England lost.

By Thursday, everyone still had an opinion.

The tactics. The substitutions. The penalties. What should have happened. What could have been done differently.

But there was one thing nobody questioned.

Whether the players deserved dinner.

Of course they did.

Not because they won.

Not because they had "earned it."

Because they had just asked everything of their bodies.

Ninety minutes of repeated sprinting, high-intensity efforts, changes of direction, muscle damage, depleted glycogen stores and huge physical and mental demands.

The result didn't change any of that.

Their physiology didn't care who lifted the trophy.

Their bodies still needed carbohydrate.

They still needed recovery.

They still needed fuel.

And that made me realise something.

For years, I didn't treat myself the same way.

If I had a bad race, I genuinely felt like I didn't deserve to eat afterwards.

If I didn't get the result I wanted, fuelling felt like something I had to earn.

No PB?

Skip the recovery meal.

Bad session?

Eat less tomorrow.

Didn't perform well?

Maybe I hadn't earned those carbohydrates.

I had unknowingly attached morality to food.

Winning meant I had been "good."

Losing meant I had somehow failed.

Looking back, it makes absolutely no physiological sense.

Your body doesn't know whether you won.

It doesn't know your finish time.

It doesn't know where you placed.

It doesn't know whether your watch says "personal best."

It only knows the work you have asked it to do.

Your muscles still need glycogen replaced.

Your brain still needs glucose.

Your immune system still needs energy.

Your bones still need nutrients to remodel.

Your hormones still need sufficient energy availability to function properly.

The body does not have a moral compass.

It has energy requirements.

The nutrition lesson most of us were never taught

Most people grow up knowing food gives us energy.

But very few people are taught how to fuel movement.

Then one day we sign up for a marathon.

We start CrossFit.

We train for Hyrox.

We cycle to work.

We join a running club.

We decide to become more active.

Suddenly we are exercising regularly, but nobody has explained what our bodies actually need.

The interesting thing is that many people doing these activities don't even call themselves athletes.

They are parents, teachers, healthcare workers, students and office workers.

They are people who simply love moving.

They still deserve to understand fuelling.

Why carbohydrate matters

For years, carbohydrates have been treated as something to fear.

Eat less.

Cut carbs.

Swap meals for protein.

Avoid bread.

Avoid potatoes.

Earn your food.

But carbohydrate is not the enemy.

Carbohydrate is the body's preferred fuel source for moderate- and high-intensity exercise.

During endurance and high-intensity training, carbohydrates are stored as glycogen in the muscles and liver. These stores are essential for maintaining performance, delaying fatigue and supporting recovery.

Research from the American College of Sports Medicine and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends that athletes match carbohydrate intake to training demands, with higher intakes needed during heavy endurance training and competition.

Protein matters.

Healthy fats matter.

But they cannot replace carbohydrate's role in fuelling intense exercise.

Protein helps repair and build tissue.

Fat supports hormones, cell function and energy production.

Carbohydrate provides the readily available fuel that allows us to train hard, recover and adapt.

The link between carbohydrates, under-fuelling and RED-S

One of the biggest misunderstandings is that under-fuelling always looks obvious.

It doesn't.

Many active people are eating "healthy" but still not eating enough.

They are training more.

Moving more.

Reducing portions.

Cutting carbohydrates.

Increasing protein.

And slowly creating an energy gap.

This is known as Low Energy Availability (LEA).

LEA occurs when the energy left after exercise is not enough to support normal bodily functions.

The International Olympic Committee's 2023 Consensus Statement on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) highlights that inadequate energy availability can affect multiple body systems, including metabolic function, menstrual function, bone health, immunity and cardiovascular health.

RED-S is not just an elite athlete issue.

It can affect anyone who regularly exercises while failing to meet their body's energy needs.

Symptoms and consequences can include:

• Persistent fatigue.

• Poor recovery.

• Declining performance.

• Increased illness.

• Mood changes.

• Hormonal disruption.

• Menstrual disturbances.

• Reduced bone health.

• Bone stress injuries.

• Reduced ability to adapt to training.

When you cut carbs, you often cut more than carbs

Another part of the carbohydrate conversation is often missed.

When people remove carbohydrate-rich whole foods, they rarely remove only carbohydrates.

They often remove the foods that provide them.

Oats.

Rice.

Potatoes.

Fruit.

Beans.

Wholegrain bread.

Root vegetables.

These foods provide much more than energy.

They provide:

Fibre — supporting gut health and digestive function.

Potassium — important for muscle contraction and fluid balance.

Magnesium — involved in energy metabolism and muscle function.

B vitamins — including nutrients involved in energy production and red blood cell formation.

Vitamin C — supporting immune function and helping with iron absorption.

Iron-containing foods — important because iron deficiency is common among athletes, particularly endurance athletes.

Plant compounds — supporting overall health and recovery.

Research examining carbohydrate-restricted diets has shown that poorly planned approaches can reduce fibre intake and decrease intake of important micronutrients, including folate, magnesium, calcium, iron and iodine.

The issue is not that carbohydrates are the only source of nutrition.

The issue is that removing carbohydrate-rich whole foods can unintentionally reduce dietary variety.

How to stop attaching morality to food

Changing your relationship with fuelling takes practice.

Here are some reminders that can help.

1. Separate performance from fuelling

A bad race does not mean your body worked less.

You still trained.

You still created stress.

You still need recovery.

Your fuelling needs are based on what your body did, not your finishing position.

2. Stop asking "Have I earned this?"

Replace it with:

"What does my body need right now?"

Food is not a prize.

It is support.

3. Remember recovery is part of training

Training is not just the session.

Training is:

The workout.

The recovery.

The adaptation.

The next session.

Without enough fuel, your body cannot complete that process effectively.

4. Don't let one result decide your nutrition

A race result is one moment.

Your health is built over thousands of moments.

Don't let one disappointing day change how you care for yourself.

5. Think long-term

The goal is not one perfect workout.

The goal is being able to move your body for years.

Consistent fuelling supports consistent training.

Why RED-SCUE exists

RED-SCUE was created because too many people are working incredibly hard while unintentionally under-fuelling.

Not because people need another restriction.

Not because people need another rule.

Not because everyone wants another gel or sports drink.

People want food.

Something satisfying.

Something practical.

Something that supports training without making eating complicated.

Built around cassava and plantain—traditional root-based carbohydrate staples—RED-SCUE puts carbohydrate back at the centre of fuelling.

Because carbohydrate is not something you need to earn.

It is something your body uses.

The lesson from England's loss

If England had won, they would have deserved dinner.

Because they lost, they still deserved dinner.

The same applies to you.

Whether you run a PB.

Whether you miss your goal.

Whether your session was incredible.

Whether your session was disappointing.

Whether you call yourself an athlete or simply someone who enjoys moving.

You still deserve fuel.

Not because you earned it.

Because your body has.

Food isn't a reward.

Food isn't a punishment.

Food is fuel.

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Research references

• Mountjoy M, et al. (2023). International Olympic Committee consensus statement on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S): 2023 update. British Journal of Sports Medicine.

• Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke LM. (2016). Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and Athletic Performance. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

• Burke LM, et al. Research on carbohydrate availability, glycogen, endurance performance and training adaptation.

• Loucks AB. Research establishing Low Energy Availability as a key driver of physiological dysfunction in exercising individuals.

• Stellingwerff T, et al. Research on endurance athletes, fuelling strategies and carbohydrate availability.