Eat your way to superior performance
Corinna Perkins is a sports dietitian dedicated to helping athletes fuel for peak performance. As both a nutrition expert and an elite hybrid racer, she understands firsthand the power of proper fueling—and the consequences of common nutrition misconceptions. With a deep passion for performance nutrition, she helps athletes break through plateaus and optimize their training with science-backed strategies.
The Hybrid Letter spoke with Corinna about debunking nutrition myths, fueling strategies for high-volume training, and how to properly prepare for race week to maximize performance.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
The Hybrid Letter: Can you tell us a little about yourself and what got you interested in nutrition?
Corinna Perkins: I'm 32 years old and have been a dietitian for six years. My interest in nutrition started for selfish reasons. Coming out of high school and into college, I became interested in exercise. While looking through the list of majors at Virginia Tech, where I did my undergrad, I saw "nutrition, food, and exercise." That was it. Until then, I hadn't really thought about nutrition or its impact on exercise and performance, but once I started learning, I realized how profound that impact is. I spent the next four years studying it while continuing my athletic pursuits, which became a kind of small athletic career.
I quickly recognized how much my recovery and overall well-being depended on what I was eating. After graduating, I knew a decent amount about nutrition, but sports and performance nutrition were another level entirely. That realization led me to pursue a master’s degree and my dietetics credentials. I saw that while general and performance nutrition overlap, they also have key differences. Context is everything. What we recommend to the general population isn’t necessarily the same as what we advise for someone placing extreme physical demands on their body.
THL: What is your background as an athlete?
CP: I started with club lacrosse at Virginia Tech, which was pretty competitive. We had tryouts every semester. At the same time, I was learning about exercise and nutrition, so those first few years were a huge period of application and learning. Later, I transitioned to triathlon and also discovered CrossFit and obstacle course racing. It was an exciting mix of different disciplines that led me deeper into obstacle course racing. I followed my passion, pursuing whatever sounded fun at the time. The common thread was always making sure I was eating enough to support all that activity. I moved from team-based sports to endurance sessions, then to CrossFit and strength training.
THL: What kind of athletes do you typically work with today?
CP: There's a lot of variation, but for the most part, I work with people who feel they have untapped potential. They’re putting in the training, hiring coaches, doing everything they can—but not seeing the results they expect. They suspect nutrition is playing a role but aren’t sure where to start. There's so much conflicting information out there, and they don’t know what’s fact or fiction.
I also work with athletes who have had challenging relationships with food and body image. Maybe they’ve worked with coaches in the past who were rigidly numbers-focused—telling them to follow strict meal plans and stick to a certain calorie count to achieve a particular body composition. But what they really want is to perform better, to see what they’re truly capable of. I help people who want to excel, whether that’s in sports, as parents, or in their careers, by giving them the support and guidance to fuel their best performance.
THL: Where do you start when working with an athlete?
CP: Data collection is key. I never walk in and say, "Here’s what you need to do." Too many coaches take that approach without first understanding the individual. I’m fortunate to work one-on-one with many athletes, which gives me the time to really get to know them.
I start by assessing their baseline habits and behaviors around food. What are they already doing well? What foundational skills can we build on? From there, I identify the biggest gaps in their nutrition—the "low-hanging fruit"—and we address those first. The goal is to make a few key changes that will have the biggest impact. Once that’s in place, we can refine and fine-tune if needed. Often, a couple of big adjustments cover most problem areas.
THL: What are some common nutrition myths in the fitness space?
CP: There are plenty, but one of the biggest is the fear around carbohydrates. It largely stems from misinformation. People lump candy and soda into the same category as whole grains, fruits, and high-fiber vegetables, rather than understanding the differences between carbohydrate sources. That lack of nuance creates unnecessary fear.
Another common issue is fasting. Many athletes come to me thinking fasting is beneficial, but they’re trying to fit it around intense training schedules. Sometimes it's not even intentional fasting—they just aren’t eating before early morning workouts. They’re asking their bodies to perform without fuel, coming off an overnight fast, which is counterproductive.
There’s also a widespread misunderstanding about race weight and body size. A lot of athletes assume they need to lose weight or body fat to perform their best. Instead of focusing on the number on the scale, I encourage them to look at their nutrition. Are they fueling properly to support training, performance, and recovery? More often than not, the issue isn’t body composition—it’s inadequate fueling.
THL: In the hybrid space, many athletes increase training volume to improve. What nutrition principles should they follow as they ramp up?
CP: The more you demand from your body, the more emphasis you need to place on nutrition. Many people don’t realize this—or they’re unwilling to adjust. They increase training hours, treating it like a second job, but neglect their nutrition.
Most athletes in this space are juggling full-time jobs, so training is an intense hobby. Unlike professional athletes, who can optimize recovery, sleep, and nutrition, these individuals are fitting workouts in whenever possible. As training volume increases, time for meal prep shrinks, and nutrition takes a backseat.
