How Mandy Marquardt Fuels Her Training as a Type 1 Diabetic
Mandy Marquardt, a professional track cyclist with team Novo Nordisk, knows about dialing in your diet to suit her sport and her nutritional needs. That’s because in addition to being a member of the USA Cycling National Team, an 18-time National Champion, and a world-class sprinter, the 28-year-old racer lives with Type 1 diabetes. She was diagnosed with the chronic autoimmune condition in which your pancreas produces little to no insulin (which you need to break down glucose for energy) when she was 16 years old.
“I had to learn a lot about good nutrition from a pretty young age, since having Type 1 diabetes is really challenging as an athlete, especially adding in travel, time zone changes, all that stuff,” Marquardt told Bicycling.
If Marquardt doesn’t have enough insulin, her blood glucose levels get really high, and she feels tired.
“Essentially, I need to be my own pancreas and monitor my blood sugar,” she said. “I like to equate it to wattage: A lot can affect your ability to put out a certain wattage and to hold a certain wattage. You need to monitor it constantly with a power meter. I wear a continuous glucose monitor on my arm, which is almost like a [power meter] for your body, because it’s streaming continuous blood glucose data right to my phone, like how a power meter sends wattage info to your cycling computer.”
Here, she breaks down how she manages her body’s need for nutrients while ensuring that her blood sugar stays in good range and her rides and gym sessions are being fueled. Plus, how she’ll never turn down adding mayo to a sandwich or her secret salad dressing recipe.
Keep It Simple
My approach to nutrition is to keep it pretty simple and balanced, especially as an athlete with Type 1 diabetes. I focus on eating foods that are high in fiber and protein, while meeting the demands in my training and recovery, and also helping stabilize my blood sugar.
Consistency is really important as well, so that I know how those foods are going to affect my blood sugar. For example, for breakfast I almost always have overnight oats—I just found that they really stabilize my blood sugar. I’ll do oats, whey vanilla protein, coconut flakes, and some raspberries or blueberries on top. You can make them ahead of time in mason jars, so they’re handy to travel with as well.
Prioritizing Protein
I focus on good protein like chicken, fish, or steak. I drink protein shakes when I need a fast source of protein. I love Klean Athlete’s vanilla and chocolate whey proteins. They mix so well into anything, from yogurt smoothies to just plain in water. And I like Klean Athlete because all their stuff is NSF-certified. That matters to me a lot. Recently I was asked to be part of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee’s (USOPC) Athlete Advisory Council for the Anti-Doping Committee. I want to play a major part in helping increase knowledge there—anti-doping is really important to me.
Fueling for Track Training
I usually have two water bottles on the track, one with just water and one with electrolytes, usually Nuun tablets—my favorite is the Sport Kiwi Strawberry. I usually get my calories through food rather than sweet drinks. I’m usually training from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., and then again, around 2 p.m. A lot of days, I don’t require insulin because I’m exercising so much and fueling so much. I eat a wrap in between sessions for lunch most days with chicken or whatever protein I have, plus onions, cucumbers, sprouts, and some mayo on a low-carb tortilla. I love mayo—maybe it’s my German roots. I’ll have a bit of salad with that, and maybe a protein shake depending on what the day’s training looks like.
Dialing in What Works
When I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, I worked with a dietitian to help me dial in what foods were affecting my blood sugar. Then as I switched from a focus on endurance and started sprinting back in 2013, I found that I needed to eat even more because I was training double days on the track and in the gym. Luckily, my coach has a background in exercise physiology, and I was able to talk to him about how different kinds of foods that affect my blood sugar and how I’m feeling. Over time, I’ve learned what foods affect my blood sugar and also how I feel during each day of training.
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Packing Snacks for Travel
It’s so hard to eat well on the road. I try to ask for simple meals that don’t have a lot of variety on the road, like chicken without any sauce since I don’t know how many carbohydrates or sugars a sauce will have.
I always bring protein powder, my own oats, dried fruit, some bread, peanut butter, Honey Stinger waffles, almonds and beef jerky. That way, I can make breakfast or a meal wherever I am in the world. I even have this little protein shaker I got to mix my protein powder—it recharges with a USB so it’s super convenient.
The Best Salad Dressing
I’m not a huge fan of store-bought dressing, so I love making my own homemade dressing. Of course, the secret ingredient is mayo. You mix a high-quality olive oil, a little bit of balsamic vinegar, a little bit of mustard, a bit of mayo, and a lots of garlic. I mix it in the bottom of a big bowl, then put my salad right on top of it so I get dressing mixed onto every piece.
Food Should Be Fun
I eat what makes me feel good and what fuels me. And I pay attention to my blood sugar. When I eat something, I think about how it makes me feel. Doing that has helped me find a good balance of being healthy and fueling my training, but also treating myself. Food is supposed to be fun and creative. Mix it up—it doesn’t have to be boring.
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