Key point: Just because a drink says "electrolyte" doesn't mean it's helpful for triathletes. Many are low in sodium and packed with fairy-d...

If you're a triathlete training hard but not quite nailing your performance, your gut might be holding you back. Gut health is more than a wellness buzzword—it’s emerging research shows it plays a pivotal role in how you recover, adapt and perform.

In this blog, you'll learn:

• What the gut microbiome actually is (and isn’t)
• Why gut health matters for endurance performance
• What the latest research says about gut bugs and athletes
• Six simple, evidence-based actions to support your gut

What Even Is the Gut Microbiome?

You’ll often hear people throwing around terms like “microbiota” and “microbiome” like they’re the same thing. They’re not.

• Gut microbiota = The trillions of organisms (mostly bacteria, but also viruses, fungi and others) living in your gut.
• Gut microbiome = Those organisms plus all their genetic material and what they do. Think of it as the full ecosystem.

This system is a key player in digestion, immunity, inflammation, mental health and, crucially for tri...

Electrolyte drinks are everywhere right now.

They're popping up on podcasts, in influencer morning routines and on supermarket shelves.

But are they really necessary for everyone?

I recently spoke with the Australian Financial Review about this exact question for their article, “Electrolyte Drinks: The Simple Rule for When to Consume Them” (note: google the title to access the article if you don't have a subscription).

Here’s the key takeaway:

•  For most people, plain water is perfectly adequate for hydration. Electrolyte drinks are only beneficial when you’re exercising for long durations (think four hours or more) or sweating heavily in hot and humid conditions.

As I explained in the article, your sweat rate and sweat-sodium concentration are highly individual.

Some athletes lose much more sodium than others. If your training clothes often have white, crusty marks or you can wring out your top after a session, you might be a salty or heavy sweater.

That’s when it’s worth...

Back of the Pack? Why You Still Need to Nail Your Triathlon Nutrition

If you’re an age-group triathlete who proudly races from the back of the pack, you might think nutrition isn’t as important for you. Maybe you’ve thought, “I’m not fast enough to need gels” or “I’ll just eat some real food on the course and see how I go.”

But here’s the truth: nutrition isn’t just for the fast ones.

Whether you’re first across the line or finishing with the sweep vehicle hot on your heels, the demands on your body are just as high — sometimes even higher. Back-of-the-pack triathletes often spend more time on course, under load for longer, and therefore have an even greater need to get fuelling right.

In this blog, we’ll dive into:

• Why nutrition matters just as much for slower athletes

• The biggest fuelling mistakes back-of-packers make

• How to shift your mindset around food and performance

• What smart fuelling looks like when your race takes 8+ hours

Let’s get into it.

Long...

If you're a female triathlete who's ever questioned whether your nutrition needs to change depending on where you're at in your cycle, you're not alone.

Hormones shift throughout the month and can influence everything from metabolism and hydration to gut function and sleep. But does that mean you need a completely different fuelling plan when you’re on your period?

Let’s break down what the latest research actually says and what that means for you on the ground as a training triathlete.

The Four Phases of Your Cycle Explained

Before we dive into what to do, it helps to understand what’s happening.

1. Menstruation (Day 1–5): Oestrogen and progesterone are low.
   
2. Follicular Phase (Day 1–14): Oestrogen rises as your body preps for ovulation.
   
3. Ovulation (around Day 14): A spike in oestrogen, luteinising hormone and FSH.
4. Luteal Phase (Day 15–28): Both oestrogen and progesterone are elevated.

Cycle length can vary between 21 to 35 days and even differ month to month.

What ...

Are Wearables Worth It? What Triathletes Should Know About WHOOP and Oura

If you're a triathlete, you're probably obsessed with data. Pace, watts, heart rate, sleep score, HRV, TSB... the list goes on. You’ve either already got a WHOOP or Oura — or you’re tossing up whether one is worth the investment. But here’s the thing: more data doesn’t automatically mean better performance.

In this blog, we break down what the research really says about wearables like WHOOP and Oura, how reliable the data is and the smartest way to use it to train harder, recover faster and perform at your best.

Meet the Expert: Prof Shona Halson

Professor Shona Halson is arguably Australia’s leading expert in sleep, recovery and performance. With 25 years of experience working with elite athletes, including at multiple Olympic Games, Shona has conducted numerous validation studies on wearable tech. In a recent chat on the Triathlon Nutrition Academy podcast, she shared the evidence-based truth about wearable...

Training like a machine but still falling short on race day? You’re not alone.

Triathletes are some of the most dedicated athletes on the planet. You follow your training plan religiously, tick every swim, bike and run session off the calendar, and yet come race day, something's still not clicking.

Sound familiar?

In this post, we unpack the real-life story of Brent Saltmarsh – a determined age-group triathlete with a military background – who learnt the hard way that training hard just isn't enough. With PBs finally falling and cramping issues a thing of the past, Brent's journey through the Triathlon Nutrition Academy (TNA) is packed with lessons that could change your race results too.

Cramping, Bonking and Gut Bombs: When Training Alone Fails

Brent came into triathlon from a 30-year career in the army. No stranger to hard work, he brought that same "grit it out" mentality to his endurance training. But what he didn’t realise was that his nutrition strategy – or lack of it – wa...

Are you chasing speed but still underperforming?

If you're a triathlete who's invested heavily in the latest gear but still struggling with cramps, bonking or gut issues on race day, this is for you.

There’s no shortage of shiny new toys promising better performance. But the truth? Most of them are a distraction from what really makes a difference.

In this post, we’re unpacking five of the biggest obsessions age-group triathletes pour time and money into, and revealing what will actually improve your race results.

1. Fancy Carbon Shoes Won’t Save a Bonk

There’s no denying that carbon-plated race shoes feel fast. But if you're walking the last 5km because you’ve hit the wall, even $400 super shoes won’t help.

• The carbon plate wears out after 160km, which is just a few races

• Most triathletes don't run with the technique needed to get the benefit

• If your race nutrition is poor, you're still going to suffer

What moves the needle: A well-tested fuelling plan. One th...