Fueling Your Workouts With Leeauna Duchesne RD Part 1

In this episode of 'Wellness Unpacked,' host Tisha chats with Registered Dietitian Leeauna Duchesne (she/her) about how to fuel your workouts through proper nutrition and supplementation. They cover topics such as the importance of pre- and post-workout nutrition, the role of specific supplements like creatine, protein powders, and omega-3 fatty acids, and the nuances of eating to support different types of workouts.  Learn about the best practices for staying hydrated, how to choose the right kind of protein powder, and why certain supplements might be worth considering for optimizing your fitness and overall health.

03:09 Leeauna's Journey into Dietetics and Fitness

07:24 Fueling Your Workouts: Pre and Post Nutrition

18:11 Protein Needs and Sources for Women

24:48 Plant-Based Protein Powders and Leucine

25:09 Understanding Creatine: Benefits Beyond Muscle

27:31 Gender Differences in Creatine Usage

29:14 Optimal Timing and Forms of Creatine

32:39 Electrolytes: Hype vs. Necessity

36:03 Top Supplement Recommendations for Active Women

41:47 Supplements on a Budget: Top Picks

44:03 Overhyped Supplements to Avoid

47:29 Podcast Conclusion and Next Episode Preview

Follow Leeauna

Integrative Nutrition RDs (Ontario): https://www.shelleyrd.com/

Diet Redefined (BC): https://dietredefined.com/about/

Instagram: @that.rd.life

Follow Tisha
Website: nourishedwithtish.com
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Tiktok: @nourishedwithtish

Transcript

 Welcome to Wellness Unpacked. I'm your host, Tisha, your gut and hormone nutritionist and TMI bestie. I help people like you to improve their hormones, gut health, and their relationship to food and their bodies using an inclusive and anti-D diet lens. Join me as we deep dive in a conversation about diet, culture, hormonal health, sexual health, and let's be honest, the topics that maybe we're too shy to bring up anywhere else.

Follow me on Instagram at Nourish with Tish, and make sure to subscribe to the podcast so you'd never miss an episode. Let's dive in. Well, welcome back to another podcast episode. I am really excited today because this is the first time I've ever had a guest on the podcast, and I'm really fortunate that my guest today is Liana Duchenne, who is a registered dietician that.

I know personally, um, she works at Integrative Nutrition rds, and I will be fortunate enough to be doing a placement with her and with another dietician, Shelly Amato in the fall. And I am really, really looking forward to it. Liana has to be one of the warmest, kindest, and most knowledgeable people I know.

So I knew I wanted to do an episode on sports nutrition and fueling your body. I just felt she would be perfect for it. So that's exactly what we're gonna be talking about today. Honestly, this conversation was a long one. We had so much to talk about. So I think I'm going to break it up into two parts and we'll be discussing everything from how to fuel your workouts before and after, what you should be prioritizing, what supplements are worth it, and how the type of workout you do.

Impacts the type of fuel and nutrition you need. So if any of that is of interest to you, you will absolutely love this episode. So a little about Liana. Liana Duchenne is a registered dietician based in Toronto offering virtual nutrition. Counseling across Ontario and British Columbia specializing in simple, effective weight loss strategies, eating for fitness and gut health.

She uses an evidence-based approach that combines practical solutions with her own experiences focusing on chronic disease management, including digestive health, fatty liver disease. IBS and inflammatory bowel diseases. Liana often employs a functional nutrition lens to address root causes. She also collaborates with F 45 gyms where she educates members on how nutrition impacts their fitness goals and helps them reach their full potential by harnessing the power of nutrition.

So with all that said, welcome Leanna. All right, Liana, welcome to the podcast. Thank you so much for being here. I am really excited to pick your brain because I feel like when it comes to nutrition and working out, you are so knowledgeable. Aw, 

thank you. Thanks for having me today. It's great to be here.

The sun is shining. I'm ready to talk. Everything about fueling for workouts during your cycle. We're gonna talk fuel recovery, post-workout supplements. Good stuff. 

All the good stuff. Okay. Yeah, I can't wait to dive in. So maybe to start off, we can kind of backtrack and you can tell us a little bit about your background, who you are, how you got into the dietetic space and what got you into working out and fitness.

Yeah. How 

much time we got 

the long story. I grew up a very curious child, but also a very health focused household. My mom was an aerobics instructor growing up, so health. And kind of healthy eating was always in the background, but I noticed from an early age, it was always really curious about like what ingredients were in food, like why some foods were cheaper than others, and just like always reading labels in early.

Love for cooking. And then I really entered my fitness journey when I was about 17 years old. I was always. A kid that struggled with their weight. So having someone like my mom that introduced me to fitness was life changing. But then when I really started to see results in the gym, I had all these people coming up to me being like, oh, what are you eating?

You look amazing. And I was eating horribly at the time, so that kind of really peaked my interest. I think the only good thing I had in my diet at the time was like yogurt and you know, the occasional homemade pasta, but was eating a lot of processed foods. Fast food as a teenager and it kind of like really sparked like, oh, like what results could I get if my diet was also kind of in line with my physical activity?

And then I think I was curious to get into like health promotion, but I was like, that wasn't quite it. And then I was like, nutritionist maybe. And then I remember seeing, I think it was um, a Ryerson or UBC program for a dietician and I was like, this. Is exactly what I've been looking for, like for so many years.

