Training isn't everything when it comes to athletic performance. Nutrition is just as important. We spoke to Scott Tindal, co-founder and Chief Nutrition Officer of Fuelin, about how Fuelin came about, the scientific approach behind it, and why good, performance-improving nutrition is no coincidence. Fuelin is a personalized nutrition app designed to help athletes eat smarter, recover better, and improve their performance in the long term.
Sporthunger: Scott, you’ve worked with professional athletes for many years and have built an impressive career in sports performance and nutrition. Could you tell us a bit about your background and what first drew you into this field?
Scott: I originally trained as a physiotherapist at the University of Sydney, then moved to the UK. Got my MSc in Sports & Exercise Medicine from the University of London, Queen Mary with Distinction and finished studying a Post Graduate Diploma in Sports & Performance Nutrition at the University of Westminster. Sport has always been my passion - cricket, rugby, weight training and now endurance sports. Nutrition for endurance athletes is next level - precise and actionable and that is what I love.
Sporthunger: What key lessons from working with elite athletes inspired you to develop a solution like Fuelin?
Scott: There was a gap in the market to address specific nutrition for athletes based on what they are actually doing, rather than a theoretical exercise of “if this, then that”. I was working with professional triathletes and seeing that they were struggling with the same issues that age groupers were. With Fuelin, we deliver the exact information in real-time to athletes based on their training schedule. It's pretty awesome!
Sporthunger: Many great ideas start from a simple observation or frustration. How did the idea for Fuelin come to life — was there a specific moment or experience that triggered it?
Scott: I used to manually copy the TrainingPeaks programs into Google Sheets to create the individualized fueling plans that later became the foundation of Fuelin. It was an extremely time-consuming process — about three to four hours per athlete every week. As my roster grew, this approach quickly became unsustainable. Most training plans are created on weekends for the upcoming week. So, my weekends were a mess and I needed to sort it out.
Eat Smarter, perform better - what Fuelin can actually do
Sporthunger: For readers who haven’t heard of Fuelin yet — how would you describe what the app does and who it’s for?
Scott: It's simple. We deliver the exact fuel daily that you require based on your actual training program. You do not need to think about what you should eat before, during or after a session because we do all of that for you. Every meal, every snack is accounted for based on the timing of your training. This means your daily macros (protein, fat and carbs and total energy/calories) are set based on your personal biometrics, training load, training timing, personal goals around body composition (fat loss, muscle gain) and performance (races or training). We allow users the flexibility to eat their own food or choose recommendations via our feature “Smart Meals”. As long as you stick to our guidelines, you can have any dietary preference you desire. This is a key feature of the program that allows for consistency and sustainability.
Sporthunger: There are countless nutrition and tracking apps on the market. What makes Fuelin stand out from the rest?
Scott: We are not a food tracker app. That is merely a feature within Fuelin. We are a Performance Operating System. We allow anyone who is exercising to optimize their health and performance through nutrition, training and recovery. Because we sync with the athlete's training schedule or have the athlete create their schedule directly in Fuelin, they get a truly personalized nutrition program.
Our food tracker is incredible - you can talk or type in full sentences (german or english) and “Scooter” - our AI food tracker will do the rest. The athletes only task is to say or type in what they are eating and how much of it. You can also use “Smart Meals” to get coach recommendations, or use “Meals with ….” and tell Fuelin what ingredients you have. We do the rest. If you are eating out Scooter will give you options that fit your macros. Finally, you have a bar code scanner that is free and included in the subscription.
Another feature that Fuelin has that no other food trackers have is “Sweat Rate and Carb Capacity Testing”. This allows users to understand their sweat rate, fluid intake and get personalised recommendations for future sessions in specific environmental conditions. It helps with training the gut and improving carb intake for those higher carb fueled sessions.
Sporthunger: Fuelin combines nutrition guidance with training data. Could you explain how this integration works in practice and why it’s so effective?
Scott: To see the specific sessions that the athlete has on their weekly schedule, we directly sync via API with the following training platforms:
- TrainingPeaks, Pushing Limits, HumanGO, Garmin, TriDot, RunDot, Final Surge, Apple Health
If an athlete doesn’t use a training platform and instead relies on spreadsheets, they can easily build their training calendar in Fuelin using training blocks. Many users choose this option — afterward, they simply sync their Garmin watch or another device through Apple Health. It really is that simple.
Sporthunger: Let’s talk about the user experience. When someone downloads Fuelin for the first time, what can they expect — how does the app get to know them and start providing personalized guidance?
Scott: After the initial onboarding questionnaire, we already have most of the information we need. Once the training program syncs the user is set.
Sporthunger: You’ve received feedback from athletes all over the world. Could you share some examples of how Fuelin has helped users improve their performance or relationship with nutrition?
