Elite athlete Tracey Jacobs has been a fan of the Nutrisense program for a while now! When we spoke to her a few years ago, she told us how great it had been to maximize her performance with the program's help, primarily through working 1:1 with her personal sports dietitian at Nutrisense. Over the past few years, Tracey realized she needed to revisit her nutrition and exercise plan to account for new transitions in her life. We decided to explore how her journey has progressed with the help of Nutrisense and her personal registered dietitian, Amanda Donahue, MS, RD, CD, following along as she prepared for her next big race. Watch the video above to see how Tracey and Amanda adjusted to account for her entering menopause, hormonal imbalances, and elevated A1C. And then read on for some additional highlights from their conversations! It’s been great! I knew a lot about sports nutrition and meal timing, pre- and post-loads, but I couldn’t see the whole picture without you. You’ve been able to spot things I missed and make changes that have truly helped me level up. Having that 1:1 support was invaluable—especially when I realized I was actually undereating during training! When I realized I needed to reoptimize for this year’s race season, there was no question—I had to come back and work with you again. You understand my data and how my body responds to different stimuli, whether food, training, or rest. It’s not just about the numbers; it’s how you interpret them for my specific needs. I knew I was in good hands. This time, I was also looking to adjust based on some changes in my body. I’m menopausal, I have borderline prediabetic A1C levels… so I needed to switch things up to fuel myself properly again with your support. It was a combination of things. First, the last couple of seasons were mentally and physically grind. I felt like my body was hitting a plateau. I wasn’t recovering as fast as I used to, and some of my glucose levels were all over the place, especially on more challenging training days. I was also starting to have these random spikes in my glucose. I thought I was doing everything right, but clearly, my body had other plans. I’ve always been a bit of a data nerd, so I started tracking everything—sleep, nutrition, hydration—but it felt like I needed an expert’s eyes on it all again. I wanted to figure out how to push my body to the next level without crashing. Plus, I had some big races lined up, so the timing was perfect. That’s exactly it. It felt like I had this puzzle of my hormones and A1C levels, and none of the pieces fit together. I was eating clean, training hard, but the weight gain around my midsection and the glucose spikes after meals remained. It wasn’t until you helped me realize that my insulin resistance was increasing due to this that things started making sense. Yes! You also really got me to focus on protein, which I wasn’t prioritizing nearly enough. I had been so carb-focused, thinking that was the key to fueling for my long rides. But it wasn’t working, and I felt drained afterward. Once you suggested increasing my protein intake, especially post-ride, my recovery improved drastically. Another eye-opener was the hydration strategy you introduced. I had no idea how much the electrolyte balance affected my performance and recovery. I used to drink water throughout the day, thinking that was enough. But you helped me realize I wasn’t replenishing the electrolytes I was losing. Yes, I’m glad we focused on that. Hydration is more than just drinking water—it’s about replacing the electrolytes you’re losing, especially with your activity levels. And that helped your energy too, right? Yes. And the timing of everything—my meals, hydration, and recovery—was critical. I didn’t realize how much my body’s response to food had changed because of my hormonal shifts and changes in blood glucose levels as I aged. Before working with you, I would eat whenever it was convenient, but it wasn’t supporting my training or my glucose management. Now, with your help, I’ve learned to space out my carb intake and balance it with proteins and fats, especially before and after workouts. Tailoring your nutrition to your hormonal transitions and life changes is so important. Meal timing and composition were essential for steady glucose levels throughout the day. And it worked! My energy felt more stable, especially on those challenging training days. I wasn’t crashing mid-ride like I used to. The adjustments you made to my pre-ride meals and hydration plan made all the difference. I’m so glad to hear that. It’s all connected—your glucose stability, recovery, and overall performance. The goal was to get your body into a rhythm where everything supported your training and your health through this new stage in life. That was such an eye-opener too—you also helped me figure out the night sweats. They were brutal, waking me up in the middle of the night and leaving me exhausted the next day. At first, I thought it was just the training fatigue, but you pointed out how stress, hydration, and even my late-night snacks could be contributing. Once I made those adjustments, the night sweats improved, and my sleep got better. It led to better sleep, which was a game-changer. Once I got more restful nights, my performance on the bike improved, and I didn’t feel as wiped out the next day. It’s like my body finally had the chance to recover properly. And honestly, I didn’t realize how much my sleep impacted my glucose levels until we worked together. Sleep is one of the biggest factors in recovery and glucose management. Once we dialed in the hydration, stress, and nutrition, your sleep naturally improved, which in turn helped stabilize your glucose levels. I felt like I was finally in control of my body again, even with menopause and prediabetes. I remember when I first saw my A1C levels creeping up, and it scared me. But now, I feel like I’ve got a handle on it, thanks to the personalized plan you helped me develop. And you’ve done the work to stay on top of it! I'm so glad to see how focusing on the right combination of nutrition, hydration, and stress management has enabled you to keep those glucose levels in check, which is huge for managing prediabetes—but also helping you win those races! I couldn’t have done it without you, Amanda. Your guidance has been invaluable, especially as I’ve navigated these health challenges. And it was also so great to be able to have video calls with you to work on an action plan face-to-face. They were so accommodating to my schedule, and I loved that we could dive deeper into the details of my nutrition and training and get that tailored advice based on what was happening with my body in the moment. Having the support and motivation live, too, made the process feel so personal—it kept me motivated to stay on track. I feel like I’m performing better than I have in years despite the menopause and prediabetes hurdles. I’m excited to see where this takes me in the upcoming race season!