Like if I wanna do something in nutrition, I really wanted to go all in like the highest level, become the best expert as possible. And as soon as I was in the program, I'm like, these are my people. This is my community. This is something that I'm gonna be interested for the rest of my life. It's gonna serve me.

I'm gonna be able to help people, and this is something that I just wanna learn about. For the rest of my life. So that's really how I got into it. 

I love that. Holy. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. I am curious, as you were starting your dietetics journey, was there a steep learning curve when you were learning what kind of like how to fuel yourself properly?

Was, were there big changes or anything that really surprised you? 

Oh, absolutely. I think even like. In my first couple years of the nutrition program, my diet still wasn't the best. Like I was still struggling with that work school balance and just grabbing like quick food from chip Horton's sometimes.

But then I really started to feel the fatigue, the brain fog, like my brain wasn't used to like all the extra studying and focus and stuff. So then I started to switch my diet over the years and it really made a big impact. But one thing I wasn't able to master. In my degree was the exercise. Mm. So I feel like I really missed out on that for like optimal brain function and stuff, but like just between working 30 hours and school and everything, I just couldn't get the habit of exercise.

So I feel like that could have benefited me. So soon as school is over, I was like, all right, no more excuses. I have the time. Let's jump right in. And I was able to finally prioritize that and get into the habit. 

Yeah. I love that. And I'm not sure, you and I are similar in age, so I'm not sure if your university experience was similar where it was very much like a work hard, play hard.

So study hard. Yeah. And then lots of like drinking on the weekends and I feel like, yeah, I feel like now it's a little bit different. Totally. I feel like when I talk to students now, I feel like they're not, they're not drinking as heavily as we were, but I can definitely imagine that. 

Yeah. 

Yeah. Working out was like really not in the forefront.

For sure it's different for mature students, right? We have different, you know, responsibilities when we get home. Yes. I wasn't living with my parents like it was just me on my own for my first year and then me and my partner. So it's like you don't just go home and you know, dinner's ready for you and Yeah, you know, things are done.

It's like you have to also prioritize dishes and cooking and meal planning and. All 

the things, you know, keeping your 

relationship going. All the, all the stuff for mature students. 

A hundred percent. Yeah. Okay. I'm curious, how does eating to support workouts differ from just trying to eat healthy in general?

Yeah, so it's a little bit more strategic than healthy eating, so it's a little bit more focused on timing, for example, and specific nutrients to support energy. So think, fuel, train, rebuild are kind of like the three pillars. So you're not just really eating for long-term health, but also for those immediate demands on the body.

So for example, there's a higher emphasis on carbs, pre-workout proteins, sub carbs and fats post-workout, plus the of those, think about hydration, some micronutrient needs like iron, particularly for women, B vitamins, and those things to increase activity. So a little bit more. Strategic instead of just like a well-balanced diet, there's just particular timing for certain nutrients that you really have to focus on.

Yeah, for sure. And we're gonna be diving into all of that and I'm really pumped to, to get into it. Um, so I feel like one of the first things you hear is that you should never work out on an empty stomach. Is this true? Is it a good idea to work fasted? And if you are eating before a workout, how long should you be waiting ideally?

Yeah, it's a great question. And there's a little bit of controversy 'cause like. For men, fasted workouts are generally okay and when we look at the research, men's bodies with their hormones, they respond a little bit better. Yeah, to fasted training, whereas women, our hormones or bodies are a little bit more sensitive to fasted training.

However, there is some research when you look at fasted cardio, it can be a little bit better for fatty acid oxidation, for fat burning. Some people do find success, but for a lot of women. It's just gonna cause extra stress on the body, more muscle breakdown. So especially for like hormone shifts depending on where we are in the cycle.

Fasted training's not really optimal, especially if you're burning out halfway through, like you're feeling a little bit fat. Sometimes hydration before a workout isn't really optimal, particularly for women. That's why you'll see books like. Fasting like a girl and you know, all these topics that have been in the media for a couple of years now because there is a big difference between men and women when it comes to fasted workouts.

Yeah, and I've experienced this myself. I used to be someone who did a lot of intermittent fasting and when I started my fitness journey I would often do fitness, um, workouts like running or when I started F 45, I was doing it fast and I felt okay, but then I started to fuel just to experiment before, and I was like.

I gotta have so much more energy. I'm not burning out, I don't feel like dead, like I need a nap after the workout. So I noticed a big difference in kind of that sustainable energy throughout that. But you have to kind of experiment, see what works for you. Everyone can be quite different, but when we look at like the research on a whole, for most women, I wouldn't recommend doing a fast food workout.

Yeah. Yeah. I see that even with my partner and I, when we go in the morning, he loves to go fasted and will crush a workout, and I like, I feel very easily depleted. I feel like I can't finish my sets, like I feel so exhausted. I start, I like even start to feel a little shaky and I'm like, no, it's not for me.

I have to eat beforehand. 

Exactly. 

Do you have a go-to like snack or something that you like before workout? It kind of depends. If we, I'm not gonna lie. If we are rushing it, I'll always stop by. We have an A and w right across the street and I will just grab a breakfast sandwich 'cause I'm like, I, it's better that than nothing.

