Allen Tran: Building an Athlete, One Meal at a Time

Allen Tran is a high-performance dietitian and chef for the US Ski Team. Today, he will tell us how to convert regular meals into power-boosting food for your next run.

Tune in to hear how Allen does his job and helps athletes perform at their peak.

Topics:

[01:50] Allen got his start by going to culinary school and worked in the culinary industry for years.

[02:09] He then got a Masters in sports nutrition and exercise physiology. 

[03:07] He preps with athletes in the summer to see what their goals are for the upcoming season.

[05:16] You want enough food to fuel your performance, but you don’t want to overdo it on competition day.

[08:12] The whole role of a sports snack is convenience.

[12:22] Listen to your body and figure out if you need more snacks and where to fit in meals.

[15:45] Sherpas in the Himalayas tend to eat higher fat diets, which is great for slower burning energy.

[18:55] Allen likes to take traditional recipes and turn them on their heads.

[23:10] At high altitudes, alcohol is something to avoid.

[23:37] It’s so easy to get dehydrated in high altitudes. 

[24:16] It’s important to strike a nice balance when eating (not too light, not too heavy).

[29:01] A lot of athletes have specific preferences, which means Allen has to travel with a lot of stuff.

[29:23] Going overseas can make meeting preferences tricky.

[30:25] When overseas, Allen always has to make sure the water and meat are safe.

[35:15] When it comes to powdered foods, there’s a time and a place.

Quotes:

“ ‘You train really hard, so the day of competition is easy’ is one of those cliche sayings.”

“Comfort food does have its place.”

“When these fad diets come in and out of vogue...it can all be worked out, as long as you use real food.”

Resources:

Wagner Custom Skis