Nutritional Revolution Podcast · Kyla Channell, MSc Nutrition & Human Performance

Learning Balance: How Clara Koppenburg Navigated LEA & Rediscovered Joy

·1 hr 4 min·4 clips

Clara says the problem was not restriction alone, but not eating enough for the training load.

Kyla Chanel introduces Nutritional Revolution as a science-driven sports-nutrition show that tries to cut through media noise. The episode then turns to Clara Koppenburg's experience with fueling and how her food habits changed over time. Clara explains that in track and field she was not used to eating during sessions because the efforts were short. She says that when she moved into cycling, those habits carried over. She describes how training culture at the time normalized fasted riding, water-only sessions, and the idea of training metabolism. That message settled in and made it easier to believe she did not need carbs during exercise. Clara says things got much worse when she was struggling with RED-S or eating disorders. She describes bike time as personal space and an escape from the control she felt at home. She also says she was afraid of not meeting other people's expectations around food. That fear pushed her to withhold food on the bike so she could feel hunger later. She connects that to a mental bargain in which four hours of hard riding could justify eating afterward. Clara admits the logic was harmful even though it made sense at the time. She explains that training harder also felt like a way to create a bigger calorie deficit. That deficit seemed to make life feel more manageable with family and friends. The conversation shows how disordered thinking can hide inside endurance habits. Kyla keeps the discussion grounded with specific follow-up questions about fueling and training choices. Clara's answers are candid and reflective. The episode ends with encouragement around future plans, including the possibility of a cookbook. It leaves listeners with the sense that recovery can be messy, but the work toward better habits is still ongoing. The show stays focused on education, lived experience, and practical context throughout.

As heard by us

A clear-eyed recovery story that makes sports nutrition feel lived, not theorized.

Clara Koppenburg's story moves from underfueling and control to the harder work of understanding how food and training got tangled together. The episode works best when the host keeps bringing the discussion back to practical nutrition, so it never drifts too far into…

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Why you'd press play

You want a candid recovery story about fueling mistakes, low-carb training culture, and what they can do to an athlete's body and head.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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