Um, otherwise it'll be a protein bar, something really small. Uh, yeah. Maybe you can give some advice on what to eat for people who maybe are working out first thing in the morning and don't want something really heavy in their stomachs. For 

sure. Yeah. I know especially at F 45, there's some early risers, like the 6:00 AM workouts.

I used to do those myself. Not anymore. 'cause I'm prioritizing sleep, which I know we'll get into a little bit later too. But I find like people that work out pretty early in the morning, like 6:00 AM, 7:00 AM sometimes just the thought of chewing makes them nauseous. Like there's not a lot of hunger. 

Yeah.

In the morning. So even just focusing on some electrolytes, something really light, like think about something like. Even half a banana. You barely have to chew it, but it gives you some source of energy or like a rice cake. You know, you eat it, it basically just dissolves and it gives you that kind of quick carbs.

So there's some things where are like, I really like the go-go squeeze apple sauce. It's like you're basically like drinking it, but it's already broken down. It's pulverized so you don't have to chew, but it gives you some sustenance of quick carbs. 

I love that. Okay. It sounds like, so before a workout, we really wanna be having just quick, simple carbs to fuel up our workouts.

Is that right? 

Yeah. So hydration, caffeine is another big part of it, especially if you really wanna improve performance focus, especially mental caffeine is the best pre-workout, as long as that's okay, you know, for your lifestyle, for your body. Caffeine, hydration, and some quick carbs. That's the trifecta.

Okay. Good to know. Okay, and then what about after a workout? Is there some truth that you should be eating and refueling right after your workout? Do you have a little bit of a time window there? Is it okay to skip eating if you're, if you're busy? If you're not hungry? What's that look like? 

Yeah. I used to have the mindset that you have to eat like an hour after, and then.

There's some new research that's showing. If you're pretty good at spreading your protein out at each meal, like if you're really consistent getting that 30 grams of breakfast, lunch, and dinner hitting your goal, then it actually becomes less important to get that immediate protein after your workout.

It's only for people that maybe aren't good at having consistent protein throughout the day. Maybe they're lacking protein in their diet. That's when it becomes more important to get it after the workout. Because of that muscle protein synthesis. We want things to recover, things to build and not kind of deplete our own, uh, muscle reserve and like glycogen, all that good stuff.

So it depends on how much protein that you're getting throughout the day, how well you can spread it out. So I used to have the stance that yes, you have to immediately go home within an hour, get your 20 to 30 grams of protein. But if you're able to get consistent protein pretty much each day and it's spread out quite well, then it gives you a little bit more wiggle room.

So you have like a couple hours? Yeah, I would say two to three hours to get in some nourishment. 

Perfect. Okay. That makes sense. Yeah. Okay. So if I'm having, let's say I'm having my half a banana and my coffee before my workout, after my workout, what are some good, easy options if I'm looking to bump up my protein and replenish my glycogen stores?

Yeah, 

so I like to focus on a little bit of carbs with fiber after the workout. 'cause pre-workout, we had our quick refined carbs. Yeah, so post-workout, I like to focus on some fiber because we wanna keep you full for a long time too. We don't wanna just eat something and then we're starving an hour later because all the systems are firing in that kind of catabolic phase.

Things are breaking down. So we wanna give you that sustainable energy. So I would say at least 20 to 30 grams of protein in there. Some carbohydrates with fiber, and then some healthy fats to keep you there. So some things that I like, like a quick smoothie with protein powder in there, some fruits. And then add some like avocado or nut butter for some healthy fats.

Or I also really like, uh, eggs and cottage cheese with toast, like a chicken rice bowl, leftovers, Greek yogurt with berries. Just something simple that you can throw together. So I really recommend to my clients like have a couple options, like three rotations. Like either you're gonna do leftovers, you're gonna do a smoothie or like something with eggs, like have your go-tos.

That way you're not coming home starving after a workout and be like, what am I going to eat? Or be tempted to go and grab something quick after when there's no kind of plan in place. So I have a couple go-tos. After the workout and focus on protein, carbs, and fats. 

I love that. Yeah, that's so important. I definitely think planning ahead and just having a couple options in your fridge is so key.

We really wanna avoid feeling ravenous and just going through the pantry and eating whatever is quickly available. So that's a great idea. 

Yeah. 'cause you're probably just gonna grab a bunch of like quick carbs when you're starving in ravenous or like eat a bunch of like snacky foods and maybe not get.

Something balanced that's gonna keep you full for the next couple hours. 

Absolutely. Yeah. Okay. I love that. Okay. Switching gears a little bit, if we're talking about different kinds of workouts, are there differences in how we should fuel if, let's say we're doing more strength training, or if we're doing more cardio based workouts, and what exactly does that look like?

Absolutely. So strength training, you wanna prioritize adequate protein a little bit more to support that muscle repair and growth. Carbohydrates still play a key role, especially in the pre and post workout, but we wanna have a little bit more focus on protein. Especially if your, your goals are for muscle hypertrophy, you really wanna gain that muscle and strength training.

Some people will even do a little bit of pro before there's strength training. Some people do it during, depending on how long their sessions are. Like some bodybuilders that are doing like a couple hour long sessions, they might do a protein shake. With some carbs in between just to make sure they're not breaking down any muscle.

