#608: Performance Nutrition in Elite Rugby – James Morehen, PhD

Performance nutrition in elite sport is often discussed in terms of meal plans, supplements, and macronutrient targets. However, effective practice in professional environments depends just as much on education, trust, communication, and the ability to translate scientific principles into decisions athletes can act on under real-world constraints. In this episode, Dr James Morehen discusses his work across elite rugby, football, and combat sports, with particular attention to the demands of professional rugby. The conversation explores how practitioners support athletes in a high-impact collision sport, including fuelling for training and match play, managing body composition without reducing athletes to arbitrary numbers, addressing recovery from muscle damage and injury, and developing practical systems around game-day nutrition. The episode also provides insight into the realities of building a career in performance nutrition, including the importance of applied experience, interdisciplinary collaboration, and learning how to coach athletes rather than simply prescribe to them. Timestamps: [03:31] Interview starts [10:26] Educating athletes on nutrition [13:55] Breaking into elite sport [26:26] Physiological demands of rugby [30:53] Energy needs and timing [38:28] Body composition measurements: utility? [46:16] Game day fuelling strategy [01:07:09] Key ideas (premium-only) Links: Go to episode page Join the Sigma newsletter for free

You can listen to #608: Performance Nutrition in Elite Rugby – James Morehen, PhD online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

#608: Performance Nutrition in Elite Rugby – James Morehen, PhD is an episode from Sigma Nutrition Radio by Danny Lennon.

This episode is 01:08:02 long.

This episode was published on Jun 2, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Sigma Nutrition Radio when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.