Rebecca Dent: High-Performance Dietitian for Ultra Runners & Mountain Athletes
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Rebecca Dent is a high-performance dietitian specialising in ultra runners and mountain sport athletes — from passionate recreational runners to world-class professionals. Based in the Chamonix Valley for the past 10 years, she combines her expertise in performance nutrition with a life immersed in ski touring, trail running, mountaineering, and the mountains she loves.
In this episode of the Tough Girl Podcast, Rebecca shares her journey from the Forest of Dean to the French Alps, balancing elite-level training with everyday life, and the nutrition strategies that help athletes optimise performance, recovery, and health — particularly for women navigating hormonal changes and perimenopause.
We talk race day fuel, strength training, managing limiting beliefs, and why it’s never too late to start a new adventure.
Whether you’re chasing your first trail race or aiming to summit Mont Blanc, Rebecca’s insights will inspire you to push your limits while taking care of your body.
🎙️ New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast drop every Tuesday at 7 AM (UK time).
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Show notes
Who is Rebecca
Working as a high performance dietician for 25 years
Starting out in the NHS, before moving into elite sport
Focusing on climber and ultra runners
Moving to the Chamonix Valley in the French Alps, 10 years ago
Training for an ultra race in Snowdon
Being passionate about ski touring, trail running, hiking, climbing and spending time in the mountains
Growing up in the Forest of Dean in a little village
Spending a lot of time outdoors
Starting trail running in her teenage years
Always enjoying athletics and being inspired by the women on TV
Doing GCSE PE and A’Level PE
Having fun doing sports in a team environment
Deciding what to study at university
Niching down in her career
Being exposed in the NHS to different areas of health care
Starting to enter trail races and pushing herself physically
Her running journey and progression in the sport
Entering into races for fun
Following a training plan for a 50k trail race in Snowdon
Using Training Peaks and working with a coach
Doing approx 7hr of training per week
Using sports drinks, gels, kindle mint cake, chews and jelly sweets
Needing to get good at running up hill
Doing 2, 1hr gym sessions per week
46 years old and why it’s so important to strength train
Perimenopause and changes in hormones
Changes in body composition and carrying extra body fat
Starting to work with a personal trainer once a week
How a change in hormones can affect your confidence and mood
Feeling stronger and lifting heavier
How the extra’s were creeping in
Eating well and focusing on things that were easy to change
Focusing on the protein
What a typical breakfast, lunch, and dinner looks like
Keep things simple and nutritious
Doing a recovery shake after the gym
Race day nutrition - before, during and after
Being guided (by her husband) up Mont Blanc - up and down in 1 day
Struggling with acclimatisation
The mental side of running and climbing
Reflecting and working on her limiting beliefs
Being able to regulate thoughts that are’t helpful
Reframing thoughts
Dealing with disappointment
Being good at feeling your feelings
Planning, logistics, and being organised
Deciding to pull back and focus on resting and recouping
Doing an ultra every 2 to 5 years
Being a procrastinator
Having to make training a priority
Why it is hard sometimes
Needing to have a balance with life
Why some things do need to be delayed
How to connect with Rebecca on social media
Final words of wisdom and advice
It’s not too late!!!!
Find what it is you’re interested in
Social Media
Website: highperformancedietitian.com
Instagram: @high_performance_dietitian
Facebook: @HighPerformanceDietitian
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