Cardio carbs are a little bit more crucial, especially for that moderate to high intensity. Longer sessions, if it's under an hour, you don't really need to fuel during, but if you're doing like over an hour, if you're doing two hours, it's good to get a little bit of carbs like mid. Kind of session just to repair so you don't burn out.

And then protein helps you preserve that muscle mass as well. So it's kind of similar for strength training and cardio, also hydration. Super important for both. I think this is something that people really underestimate and then they end up with dehydration, headaches or just like general fatigue during workouts if they don't hydrate.

But both types of training really require proper hydration to support performance and recovery. Also thermal regulation, getting your body temperature back into a normal range post-workout. Both really benefit from a mix of carbs and protein. So kind of similar for post-workout, one to two hours or so.

Post-training for mix, so like functional training, like F 45 hit trading, meals and snacks, a little bit more balanced. So again, just prioritize both protein and quality carbs. Before and after a workout. Yeah. Kind of similar across the board, but a little bit more emphasis on protein. Mm-hmm. For strength training and a little bit more emphasis on carb fuel before a cardio.

Let's talk about protein, because I feel like I see that all over TikTok. I feel like there's a huge emphasis right now on getting enough protein. So how much is actually enough, enough protein, and how much do, how much protein do women need to feel their workout? 

Yeah, great question. There's so much controversy.

I feel like for the last two years, like protein's just been the topic to talk about. There's so much debate. Before it was like, you need so much more, but now people are like the dangers of too much protein, so it's good to, to touch on this. So I would say most important, instead of just focusing on a number, it's really important to spread your protein out evenly.

Throughout the day. That would be my number one recommendation to start with. So even if you're just getting like 10 grams per meal, you're starting small, the more consistent you could be with it spread across, the better you're gonna feel. It helps support neurotransmitters, it will help with mood, with satiation, so many things instead of just trying to hit that daily number.

'cause some people will have like no protein and breakfast a little bit at lunch. So then be like, oh my God, I haven't had any protein. And then kinda load it. In a lot of the dinner, so it can kind of be uneven in that sense. Okay. So it's really good to spread it out evenly, but a really good starting goal, especially for most women, and we'll get into the evidence-based calculations, but at least 90 to a hundred grams per day.

Mm. And it gives a really well-rounded number to start with. For most women, depending on your body weight. Then we'll get into the calculations, but it's a really good starting place. And it kind of covers the basis, but it gives you enough, and it's hard to reach like a hundred grams per day, like depending on where you're at.

Like some of my clients be like, oh, I'm only getting 50 grams per day. Like 90 to a hundred seems daunting. So just finding little ways to slowly increase it is gonna make it easier on your gut and digestion as well. Yeah. So start small. Just focus on spreading it out. Throughout the day, see if you can regularly hit 90 to a hundred grams per day.

Some days might be a little bit less, some days a little bit more. It's okay if it even so like that, but it's so important for muscle recovery, satiety, body composition, mood, neuro transmitters, like dopamine, serotonin, gaba. All these things depend on amino acids, so it's really important to have that high protein in the diet.

And if you're someone who's struggling to get enough protein and in your brain you're like, Ugh, I cannot possibly eat another chicken breast. Um, what, what are some examples of other sources of protein that might be a little bit more realistic or feasible to add into your diet? 

Yeah, I would say like even just getting a list of good sources is like a good starting point.

'cause I think there's so many different foods, like people don't know. That things like spinach have protein in it or like legumes and like all these seeds. So it gives you a good idea and you could find, like you could useche GBT, be like, just generate me a list of like, you know, 50 of the most common foods that contain protein or find some great resources online.

Yeah, yeah. 

But some quick ones that I really like, like eggs, egg whites, things that are really easy, like protein powders. Some people are like, I'd rather get it from food, but a protein powder is such an easy way to give yourself a little boost, and it's very easy to digest, whether it's plant protein, whey protein, or Casey.

And there's a bunch of different types of protein powder. And we'll talk, I'm sure about which one is the best for most people, but it's a really easy way to sneak in a little bit, whether you're making overnight oats, you're gonna make protein pancakes, you know, you can put it in baked goods or just have a quick shake.

It's really easy to supplement, and a lot of people add this into their diet and depend on it because it is really hard to get it from food alone. And then the cost basis for high protein foods, it can get expensive too. So if you can have. You know, a fairly priced protein powder that you can add in once in a while, that's gonna be very helpful.

But also things like Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, dairy products, or milk alternatives. Like just having a glass of soy milk, you can get eight grams of protein. Yeah. And a lot of other nutrients. So just becoming familiar with having protein variety. And there's so many different foods like spinach or peas and like all these greens that have protein in them as well.

So just becoming familiar. With the whole rainbow, like the spectrum of foods that really have protein in it. It's not just chicken and beef and eggs and these things that, that are full of protein. 

No, I think that's such a good point. So many foods have protein in it. A lot of plant-based foods have protein in them.

So when you diversify. It becomes a lot easier to meet your protein needs. But I also love that you mentioned that protein powder can be a great way to bridge the gap and really meet your needs because Yeah, for a lot of people it can be a really big struggle, especially if you're busy, if you don't have a lot of time, like adding a scoop of protein powder into something you're already making can just be so easy and accessible, so I love that.

