John Odell – Coeliac Duathlete

"The service I received was above and beyond my expectations. I only wish that I had visited Mac-Nutrition years ago!"

"Having been forced to take a year off competing due to injury and recovery from surgery, I decided to look afresh at all elements of my training, equipment and approach to racing. Nutrition was one of the few areas that I had never previously sought profession help with, which in retrospect is daft. As I had not worked with a nutritionist before, I carefully researched a number of options and was impressed by the testimonials on the Mac-Nutrition website, the clear focus on sports / performance nutrition and my initial impressions when getting in touch.

The service from Mac-Nutrition was very impressive, from my initial enquiry all the way through to the ‘after service’. The consultation with Sarah was excellent. It was fascinating to spend time with a professional performance nutritionist discussing my diet, training and racing. Sarah provided some great insights and suggestions regarding training, as well as advising on ways to improve my diet. This included discussing nutrition strategies for racing and debunking some of the assumptions and mistakes I had been making. All of this was done while bearing in mind my gluten-free dietary needs. The written report I received following the consultation was of the highest quality and is frequently referred to. Sarah also answered some follow-up questions for me and I felt the service I received was ‘above and beyond’ my expectations. I had been mistakenly getting a few things wrong (especially with race day nutrition and supplements), which I have been able to improve. It was equally important for me to understand what I had been getting right, and why. I now feel much better informed and confident with my diet. I am also now equipped with some strategies to use when recovering from gluten ingestion, which inevitably occurs from time to time and can hit me pretty hard.

There is an unlimited amount of advice to be found in the media, online, from friends / club mates and even coaches. For me, it was really important to talk in specific terms about my needs and objectives and get advice from a professional, rather than try and interpret and apply generalist information which can often be confusing and / or contradictory (or just wrong). I am now making informed dietary choices, rather than a ‘best guess’, which has the added bonus of making me more relaxed about my diet. I also have a plan for race day nutrition (well, a number of plans depending on the type and duration of race) which I know is sound. I feel happy about the knowledge I have gained and how I have been able to apply it.

I definitely feel that I have been able to train harder and recover better having applied what I learned from Mac Nutrition. It has been an entirely positive experience and I have already recommended Mac Nutrition to a number of friends. I have only recently returned to racing, but have been pleased with my performances and have no doubt that my improved nutrition strategy has a huge part to play in that.  I will definitely continue to use Mac Nutrition to for advice, especially when planning for new challenges. I only wish that I had visited Mac Nutrition years ago!"

John Odell, Nottinghamshire