Scott: Honestly, there are too many. I don’t mean that arrogantly - it is what it is. We receive daily messages from athletes who have suffered from low energy availability (LEA) or relative energy deficiency in sports (REDs) to say how they have transformed their relationship with food, fueling and sport to be healthier than ever. These types of stories are very uplifting and motivate us to continue what we are building. The focus on rounded nutrition with a big emphasis on vegetables, fruit and fiber makes us stand out from the rest. Here is a quote from an athlete I received yesterday:
“I've healthily lost my weight. I've never felt better. My daily nutrition is now grounded in eating my vegetables. :) My husband and my kids are eating better than ever. My recovery improved, and my performance improved. I was able to manage some of the biggest training I've ever done en route to the Ironman World Championship.”
Sporthunger: For many people, nutrition can be overwhelming. How does Fuelin make healthy fueling easier to understand and apply in everyday training life?
Scott: Because we remove the decision paralysis and guesswork, it allows athletes to focus on the fun part - eating! When you don't have to think about how much or what to eat, it becomes enjoyable as you can focus on the actual food you are going to eat. Nutrition is difficult, and if you are an endurance athlete, it is even harder because meal timing is critical to success. We eliminate that thought and provide clear information on timing as well.
Sporthunger: Is the app only for high-performance athletes, or can recreational runners and fitness enthusiasts benefit as well?
Scott: Fuelin is for anybody who is exercising. Whether they have a health goal or a performance goal, we will allow them to achieve that. We love to say, “A healthy athlete is a high-performing athlete!”
Science meets everyday life - a new approach to nutrition
Sporthunger: Fuelin is grounded in science. Could you give us an insight into the research, data, or methodology that underpins the app’s recommendations?
Scott: It has been 4 years of refinement from a research perspective and practical experience. With the assistance of Dr Alan McCubbin and Megan Foley, we have developed a science-informed and field-based program. We have some exciting upgrades to the system coming before the year is finished. This will be the result of twelve months of refining the algorithm that fuels the Fuelin Team.
Sporthunger: How do you and your team ensure that the advice remains both personalized and evidence-based, as nutrition science evolves?
Scott: We are open to change. We have our scientific principles that we stand by, yet we remain open to the evolution of nutrition through time and further research. Nothing is set in stone, but we know we are not a fad or a flash-in-the-pan type service. Our guidelines and information are based on the best available evidence at this point.
Sporthunger: How do you see technology shaping the future of sports nutrition and athletic performance in the coming years?
Scott: We are at the forefront of it right now. Our algorithm and integration technology is leading the way. AI will continue to allow us to provide better insights into what the Fuelin program is doing and how we are impacting athletes. Further personalisation will be possible through critical analysis of the millions of data points we collect daily. This will allow uber personal programs reflecting athlete's needs. It is exciting when we look at our road map.
People, myths, motivation - a look behind the scenes
Sporthunger: Two outstanding triathletes immediately catch the eye on your website. You have Jan Frodeno as Chief Performance Officer and Daniela Ryf as Chief Fueling Officer on your team. How did you convince them to join, and how would you describe their influence at Fuelin?
Scott: I worked with Jan Frodeno in his final year. We won the USA National T100 title together. He is now a good mate and we chat weekly. Jan's investment in Fuelin was a no-brainer from his perspective, as he saw the value of what we could do for athletes and the results that could be achieved. We host the Fuelin Sessions Podcast together.
Daniela reached out to me on social media. She holds a degree in nutrition and was super interested in what we were doing because of her personal passion for food. We chatted, met in Kona, and she invested after using the Fuelin app for only a couple of weeks. Dani and I talk constantly about recipes and fueling. She has a million great ideas and is extremely funny. Dani is a regular on Fuelin Sessions as well.
When the program works, it works! Both Jan and Dani are amazing people, not just incredible athletes. Their insights have been invaluable and they continue to be an influential part of Fuelin.
Sporthunger: You’ve probably encountered countless nutrition myths. Which one would you most like to set straight once and for all?
Scott: Where do I start! Rather than focusing on myths, I would ask athletes to focus on this. Consistency! Nutrition is no different from training. If you’re consistent with following a program, you will see results. Nothing flashy, no tracks. Simply following your daily nutrition plan based on your training will get the results you want.
Sporthunger: What’s your personal go-to pre-workout or recovery meal?
Scott: Toast with Vegemite or raisin toast with butter if I’m eating before training. Breakfast recovery fuel is either overnight protein oats or eggs with sardines and toast.
Sporthunger: Finally, if you could give one piece of advice to anyone who wants to fuel smarter and perform better — what would it be?
Scott: Use Fuelin!
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You can find more information about Fuelin on their Website.