Yeah. No shame in the protein. Better. Yeah. Like some people think it's cheating, or it's like cutting corners, like it's the high quality. Easy to absorb, easy to digest, source of protein, and it's often quite affordable when you compare it per scoop compared to some like proteins, like chicken breast or like, you know, some of the more expensive proteins.

Yeah. Do you have a preference for protein powders? Is something that you like to recommend or something that you prefer to use for yourself? 

I do. It depends on the goal. I would say the biggest difference between plant protein. And animal based. So there is whey protein, which is made from cow's milk, and they can either derive whey or casein protein from that.

That would be my general recommendation for most people is a whey protein because it's a high quality protein. But the main difference is something called, uh, an amino acid called leucine, which is the most important amino acid for muscle protein synthesis. It's involved in the mTOR pathway, which helps build the.

The muscle blocks plant protein is generally deficient in leucine. That's why you'll see some plant proteins adding in leucine, or some people that are plant-based, they'll actually supplement with it because it's not as abundant and it's not as absorbed from plant protein. Whereas one scoop of whey protein isolate can give you that about two and a half grams of leucine that you need each day really easily.

So one scoop of whey protein powder kind of covers your base. Mm. 

For 

the amino acid, Lucy, and just in that one day 

Wow. Instead of 

trying to get it from all these different foods and such. But yeah, a lot of um, plant-based protein powders are kind of realizing like, oh, we wanna make sure our protein powder is just as equivalent to whe, so they're actually been adding in Lucy and.

Wow. Which is great to see. Okay, that's really cool. That's good to know. Okay, let's talk about creatine because that is another supplement that I feel like we are constantly seeing on the gram. Um, I know it's gaining popularity. Can you talk a little bit about what it is and who might benefit from it?

Absolutely. This is one of my favorite things to talk about right now 'cause there's so much research coming up about it and like. There's so many misconceptions. People still think of it as like, oh, just something for bulking that bodybuilders use. But now we're really seeing research come up about brain function, help with A-D-D-A-D-H-D, like Alzheimer's cognition, like so many things that people are starting to realize about creatine now.

So not just for muscle, but it's a naturally occurring compound that's found in our body. Our body naturally produces creatine. And it helps produce quick energy, which is a TP. So the Aden Adenosine Tri Phosphate. It helps with the conversion from a DP to a TP. So super important for getting energy to muscles, but also to our brain.

It's mostly stored in our muscle naturally, but it's also stored in brain and a couple other areas of the body, depending on if you're male or female. It's stored a little bit differently, but it's especially beneficial for strength, power, and lean mass. Naturally produced in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas.

It's made from three amino acids, but once it's synthesized in the body, it's stored mostly in skeletal muscle. About 95% of creatine is gonna be stored in muscle, and this is how it's really good for that quick energy that's short, quick that you wanna kind of perform in a gym, like something like sprinting or lifting where you kind of need that quick, like fast twitch.

It's really important for that. So a lot of people actually confuse it with creatinine. 

Mm-hmm. 

Which is like how it's excreted in the body. Like people are like, oh, it's gonna give you like, you know, liver damage and affect the kidneys and all that because it's often confused with creatinine. But that is how it's excreted is through creatinine.

But we could monitor that, you know, through blood work. We could check creatinine levels, but most people don't really reach. Saturation points where it starts to excrete, like over excrete as creatinine. 

Hmm. Okay. Yeah, that's so good to know. And are there, are there gender differences at all, um, between men and women when it comes to taking creatine?

Are there different benefits at all, or is it relatively the same? 

Absolutely. One caveat about creatine is it's not gonna be helpful for everyone because there is actually non-responders to creatine. So about 20 to 30% of the population, they actually have like more storage of creatine. They might be naturally more like, have more lean muscles, so they might already be quite saturated with those creatine levels.

So if they start supplementing, they might not see a huge difference. But for the other percentage of people, particularly women, because women produce naturally less creatine in the body, but we also consume less through the diet. 'cause most of the sources naturally of creatine are a lot of meat. A lot of animal proteins and women tend to eat less animal protein than men, so we're getting less through the diet.

Naturally, we're producing less, so women can absolutely benefit more than men. When it comes to creatine, typically women have lower total creatine stores than men due to lower muscle mass on average. Hormonal de differences. I think estrogen plays a role and that means that women may benefit even more from creating supplementation in terms of strength, performance, muscle muscle recovery, uh, cognition, sleep deprivation.

Recovery is another big one. Wow. And there's a lot of emerging research now. That shows not just benefits for muscle, but for brain health, mood, bone density, and all these things that become particularly important in the forefront as we transition as women from perimenopause to menopause. 

Wow, that is super cool.

Is there a good, is there an ideal time to take creatine or can you take it anytime a day? I've started just adding it into my water when I go to the gym. Is that a good option or does it, does it matter when you take it? 

It does, I think most important is consistency with it. So whenever you could be most consistent with it would be number one.

So if it's, you know, before a workout, if that's the only ideal time that's gonna work for you, that's perfect. 'cause consistency each day is most important. Secondarily, there is some new research showing that if your goals are for muscle hypertrophy with creatine specifically, if that's like the main thing you wanna get out of it.

Post-workout is the way to go. Oh, there's some studies showing now that creatine post-workout dramatically increases muscle protein synthesis compared to pre-workout. So it depends on what your goals are. Like if it's for cognition, like focus energy, you could be a little bit more flexible with the timing.

