My name is Maddie. I'm a sports dietitian on a mission to get science-backed nutrition info into the hands of your athletes.
After running track and cross country in high school, I had big dreams for my running career in college. This was my first time truly choosing what I ate and without a lot of nutrition guidance I found myself starving all the time and unsure how to fuel the higher intensity training with dining hall food. My junior and senior year were met with injuries and mediocre performances, even though I felt like I was eating so healthy, desserts made of dates and dark chocolate, a ton of fruits and veggies and avoiding processed foods.
Going back to school for nutrition, I realized that the strategies I thought were making me faster weren't giving my body enough energy or carbohydrates, ultimately slowing me down, causing lots of fun GI symptoms and putting me at greater risk for injuries. I had been so focused on eating healthy and "looking like a runner" that I missed out on what actually mattered. What many athletes and parents don't realize is that nutrition for general health and nutrition for athletes aren't the same.
My goal is to change the narratives that I heard constantly during my career by empowering coaches, athletes and parents with evidence-based nutrition practices for athletes. This still means eating fruits and veggies and whole grains, but it also means the flexibility to go out to eat with friends, adding calorie dense options and plenty of pre-run graham crackers and fruit snacks. Once I finally figured out how to fuel my body properly, I was able to go from never once competing at NCAA's to being 12th at the USATF Indoor National Championships. Part of this was knowledge, another part was having a great coach in my corner who pushed me to fuel more, rather than weigh less.
Professional Bio
Maddie Riley MS, RD
Maddie completed her Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science at Creighton University in Omaha while competing as a Division I cross country and track athlete. Her pursuit of athletics continued as she worked on her Masters in Human Nutrition and Dietetics and ran for Elevated Performance, a semi-professional team in Boulder, Colorado. Following her education, Maddie has been a speaker for numerous high school and collegiate teams both virtually and in-person. She has worked with athletes from many different sports including cross country, track, marathon running, ultra-running, triathlon, jiu jitsu, nordic skiing, lacrosse, swimming, hockey, baseball, and golf.
As a Registered Dietitian, Maddie is board certified and maintains credibility through the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She is a member of the American Sports and Performance Dietitians Association and has completed her International Olympic Committee Diploma in Sports Nutrition.