Twitter profile: @IdaHeikura
Email: ida.heikura@gmail.com

Guest Bio

Ida earned a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Exercise Physiology from the University of Jyväskylä, Finland. She completed her Ph.D. in Australia (Australian Catholic University) under the supervision of Prof Louise Burke, Prof John Hawley, and Dr Trent Stellingwerff (CSI Pacific, Canada). Her thesis focused on: (1) Self-reported dietary periodization in world-class endurance athletes across macro-, meso- and micro-cycles of training and competition; (2) Day-by-day periodization of energy and carbohydrate availability in professional cyclists across single-day racing and effects on physique and endocrine system; (3) The effects of a 3-week ketogenic diet and acute carbohydrate feeding on bone turnover in world-class race walkers; and (4) The effects of 5 d of low energy vs low carbohydrate availability on bone turnover in world-class race walkers. Ida’s research interests span a range of topics, from periodized energy and carbohydrate availability, to the recently defined concept Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport.

On this episode:

• The basics of carbohydrate and energy periodization in endurance athletes
• Interpretation of periodized approaches by endurance athletes
• The current state of “diet wars” and “food tribalism”
• Periodization in Pro cyclists: the case of Mitchelton Scott during the 2018 spring classics
• Low energy availability during the cycling spring classics
• Periodizing carbohydrate VS traditional high carbohydrate feeding
• Carbohydrate manipulation and immune health
• Ketogenic diet and the impact on bone health
• Dietary periodization and altitude exposure

Articles mentioned during the episode:

Heikura, I. A., Quod, M., Strobel, N., Palfreeman, R., Civil, R., & Burke, L. M. (2019). Alternate-Day Low Energy Availability During Spring Classics in Professional Cyclists. International journal of sports physiology and performance, 14(9), 1233-1243.

Heikura, I. A., Stellingwerff, T., & Burke, L. M. (2018). Self-reported periodization of nutrition in elite female and male runners and race walkers. Frontiers in physiology, 9, 1732.

McKay, A. K., Heikura, I. A., Burke, L. M., Peeling, P., Pyne, D. B., van Swelm, R. P., … & Cox, G. R. (2020). Influence of Periodizing Dietary Carbohydrate on Iron Regulation and Immune Function in Elite Triathletes. International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism, 30(1), 34-41.

Burke, L. M., Ross, M. L., Garvican‐Lewis, L. A., Welvaert, M., Heikura, I. A., Forbes, S. G., … & Hawley, J. A. (2017). Low carbohydrate, high fat diet impairs exercise economy and negates the performance benefit from intensified training in elite race walkers. The Journal of physiology, 595(9), 2785-2807.

Heikura, I. A., Burke, L. M., Hawley, J. A., Ross, M. L., Garvican-Lewis, L., Sharma, A. P., … & Ackerman, K. E. (2020). A Short-Term Ketogenic Diet Impairs Markers of Bone Health in Response to Exercise. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 10, 880.

Stellingwerff, T., Peeling, P., Garvican-Lewis, L. A., Hall, R., Koivisto, A. E., Heikura, I. A., & Burke, L. M. (2019). Nutrition and altitude: strategies to enhance adaptation, improve performance and maintain health: a narrative review. Sports Medicine, 1-16.