But if your goal really is for muscle hypertrophy, I would definitely recommend taking it post to workout. Yeah, just add it in some water. Powder form is the best, just because it's not like interacting with like any other ingredients in it. Like if it's in a gummy, it could be interacting with, you know, some of the artificial sweeteners and we don't really know, you know, if it's broken down or if it's changed at all in that little gummy.

Yeah. So the best form to take it would be like a pure powder. And I should specify, 'cause there are different types of creatine. Okay. So creatine, monohydrate. Is the best form. There are some other types like creatine, HCL, that some people will take, but creatine, monohydrate is the most researched supplement when it comes to fitness and recovery.

We have so much research on it, and creatine, monohydrate is the most effective. So that's the branch. A powdered form of creatine monohydrate is what I would. 

Wow. I love that. Okay, so it kind of sounds like most people could probably benefit from taking creatine. Is that right? Like if you're working out and you're, or even just sounds like for cognitive benefits, it sounds like there's a lot of good reasons to be taking it.

Absolutely. Unless I think you're pregnant, breastfeeding, or you know, you have like a kidney condition or your doctors saying, you know, don't take creatine. Those are kind of the three. Times, I would say no. But there are some research coming out about pregnant women taking creatine, so I think that's gonna change.

But for right now, from the research, I would say pregnant, breastfeeding, any kind of chronic kidney disorders, maybe ask your doctor before taking creatine, of course. But for most people without those conditions, absolutely. Creatine is completely safe. It's natural. There's not a lot of harmful effects.

Unless you're gonna do like a really high loading phase of like 20 grams per day for seven days, that can cause some people a little bit of GI distress. 

Oh. Just 'cause 

of like the extra water that can be pulled into the gut. So it causes some people, not a lot of people, but some people will get GI distress when they do like a high loading.

Yeah. 

So I usually recommend start with that five grams per day. You don't have to do the loading phase, but just start with that. Try to be consistent with it, and that's usually enough for both people. 

I love this. I'm like, I'm so glad that this is recorded right now. 'cause I'm like, okay, I need to go back and write this down.

Like I'm learning so much. You're so knowledgeable. Amazing. So amazing. Okay, let's switch gears a little and let's talk about electrolytes because that is another supplement that people have a lot of questions about. Yeah. Are electrolytes overhyped? Do we actually need to be taking them? Are they beneficial?

And what are your thoughts? Like even just thinking, I know Element is like the electrolyte to go to, and I know it's kind of on the pricier side. Is that worth it? All the, are there alternatives? That's a lot of questions I want, but 

electrolytes are so over hyped right now. I feel like, I think the people that could really benefit from them.

Or like the athletes, endurance athletes, people that are training for multiple hours during the day, sweating a lot, or you know, you're working out so much like you're on a football field, you're cramping like your body's out of sodium and it can't contract the muscles. Like these are the people that can really benefit from electrolytes.

People that are like, let's say like I'm an F 45 are like me, electrolytes are a little bit less important unless I'm like very dehydrated or maybe I don't have enough magnesium. Because most people get enough sodium, too much sodium in their diet in the North American diet, so we don't really need to supplement with excess sodium unless we're like sweating a lot or.

Let's say you're someone who works outdoors in construction and you're just like sweating all day. Absolutely. Something like electrolytes would be really important to replenish some of those minerals, especially for muscle and brain function. I would say most people don't need electrolytes, but they are like a nice to have, not a necessity.

Is how I would describe it. But there are some people like, like some of our clients that are dehydrated and struggling with bowel movements, like something like an electrolyte can be a nice add because of the extra magnesium in it. So it could be a nice way to kind of help two birds with one stone, like the hydration, the bowel movements, if it's something you know, it's really easy to consume for them.

So electrolytes a nice to have, not a necessity for most people. But there are some clients that I've seen really benefit from them that like, let's say, don't like plain water. So if they put electrolytes in there, like I had a client call it her expensive water. So she's like, I'm gonna drink it because this is my expensive water instead of just regular water.

So it can kind of change like. 

I'm like nodding my head aggressively because this is me. I'm like, I love, I like if I add a little scoop, it's a little bit like I have some flavored water and like now I'm definitely going to drink it. So I think for those people. What are your thoughts on electrolyte, especially if maybe they're going for a lower sodium version, would that be the recommendation?

Absolutely. Yeah. Like something like Elements, which is really popular, like it has a thousand milligrams of sodium per serving, so you're gonna do that every single day. And you're not really cognizant of like how much sodium you're getting in your diet. That could be a possible way to kind of poke the bear of hypertension in a sense, because a lot of people are getting a lot more than 2300 milligrams of sodium in their diet.

So for adding on an extra thousand. Just from an element drink and you're not sweating it out. Yes. You're not, you know, really getting it out of the body and losing that sodium to begin with through the sweat, and then just like intaking more sodium. That could be a kind of dangerous dance when 

it comes back.

Absolutely. Yeah. No, I think that's such a good point. Okay, so we talked about creatine and protein powders and electrolytes. Are there any other supplements that you love to recommend to women or really anybody who. Are trying to get more active or who are working out regularly? 

Absolutely. So usually focus on food first and then add in a couple supplements, but I would say the most ones, the most popular supplements that I recommend are creatine protein powders.

