Welcome to the lab
Why the Lab?
I created the LAB for a few reasons.
The first? I kept getting asked by my clients:
“What should I be eating?” — before, during or after my workout. The answer is probably the most annoying — It depends.
At the simplest level, it depends on the intensity and duration of your workout. But even that doesn't tell the whole story.
Are you running intervals or heading out for an easy run? Is this your only workout of the day, or are you training twice? Are you running for 30 minutes or two hours? Is it 95 degrees outside? Are you training at altitude? Traveling? Recovering from a particularly hard week of training? Are you on your period?
Your fueling needs aren't exactly the same every day because your training isn't the same every day. That's what I wanted The Smoothie Lab to simplify.
What smoothie should I make?
Instead of that question (above). Start with what are you doing? What are you asking your body to do that day and find a recipe built for it!
You'll find smoothies/electrolyte drinks based on things like:
Type of workout: Lifting, running and hybrid training
Pre-workout needs: Intervals, speed work, long runs and double-training days
Post-workout needs: Long-run recovery, strength sessions and harder training days
Physiological needs: Hormonal changes, recovery and immune support
Training environment: Heat, altitude and travel
Why Smoothies?
I LOVE smoothies! But I have to give my mom credit for this one. She was making me smoothies before smoothies were cool. I still remember leaving one on top of my little red Mazda Miata one morning on my way to school. I drove off, completely forgetting it was there, and the smoothie proceeded to drip all down the front of my car.
So yes, smoothies and I go way back.
But beyond loving them, I also think they're an practical tool for everyday athletes. They can do more than just be a meal replacement too. A smoothie can be fuel. Change the ingredients, portions and timing, and you can change the purpose of the smoothie.
Science behind the Lab
Fueling your workouts can feel complex. My goal with The Smoothie Lab is to make it feel much simpler. You choose a recipe based on what you're training for that day. Underneath that simplicity is a concept called nutrition periodization.
Nutrition periodization is strategic adjustments of your diet to match your training phase. Just like your training changes throughout the week and across a training cycle, your fueling patterns should change with it.
A long run has different energy demands than an easy recovery run. A heavy lifting session is different from a speed workout. And a double-training day is different from a rest day.
Using nutrition periodization principles can help you better match your fuel to your training demands, supporting sustained energy, delaying fatigue, and improving your body’s ability to use different fuel sources efficiently.
Do I need a smoothie everyday?
No! My goal is to help you understand why you're choosing what you're choosing.
If you're training hard, food isn't something you need to earn or something you should constantly be trying to minimize. It's one of the tools that helps you run farther, lift heavier, recover better and continue becoming a stronger athlete.
Start with your workout. Pick your smoothie. Let's fuel.
