In this episode of Be Undaunted, Tara Collingwood and George Dom explore an often-overlooked component of high performance: nutrition and hydration. As a sports dietitian who has worked with professional and elite athletes, Tara has seen firsthand what happens when incredibly talented people fail to fuel properly. Athletes can fall apart late in competition not because they lack skill or mental toughness, but because their bodies simply don’t have enough fuel or fluid left to perform at their best. And the same thing happens in the boardroom.
What if your afternoon brain fog, poor focus, or bad decision-making isn’t a motivation problem at all?
It might be a fueling problem.
In this episode of Be Undaunted, Tara Collingwood and George Dom explore an often-overlooked component of high performance: nutrition and hydration.
As a sports dietitian who has worked with professional and elite athletes, Tara has seen firsthand what happens when incredibly talented people fail to fuel properly. Athletes can fall apart late in competition not because they lack skill or mental toughness, but because their bodies simply don’t have enough fuel or fluid left to perform at their best.
And the same thing happens in the boardroom.
You may not be playing a five-set tennis match or pulling Gs in a fighter jet, but your brain still requires energy. That means the lunch you skipped, the water you forgot to drink, and the third cup of coffee you grabbed to compensate may be affecting your performance more than you realize.
Tara and George discuss how nutrition and hydration influence concentration, reaction time, energy, judgment, and our ability to perform under pressure. George shares how fighter pilots sometimes deliberately limit fluids before long missions—and why dehydration can become a serious performance issue when you’re operating an aircraft under extreme G-forces.
The conversation also tackles one of Tara’s biggest nutrition messages: stop being afraid of carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates are a primary source of energy for the body and are especially important when we’re asking our brains and muscles to perform. Protein matters too, particularly for maintaining and repairing muscle, but you don’t have to sprint out of the gym and immediately down a protein shake. What matters more is getting adequate protein throughout the day.
And then there are the everyday habits that quietly sabotage performance: skipping breakfast, working through lunch, relying on caffeine for energy, and waiting until you’re thirsty to start thinking about hydration.
The solution doesn’t have to be complicated.
Tara shares three fundamentals for fueling high performance:
1. Stop skipping meals.
Your body and brain need energy. A busy schedule isn’t a reason to ignore lunch—it’s a reason to plan for it.
2. Don’t rely on caffeine to manufacture energy.
Coffee can absolutely be part of your day, but caffeine shouldn’t be the solution every time your energy dips.
3. Hydrate consistently.
Don’t wait until the end of the day and try to make up for everything you didn’t drink. Build hydration into your routine throughout the day.
Ultimately, high performance isn’t just about mindset.
It’s about giving your body and brain what they need so your training, preparation, leadership skills, and mental toughness can actually show up when the pressure is on.
· Why even elite athletes sometimes fail to fuel properly
· What fighter pilots and professional athletes have in common
· How hydration affects concentration, reaction time, and performance
· Why busy professionals shouldn’t ignore mild dehydration
· The connection between blood sugar, brain function, and decision-making
· Why skipping breakfast or lunch can come back to haunt you later
· How to fuel before a high-pressure event
· Why athletes practice their competition-day nutrition
· Why carbohydrates aren’t the enemy
· What really matters about protein timing
· Why sodium matters for athletes who sweat heavily
· The problem with using caffeine as a substitute for energy
· How late-day caffeine can interfere with recovery and sleep
· Why consistent hydration beats chugging water at the end of the day
· How preparation makes healthy eating dramatically easier
· Why leaders should treat themselves more like athletes
· George’s memorable Blue Angels advice about eating bananas before flying!
Your brain needs fuel, too.
Focus, judgment, concentration, and decision-making aren’t separate from your physical health.
Treat high-pressure moments like game day.
Whether it’s a competition, presentation, difficult conversation, or major decision, prepare your body as deliberately as you prepare your strategy.
Don’t skip meals because you’re “too busy.”
Taking a few minutes to eat may make you significantly more productive for the hours that follow.
Carbohydrates are energy—not the enemy.
Quality carbohydrates help fuel both physical and mental performance.
Protein timing doesn’t have to be perfect.
Focus on getting adequate protein and distributing it throughout your day rather than obsessing about a tiny post-workout window.
Don’t use caffeine to cover up poor recovery habits.
Before automatically reaching for another coffee, consider whether you actually need food, water, movement, or rest.
Hydration is an all-day habit.
Instead of playing catch-up, build drinking into your normal routine.
Preparation wins.
When healthy food is already available, eating well requires far less effort and willpower.
Before your next high-stakes moment—a presentation, difficult conversation, important meeting, competition, or major decision—ask yourself two questions:
When did I last eat something real?
When did I last have something to drink?
If you can’t answer those questions quickly, that’s your red flag.
Before worrying about strategy, confidence, or mindset, make sure you’ve given your brain and body the fuel they need to execute.
Because none of our mental performance strategies work very well when the tank is empty.
Fuel your body. Fuel your brain. And show up ready to perform under pressure.