Optimising Physical Performance
FINDING OPTIMAL PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE
You don’t need to be a professional athlete to want to understand how to optimise your physical performance. And it also doesn’t matter if you are a runner, cyclist, swimmer, triathlete or weekend parkrunner. We all want to perform at our best level and are often chasing that elusive PB (Personal Best)!
Recovery is just as important as careful training, and getting your nutrition right is another crucial piece of the jigsaw of optimal performance. Yet, it is often overlooked by many athletes – or at least not given the due attention it deserves.
Making informed, targeted decisions with both nutrition and hydration can certainly result in improved performance, injury prevention and quicker recovery… but it can be difficult to know where to start with so much conflicting information around.
MEET SUE, CLINICAL DIRECTOR & HEAD OF NUTRITION
Sue shares the benefits of working with our expert nutrition team at the HealthMatters Group
Possible signs and symptoms
When working with athletes we often see the signs and symptoms of when things have gone wrong – recovering from injuries, or perhaps, the effects of overtraining:
- Joint and muscle pain
- Injuries slow to heal
- Lack of energy
- Overall struggle with performance
BOOK A CALL WITH OUR FRIENDLY ASSESSMENT TEAM
Please check Our Fees page before booking a call.
Choose a day and time that works for you.
Tell us what is going on for you.
Let us explain how we can help.
OUR FEES
Our initial 30-minute consultation is free of charge, with therapy sessions starting from as little as £120, and nutrition sessions from £200.
Packages and multi-session bundles are available – we’ll guide you to the most suitable option when we speak.
Opportunities to address these imbalances
For sports nutrition with all athletes, we start with the nutritional foundations:
- Balanced carbs to provide the necessary fuel
- Sufficient protein (from animal and/or vegetable sources) for muscle repair and growth
- Healthy fats to help address inflammation, build cell walls and provide energy
But importantly, it’s not only the macronutrients we focus on. Vitamins and minerals are essential and we emphasise eating a diet rich in colour and variety to optimise nutrient intake. In the quest for improved sports performance, very often these simple basics are overlooked.
We also focus on important aspects of lifestyle including sleep, stress management and physical recovery.
Once all these basics have been addressed, we then start getting specific as to the needs of your particular sport, including targeted supplements, meal timing, travel strategies and race-day preparation.
Personalised nutrition for athletes is individualised, depending on your needs. This can include injury prevention nutrition, overtraining nutrition rehab, or working towards optimal nutrition for physical performance.

Functional Testing options
Once we have covered the foundations, functional testing allows us to search deeper for any physiological imbalances that may be limiting your performance. We aim to get to the root cause of your presenting symptoms, then using Functional Medicine, to support your biochemistry as necessary to rebalance challenged body systems.
- Stool Testing – provides insight into digestive health, and can help to inform us how to improve digestion and absorption of nutrients.
- Blood Profiles – check for nutrient deficiency can provide information to build targeted supplement protocols.
- Urine Amino Acid Analysis – a comprehensive test for identifying nutritional deficiencies (see the test summary below)
NutrEval test results

MEASURING STRESS & RECOVERY
Adrenal stress profiles help us to assess the balance between stress and recovery, and often informs not only nutrient support of the adrenals, but also important lifestyle changes to address possible overtraining.
We work closely with Firstbeat who provide advanced performance analytics for stress, recovery, sleep and exercise. Firstbeat is an assessment tool which helps you see the balance between these important markers, mapping the changes in your physiology over a 3-day period.
Firstbeat test result

WE UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR OPTIMAL SPORTS PERFORMANCE
Our whole nutrition team are enthusiastic sports people themselves.
Our sports dietitian, Helen, completed the London to Paris cycle ride for Action Medical Research and takes her bike on holiday – completing recreational cycling tours in France and Italy. She has also done 30-years of competitive show jumping, and 15years of competitive one-day events.
Our sports nutritionist, Sue, was a competitive road-cyclist in Namibia and has completed 3 marathons – Amsterdam, Venice and Istanbul.
Our sports dietitian, Jess, has been really lucky to take part in a lot of local races for cycling and running. Some of the more well known ones are:
- Paris-Roubaix
- Etape de Tour
- L’Arrogenise sportive
- Peak District 100
- Tour de Yorkshire sportive
- Club de Cingles (Ventoux)
- Haute Route Oman
- Lake Garda Half marathon
- Jersey Half marathon
- Belfast half marathon
- Stoupa 10km (3rd)
FAQs
Who might benefit from the sports nutrition support offered at Nutritional Matters?
Our specialist sports nutrition practitioners can support anyone who wants to understand how to optimise their physical performance, whether you are a runner, swimmer, cyclist, or a professional athlete.
Why is nutrition important for optimising physical performance?
Making informed, targeted decisions with nutrition can result in improved performance, injury prevention and quicker recovery. Your practitioner will look at your diet and your nutritional needs, to ensure optimal levels of key macro- and micronutrients, including complex carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats, are being met to support energy and reduce inflammation.
What signs might suggest I would benefit from this support?
You might be experiencing joint or muscle pain, slow-to-heal injuries, persistent low energy, or you are struggling to perform at your usual level.
What happens in my initial consultation?
Your initial 60‑minute consultation starts to build a comprehensive picture: symptom history, dietary patterns, health goals, and possible testing pathways. Your practitioner will give you the first steps of guidance, and discuss the cadence of ongoing sessions to support you with reaching optimal physical performance.
What nutritional strategies are used to optimise physical performance?
In addition to addressing nutritional foundations including balanced macronutrients and optimised nutrient intake, your practitioner will focus on important aspects of lifestyle including sleep, stress management and physical recovery. Strategies will be tailored to the needs of your particular sport, and may include targeted supplements, adjustments to meal timing, travel strategies, and race-day preparation.
Is functional testing incorporated into nutrition support for optimising physical performance?
It can be! There are a wide range of testing options available, from blood panels (e.g. nutrient deficiencies, inflammation) to more comprehensive profiles, allowing us to search deeper for any physiological imbalances that may be limiting your performance. For example, stool testing can provide insight into digestive health and potential inflammation stemming from the gut, which can help to inform your personalised plan to improve digestion and absorption of nutrients. Urine Amino Acid Analysis is another comprehensive test used to identify nutritional deficiencies. Any tests your practitioner recommends will be tailored to your individual needs and health goals.
How much does this cost overall?
Your first session with one of our nutrition practitioners is more than just an assessment – it’s the beginning of a relationship built on trust, expertise, and care.
Initial 60-Minute Nutrition Consultation – £200
Whether you’re managing complex symptoms or just want to feel better in your body, this is the space where your journey starts with clarity and direction.
Healing your body and transforming your relationship with food takes time.
Time Bundles give you the flexibility to shape your care around your lifestyle, pace, and needs.
After your initial consultation, you can choose to continue with a 1, 2, 3, or 4-hour bundle of time, which can be used however works best for you.
1-Hour Bundle – £200
2-Hour Bundle – £380
3-Hour Bundle – £555
4-Hour Bundle – £720
NEXT STEPS
We know that getting the right support starts with being truly heard. That’s why we offer a free 30-minute enquiry call – time for you to ask questions, share a bit about your story, and explore how we can support you.
During this call, a member of our experienced client support team will:
- Listen to your health goals and concerns
- Explain how our services work and what to expect
- Match you with the most suitable practitioner for your needs
This is your time – to feel heard, to feel supported, and to start moving toward the health and balance you deserve.