Magnesium would be number three. I typically recommend vis glycinate, or citrate typically are the two types, but there's a lot of different varieties of magnesium that are good for different things. Iron and B vitamins, especially for active menstruating women are especially important. I can't tell you how many of my active young clients are deficient in iron or low ferritin and just fatigued all the time, so this is something really important.

To pay attention to, especially if you have a heavier cycle or you're plant-based and you're not sure about iron sources in your diet or you know, you're drinking a lot of coffee, tea, and dairy, like all these things that can interrupt iron absorption in the body, like it's so complex of timing with iron and that particular nutrient.

But B12 is another one, especially for active females. Omega threes, I would say are one of the most important supplements that I recommend for recovery because of the anti-inflammatory benefits of them, that Omega-3, omega six balance that needs to be paid attention to in the body. Most people have way too much omega six in the diet, but not enough.

Omega-3, in fact, we need one to two grams or a thousand to 2000 milligrams. High quality omega threes, which is EPA and DHA, every single day, and most people are not getting this from diet. When we look at the research, only 10% of people are getting one to two grams of omega threes from diet. So supplements can be really in important for that, whether it's like a plant-based LG form of Omega-3 or a fish oil.

There's a lot of good varieties out there. Now, I would just pay attention. To the amount of EPA and DHA in the supple because they vary so much. Like there's some that will say like a thousand milligrams, but then there's a bunch of filler in it and you're really only getting like 300 grams of EPA and DHA.

So I could recommend a couple different brands that I like, like I really like sports research. Mm-hmm. Um, triple strength fish oil because it's in triglyceride form, which is the most absorbable form. Of Omega-3, but it also has a high amount of EPA and DHA per capsule. So you don't have to take like four of the giant fish oil pills per day to kind of reach that.

So there's some variation between brands. So I would just say pay attention to the label. You know, make sure it's sustainably sourced, it's third party tested, all those good things when it comes to Omega-3. And then other supplements that I often recommend are vitamin D three with K two, especially for bone health.

For women, that's especially important, but also for us living in Canada, we're often vitamin D three deprived, especially all winter long. Mm-hmm. 

So 

I know the sun's just starting to get out now, and it's strong enough to get vitamin D, but we still need so much of it because we've been. I think lacking in vitamin D since like September.

Mm-hmm. A hundred percent until though, 

yeah. Is there other than that, yeah. 

Is there a brand of vitamin D that you really like to use or recommend? 

Um, I think there are pretty similar, as long as it's not, um, like sometimes you'll find like vitamin D with other stuff in it. I like to have a standalone. One, and then one that has K two in it.

Okay. Because usually like you'll find it's a thousand IUs of vitamin D three with K two, which really isn't enough for most people, especially during the winter months. So I like to have a standalone D three to kind of add in on the side to kind of help reach like 2,500 IUs, 5,000 IUs, about that range.

But I think the recommendation to hit per day is around 4,000 IUs. Okay. For those people. So usually about a thousand isn't quite enough unless you're, you know, it's summer, you're outdoors for multiple hours during the day. Wow. Okay. Then you can kind of get away with that lower dose, but it's hard to get vitamin D just from food mm-hmm.

Alone to get that sufficient amount. 

A hundred percent. Okay. I love that. That's so helpful. Okay. Are there any other, any other supplements that you want to recommend or that you think are important to mention? 

Yeah. One that I really like for, um, energy in the morning and fat oxidation. So let's say you're focusing on body recomp and you're doing a fat loss phase.

Something like L-Carnitine, which is in a an antioxidant can be really good for energy production kind of before a workout. Like instead of caffeine or a pre-workout, it kind of gives. Some energy, which is quite nice, but it has been quite impactful for fat loss, both in my own body comp experience and for some clients, but it also helps with recovery 

after 

workouts, which is kind of a nice perk as well.

And then something new that I've been recommending to some clients is ashwagandha, because of the new research on how it improves sleep, how it helps with recovery, but also how it impacts muscle hypertrophy and fat loss. There's a lot of. New research coming out because it's an adaptogen. Yeah. Like it helps your body adapt to stress, it helps with sleep, and these are all things that are gonna hugely impact fat loss and, and muscle hypertrophy.

That is. So this is something new. So cool. Yeah, yeah. Love that. Did not know that. That's super interesting. Okay. If I am someone, we'll get off supplements a second, but if I am somebody who has a limited budget and I only have room for maybe three supplements for to support my fitness journey, what are your top three recommendations?

Where should I start? Ooh, 

it's different. Different for everyone, but I would say probably cream and protein powder. And what would be a third one? This is a tough one. I would say omega threes. Okay. Yeah. And omega threes would be my third. So creatine protein powder and omega threes just 'cause it's so hard to get omega threes from diet.

And you mentioned that it's helpful for recovery, which is something it ne like that thought never occurred to me, that anti-inflammatory piece. So I love that. 

Absolutely. Yeah. Huge for like that inflammatory response, but for joint health, brain support and just that overall balance of inflammation. Yeah.

The body, because most of our diet, the North American diet, it's a lot of omega sixes, which is that pro-inflammatory. So it's really important to think of it as a scale of like Omega-3, to omega six, like if we're having this much omega six, but only like this much Omega-3, like you're gonna be more on the inflammatory side of that.

