Dr James Morehen - Fueling Strategies for Elite Performance

Episode 207: In this episode, Andy McDonald speaks with Dr. James Morehen, Lead Performance Nutritionist for England Rugby and an SENr-registered practitioner working at the forefront of elite sport.

James has supported athletes across Premiership Rugby, international rugby pathways, professional boxing, motorsport, and endurance sport — previously serving as the Performance Nutritionist for Bristol Bears Rugby Union before moving into his current national-team role. Through his company, Morehen Performance Ltd, he also consults privately with athletes and high-performing individuals seeking clear, practical nutrition systems that fit real life.

James shares his journey into performance nutrition and the evolving expectations placed on practitioners — from managing game-day fuelling to navigating alcohol and recovery, and from educating players to integrating seamlessly within multidisciplinary teams. He also discusses the difference between textbook knowledge and applied practice, and how identifying simple, high-impact nutritional wins can drive meaningful performance change.

Drawing on his experience in both elite and private settings, James unpacks the realities of modern nutrition support, the myths that distract athletes, and the principles that consistently move the needle.

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Topics Discussed:

• Common nutritional challenges in athletes
• Alcohol and recovery: finding the balance
• Bridging the gap between textbook knowledge & applied practice
• Game-day nutrition: a full walkthrough
• Identifying “low-hanging fruit” for quick performance wins
• Debunking trends, myths & overcomplicated advice

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Where you can find James:

• LinkedIn

• Instagram

• X

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Sponsors

VALD Performance, makers of the Nordbord, Forceframe, ForeDecks and HumanTrak. VALD Performance systems are built with the high-performance practitioner in mind, translating traditionally lab-based technologies into engaging, quick, easy-to-use tools for daily testing, monitoring and training

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport. 

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Where to Find Us

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Our Team

• Andy McDonald
• Ben Ashworth
• Alistair McKenzie
• Steve Barrett 
• Pete McKnight