Fuelling Performance: Ed Tooley on the power of protein and smart nutrition

In this Q&A, we sit down with Ed Tooley to unpack the fundamentals of nutrition and why protein plays such a key role in health, recovery, and performance. From understanding how much protein you really need to practical advice on getting it from whole foods, Ed shares his expert insights to help you build stronger, healthier habits, and how GSN can support you in this process.

1 – Ed, for those who might not know you yet, could you tell us a bit about your background. What is a Performance Nutritionist and how did you become interested in sports nutrition?

My name’s Ed Tooley, I’m a performance nutritionist with over 15 years experience working in elite sport and corporate settings. I was very sporty growing up, and as I got into my teens, a few coaches / key people around me had me start to look at the likes of strength & conditioning, nutrition, psychology to help further my performance.

I knew I wasn’t going to make it as an athlete but I could help others doing so, and when I graduated went on to do an internship with Wales Rugby Union and the Ospreys Rugby where my mentors recommended I should consider specialising in sport nutrition so I started the IOC Diploma in Sports Nutrition straight away and here we are now.

2 – Nutrition is often said to be just as important as training when it comes to achieving fitness or performance goals. Why do you think proper nutrition plays such a key role, whether someone is an athlete or just working on general health?

Even if we strip it back to just living, we need nutrients to survive… support day to day functions of the body, support our structures (bones, muscles, hair, skin etc), support our immune system, fuel the body etc etc. We start throwing in activity and exercise then we need further support around fuelling, recovery, immunity and adaptation. This all comes from the food we put into our bodies, it impacts everything.

3 – Protein is a big topic for many people right now. Why is protein so essential, and what are some practical ways people can make sure they’re getting enough each day?

One of protein’s roles is being responsible for supporting the structures of our body. It’s always been popular in the sports world due to it being a key component of the growth and recovery of our muscles. In recent years messages such as protein supports muscle which supports function and longevity, protein supports skin and hair, then further reinforcement of protein for growth and repair of muscles to the increasingly active population has seen a rise in individuals seeking adequate protein.

And these messages are great, but with it we’ve seen a large rise in protein fortified foods with added powders and supplement availability, these can help at times, but for me I think the key thing here is just look at your meals and try to get from real food first.

4 – How can someone balance enjoying food while still fuelling their body effectively?

Rolling back the years to when I first started out, there was still the old school approach had by many of plain food is healthier. But increases in food availability for variety and flavourings, and the internet / social media for meal ideas / recipes shows that we can have really enjoyable meals, that don’t take ages to prep / cook, and are full of flavour without having to add loads of additional calories through extra sugar or fat.

5 – What are some common nutrition mistakes you see people making, and how can they avoid them?

Rushing into things. As mentioned above, consistency is the main thing we should be looking at…. Do the basics right and do them often. Too many people rush into extremes (sometimes fads) with diet and exercise looking for fast results. In most cases these aren’t sustainable and people don’t get the desired results, or don’t enjoy the process. Take a step back, get some sound advice in both areas, then take your time to develop routine and habits, and from time to time check back in for advice to make sure what you’re doing is right.

6 – You’ve mentioned being a fan of GSN. What drew you to the brand, and how do you think GSN products can help people meet their protein and nutrition goals? 

We’re talking over a decade ago now when GSN were in their infancy, I had a big issue of this afternoon period for players at one of my teams where they would get home tired and not have time due to personal commitments, or be tired from training and couldn’t bothered to cook, but need something because typically they would have a few hours until they would have their evening meals.

A colleague knew Craig and said he could set up a meeting. So we sat down in the Trafford Centre, had a good chat about GSN products, and then we tried a few products with players and they were a hit. Players started purchasing bundles straight away, even some staff did, admitting they felt they were actually in a similar position.

And that’s where I think GSN is great! It’s for everyone, and it really is everyone now the Heck option is available… Simple, tasty, clean (low sugar and fat), quick to make and clean up from and contain good quantities of protein and carbs from food ingredients. Ideal for using meals to fill a gap in the schedule where time or motivation to cook is limited, or quickly bulking out meals with additional protein.

7 – If you had to pick your top three GSN products, which would they be, and why? 

I’m a massive Pot of Gold fan, although a lot of my work is remote from home, I still find lunch very rushed between calls, so a quick Pot of Gold for lunch is a win for me to save time, and even if I am out on the road visiting somewhere, there’s always a microwave around so often I’ll take one with me. I also get the steamed chicken breasts, these are great for wanting quick and easy, just defrost overnight and then I’ll add to wraps, salads, soup, omelettes etc. Based on my favourite flavour Pots of Gold, I do think I need to try some of the flavoured chicken pieces though, they look great.

8 – Finally, for anyone just starting their fitness or nutrition journey, what’s the one piece of advice you’d give them?

Be patient and kind to yourself, everything takes time, the biggest thing we need to succeed is consistency, so get the basics done right and get them done often.