If you’re increasing volume, you need to put equal energy into planning your meals. Appetite can actually decrease as training intensity rises, so you have to be intentional about fueling. Otherwise, you risk underperforming and feeling completely drained.
THL: What’s your approach when people struggle to fuel appropriately?
CP: If you can’t meet your nutritional needs, you can’t just keep pushing. You’re digging yourself into a hole, and it’s not sustainable. If fueling isn’t adequate, sometimes the best course is to pull back on training temporarily. That doesn’t mean forever. It’s just about working within your means—matching your intake to your output so you don’t crash or get injured.
Ignoring proper fueling can have long-term consequences, including injuries that could sideline you for months.
THL: How should athletes approach nutrition during taper or deload weeks before a big competition?
CP: This is tough for a lot of athletes because their training decreases, so they assume they need less food. At the same time, they’re approaching a major performance event.
For multi-day events, tapering should include a strong fueling plan. You need to maintain your intake in the days leading up because once the event starts, it’s difficult to consume enough to keep up. It’s essentially an extended carb load.
Even for single-day competitions, it’s important to keep your intake steady. Training may taper, but you still need to ensure adequate energy stores for race day. A lot of nutrition is about delayed gratification—fueling today for tomorrow’s output.
THL: If you could recommend one food most people are missing out on for nutritional benefits, what would it be?
CP: Fiber. It’s hands down the most overlooked nutrient.
THL: What about a supplement?
CP: Creatine. I recommend it to almost all athletes. Many women find it intimidating, but it’s one of the most well-researched and beneficial supplements out there.
THL: Favorite pre-workout snack for a long training session?
CP: Oatmeal is my go-to. If it’s an afternoon session and I just need a hefty snack beforehand, I love a big bowl of cereal with a banana, maybe some nuts or chia seeds.
THL: Mid-workout snack?
CP: It depends on the setting. If I’m running and need something portable, my go-to is Honey Stinger gels and hydration mix. If I’m in the gym, I love sour gummies. For longer, more intense sessions, I recommend a carb-based hydration mix with electrolytes. That way, you get everything you need in a bottle.
You can follow Corinna on Instagram.
Glasgow recap: An epic Hyrox major
On Wednesday, the Elite 15 men and women competed in the final Hyrox major in Glasgow, Scotland. The race featured:
Three-time World Champion Lauren Weeks beating her own world record by an astonishing one minute and forty seconds, finishing in 56:23.
Despite Lauren's blistering pace, she was in a close battle the entire time with Australian Joanna Wietrzyk, who finished just 26 seconds behind. Wietrzyk recorded the second-fastest time ever by a wide margin.
James Kelly won the men's race in a time of 53:23 — just one second shy of Hunter McIntyre's world record. It was Kelly's second major win of the season.
An incredible photo-finish for the last qualifying spot for the Hyrox World Championships between Sean Noble and Tomas Tvrdik. Both finished with identical times of 56:03 but, after a review, Noble was awarded the qualifying spot.
If you were not able to catch the race live, it is available on YouTube:
Hybrid Athlete of the Week: Robby Moss
Name: Robby Moss
Age: 30
Hometown: Toronto
When did you start hybrid racing? I always had a form of hybrid training in my schedule when I was a competitive kickboxer and obstacle course racer. But I really started what’s now known as "hybrid training" in 2022 after going down a YouTube rabbit hole and discovering HYROX and DEKA Fit. I signed up for my first HYROX and immediately started training those stations alongside my running. Fortunately, I work at a gym in Toronto called One Academy, which runs classes perfectly geared toward hybrid fitness racing. The rest was history!
Favorite race to date? HYROX Toronto! I coached a lot of athletes for that event, and it was the first Canadian HYROX race. Many of my athletes and friends completed their first HYROX there, and I also hit my current HYROX PR—on home soil, no less!
Do you have a race goal? My primary goal is to break the 70-minute mark at my next HYROX event in Canada. My secondary goal is to win my age group at my next RX1 race, which is a hybrid fitness competition based in Quebec.
Favorite station? HYROX: The sled push—it’s the ultimate test of leg strength, and you get the best race photos from it. DEKA: Box step-overs because they require the perfect mix of technique, speed, and endurance.
Least favorite station? HYROX: Lunges. They just feel like they never end. DEKA: The assault bike. If you’ve ever raced DEKA, you already know why.
Things you wish you knew when you started training/racing? I wish I had known from the start how crucial running is in hybrid racing. In my first few races, it was my biggest weakness, and I lost a lot of time on every running interval. Since then, I’ve learned how to build a structured running program and have shaved several minutes off my time. As crazy as it sounds, I’m stronger and faster now than I ever was in my 20s.