So really important to pay attention to that. That's why there's so much talk about the Mediterranean diet when it comes to, in like inflammation. 

Mm-hmm. 

As the anti-inflammatory diet. It's just because of all those omega threes that are so abundant. 

Okay. And we see 

that in the blue zones too. There's a really high emphasis on omega threes.

Yeah. And fatty fish and stuff like that. But it'll be interesting to see like since our oceans are being impacted by climate change and mm-hmm. You know, overfishing and all this, it'll be interesting to see, you know, as we have less. Fresh fish, especially like wild caught not farm fish. Yeah. Like how this is gonna impact people's diets and supplements and and stuff like that.

So I'm curious to see, 

yeah, the next 

like 10 to 20 years, how like omega threes are gonna be in the diet and what are we gonna go to More like plant-based Right. EL sources that are a little bit more sustainable. Yeah. 

Yeah. That's so fascinating. Good food for thought. Yeah. Are there any supplements that you think are overhyped or unnecessary or maybe just not worth spending the money on if you are on a budget and you know, trying to be a little bit more discerning?

Absolutely. I think some of the common ones, like BCAA, so branch chain tomato acids, basically like expensive water. Like as long as you're getting enough protein in your diet alone, like BCAAs aren't gonna do much. Bore you. It's just like a drop in a bucket, so to speak. It doesn't have such a huge effect unless you're very like protein deficient.

Mm-hmm. 

BCAAs can be a little bit more important, but for most people it's not gonna have a big impact. But you know, it tastes good. So if it's some way it gets you to drink more water, like, you know, make that decision on your own. Um, fat burners I think are a waste other than l-carnitine. Like a lot of those fat burning pills are a waste.

Collagen can be, it's very expensive to begin with, but like if you're not consistent with it and you're not pairing it with resistance training and overall protein, it's gonna be hard to see the effects. There is some good quality research, but it's still kind of like on the fence that it can be good for skin and for like tightening of skin, which can be important for it.

Like, you know, that toned physique for muscle gait and stuff like that. You can get a good amount from food as well. There's some really good high quality sources of collagen. 

Yeah. And the 

diet. You can do bone broth, like there's some, a lot more inexpensive ways than supplementing with it 'cause it is quite expensive.

And then pre-workouts that contain like 50 different ingredients. Like it's not gonna be as effective as just caffeine alone or just L-carnitine because if it's like a pre-workout that contains like. You know, all this caffeine, and it's got B vitamins and it's got this and this and that. Like you're not gonna be able to absorb all of the Yeah, the ingredients to kind of get that impact as much as like a standalone.

So obviously there's too much going on, like there's too many cooks in the kitchen when it comes to those pre-workout supplements. Just might get you jittery and things like that, but usually just like a cup of coffee, sub caffeine or, yeah. Some of their pre-workout is, is better than, and they're often quite expensive too, those pre-workout powders.

So, yeah. And I don't like, I feel like they make you feel kind of buzzy and I, I don't like the feeling of them, so I, I'm quite happy to hear that they're not necessary. 

Yeah, some people like them and swear by them like you do you, but for most people, like a cup of coffee is so much cheaper. If that's in your routine already, you don't need to do a pre-workout or an energy drink.

And the pre-workout and energy drinks, especially for cardio, I don't recommend them. Like for strength training, the caffeine can be really good, but for cardio, like too much caffeine. Too much pre-workout, it puts more stress on your heart. So it's gonna be like you're gonna have like a higher heart rate, heart palpitations, and like have a little bit like a different change in blood flow in the body.

Mm-hmm. So you might feel more faint 'cause your heart's working a little bit harder. Okay. So for cardio, I would say go easy on the Kathy and the pre-workouts, but it's a little bit more impactful for resistance training where you really have to link. Sum up that energy to get that extra rep, like that's where people really see the benefit for pre-workout.

Okay. Amazing. That's so good to know. Okay. Interrupting this podcast episode because I think I'm gonna end it here and then do a part two. Let me know if you prefer the strategy of having two episodes under an hour, or if you would rather just have the full podcast all the way through. Sometimes I kind of like the satisfaction of being able to say that I've fully listened to a podcast episode while I'm at the gym or something, but if that's not you, let me know and I will just accordingly in the future.

My goal is to have the second podcast episode up immediately after this one. So hopefully you can just continue right on into the next episode there. We're gonna be talking about how to fuel your workouts around your menstrual cycle, how to prioritize recovery, what Undereating looks like, and some of the most common mistakes that women make when it comes to fueling their fitness.

You can also find all the details on how to work with Leanna and where to find her in the show notes below. Thank you guys so much for tuning into this podcast episode, and I can't wait to dive into part two with you. And also, if you have the time today to leave a review, I would really appreciate it.

That is hands down, the best way to support me and the podcast. If you get a chance to leave a little review a little. Little comment. I would love you forever. And if you don't already follow me on Instagram at Nourish with Tish, please join me over there. I'm always sharing lots of fun tips, nutrition recipes.

Does that make sense? No nutrition tips and recipes. There we go. Um, and latest podcast episodes along with any blog episodes, blog post. Holy moly, you can tell it's the end of the day. Um, so definitely join me over there. Alrighty. Enjoy the rest of your day, and if you get a chance. Go outside, move your body, get in some fitness 'cause we love that.

Okay. Bye.