Weight Loss vs. Performance
Let’s challenge a deeply rooted assumption.
May 5, 2026 · 35 min · 20 segments
**Here’s a run down of what we discussed in today’s episode:** - Biggest Nutrition Mistakes Runners Make - Why Carbs Are Essential for Endurance Running - Carb Loading: How to Do It Properly - Sugar…
So I have to first kind of, like, ask to set the stage, what is the biggest myth or misconception or mistake that you see runners making because they have been misled by diet culture messages for the masses?
The biggest thing I see, and Kylie'll have a different perspective as someone that works one-on-one with athletes, but I think the idea of erasing weight in general or thinking that weight loss is the best way to optimize performance.
So often people really over-index on it because it's easy to see, it's easy to measure, it feels pretty simple, but it's just one of hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of factors that goes into athletic performance.
I'm not getting the, you know, Boston qualifying time," or, "I'm not able to finish ultras in the time I want, and the number one thing between me and my next best performance is weight." Whereas it's just one of many, many factors.
And in fact, when you look at the evidence, it's pretty much impossible to both optimize performance and lose weight at the same time because inherently if you're functioning in a caloric restriction, your body doesn't have the resources that it needs to adapt to the training stimulus you're giving it.
So even though many of us were sort of raised to believe that exercise is the best way to lose weight, training is not a great way to lose weight, and these things sort of exist in conflict with one another, which sits counter to the narrative I think a lot of us were fed as younger people.
So I have to first kind of, like, ask to set the stage, what is the biggest myth or misconception or mistake that you see runners making because they have been misled by diet culture messages for the masses?
The biggest thing I see, and Kylie'll have a different perspective as someone that works one-on-one with athletes, but I think the idea of erasing weight in general or thinking that weight loss is the best way to optimize performance.
So often people really over-index on it because it's easy to see, it's easy to measure, it feels pretty simple, but it's just one of hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of factors that goes into athletic performance.
I'm not getting the, you know, Boston qualifying time," or, "I'm not able to finish ultras in the time I want, and the number one thing between me and my next best performance is weight." Whereas it's just one of many, many factors.
And in fact, when you look at the evidence, it's pretty much impossible to both optimize performance and lose weight at the same time because inherently if you're functioning in a caloric restriction, your body doesn't have the resources that it needs to adapt to the training stimulus you're giving it.
So even though many of us were sort of raised to believe that exercise is the best way to lose weight, training is not a great way to lose weight, and these things sort of exist in conflict with one another, which sits counter to the narrative I think a lot of us were fed as younger people.
Every episode on Radar is fully transcribed, speaker-labeled, and rich with metadata. Here is a taste of this one. Try Radar for free to see the rest.
3 of 8
Weight Loss vs. Performance
Let’s challenge a deeply rooted assumption.
CGMs Misused For Athletes
Many are misreading the glucose story.
You Don’t Need To Biohack
Here’s why fasting feels seductive.
+5 more clips · 11 min 37 sec of audio in all
The rest of this transcript — segmented and speaker-labeled, so you land on the exact moment something was said
All 8 clips — the highlight moments, each cut as its own audio, with a title and a speaker
All 21 segments — the transcript broken into labeled sections, every ad read marked
All 14 topics — jump to every other episode discussing the same subject
Every related episode — other shows Radar links to this one
No account is needed to search Radar.