Most runners learn the hard way that nutrition can make or break a race. You train for months, log hundreds of miles, and then bonk at mile 18 because the gel you grabbed at the expo didn’t sit right. Finding the products that work for your body takes trial and error, and that process gets expensive when you have to buy full boxes of everything you want to test.
The Feed built its entire business around solving this problem. Founded in 2013 by Matt Johnson and Bryan Smith, the company started with an idea that seems obvious in hindsight: let athletes buy single servings of gels, chews, and drink mixes so they can figure out what works before committing to a full box. That simple concept, combined with free coaching and a roster of over 300 brands, has made The Feed the go-to source for endurance athletes who take their fueling seriously.
Where This All Started
Matt Johnson came to sports nutrition from an unusual angle. Before launching The Feed, he served as President of the Tour de France Team at Slipstream Sports. He watched professional cyclists gain measurable advantages through better nutrition, performing stronger in the final 20% of races and holding up better during the grueling third week of a 3-week stage race. Johnson is also a competitive ski racer himself, having won a dozen Master’s World Cup races and a Master’s Super-G World Championship.
That combination of elite sports management and personal competition gave Johnson a perspective that most nutrition company founders lack. He understood what athletes need because he had seen it at the highest level and lived it himself.
The company launched with a simple formula: fuel Before, During, and after each workout with the right products. Over the past 8 years, feedback from more than 200,000 athletes has helped refine that approach. The Feed has grown from roughly 20 employees to about 80, with revenue increasing at 60% to 70% annually.
The Single Serving Advantage
Here is the reality of sports nutrition: what works perfectly for your training partner might give you stomach cramps. Gels that taste great during an easy 6-miler can become unbearable at mile 80 of an ultra. Hydration mixes that dissolve perfectly in cold water might clump up in warm conditions.
The only way to know what works for you is to test things during training, not on race day. But testing gets pricey when every product comes in boxes of 12 or 24.
The Feed stocks products from brands including Clif Bar, Skratch, Maurten, GU, Bonk Breaker, Honey Stinger, and Precision. Customers can order single servings of gels, chews, drink mixes, and bars. Buy one of each, take them on training runs, keep notes on what sits well, and build your race-day plan based on actual data from your own gut.
Nearly 1,500 reviews on Trustpilot mention this flexibility repeatedly. Customers appreciate being able to test items before committing to a full purchase. The ability to mix and match flavors and brands in a single order removes the financial risk from the trial-and-error process.
Free Coaching That Actually Helps
Plenty of companies sell nutrition products. Not many employ a team of coaches who will help you build a fueling plan at no cost.
The Feed has a whole team of coaches working daily on what advice to give and how to help athletes put nutrition plans together. This coaching service is completely free. Customers can call and speak with a real person because staff actually answer the phone. The company’s goal is to respond to every chat within 20 seconds, and each customer gets a dedicated representative who is not handling five conversations at once.
This approach matters because nutrition planning is complicated. Calorie needs vary based on pace, temperature, humidity, and race duration. Electrolyte requirements change depending on sweat rate and conditions. Caffeine timing affects how much of a boost you get and when. Having access to knowledgeable coaches who can help sort through these variables saves athletes from expensive mistakes.
Customer reviews frequently mention receiving helpful advice on race fueling. Long-time customers note that the coaching support helps answer questions and build confidence in their nutrition strategy.
The Athletes Who Trust The Feed
When the best endurance athletes in the world choose a nutrition partner, they pick The Feed. The company’s 2025 High Performance Team includes names that any runner would recognize.
Courtney Dauwalter joined The Feed as a sponsored athlete. In 2023, she became the first person ever to win Western States 100, Hardrock 100, and UTMB in the same year. Those are three of the most prestigious 100-mile races on the planet, and she swept all three in a single season.
Dauwalter explained her decision: “I am excited to partner with The Feed because they’re a one-stop shop for nutrition and recovery tools, and are focused on helping all athletes train and perform at their best. I have been playing around with my race nutrition the past few years and while I dialed in my hydration with Tailwind Nutrition Endurance Fuel, I am always trying different combinations of gels, chews and waffles to see what works the best for me. The Feed is perfect for all the mixing and matching I love to do.”
Taylor Knibb, the 2-time Ironman 70.3 World Champion and 2020 Olympian who also competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics, is another member of the team. She chose The Feed as her exclusive nutrition sponsor, noting: “The Feed offers me access to products I can’t get from other places, and I also get support and education from a team of expert nutrition coaches.”
The roster also includes Chelsea Sodaro, Lionel Sanders, Magnus Ditlev, Max Neumann, Morgan Pearson, Beth Potter, and Tara Dower. Between them, the team holds countless National Championships, World Championships, World Records, and Course Records across ultrarunning, triathlon, cycling, and other endurance sports.
Exclusive Brands and Products
Part of what makes The Feed valuable is access to products you cannot find elsewhere. The company stocks more than 15 exclusive brands, giving customers options that are not available from other retailers.
The partnership with Science in Sport represents a particularly strong exclusive relationship. The Feed has supplied Science in Sport products for over 5 years and now manages all US distribution of the entire Science in Sport product range. This covers all sales channels including online, marketplace, and retail. Customers get access to the full lineup with fast delivery and easy checkout.
The Feed also introduced Feed 1st, a program where members receive access to product samples at the same time as the professional athletes. It works on a first-come, first-served basis. Members get the email invitation alongside athletes like Lionel Sanders, Chelsea Sodaro, and Courtney Dauwalter. Getting early access to new products means you can test them during training well before your target race.
Fast Shipping Built Into the Operation
Speed matters when you realize on Wednesday that you are out of gels and have a long run scheduled for Saturday. The Feed invested in proprietary warehouse software written by a young athlete working in their distribution center. They also prioritized robotics to ship orders as fast as possible, putting delivery times on par with Amazon.
The company is headquartered in Denver, and their focus on logistics ensures that orders reach customers quickly. When reviews mention The Feed, fast shipping comes up regularly alongside product selection and customer service.
Recognition From Major Organizations
USA Triathlon partnered with The Feed in 2024, providing members with an $80 credit to TheFeed.com when they join the USA Triathlon program. That credit helps athletes stock up on products from the more than 300 brands The Feed carries.
The partnership actually builds on earlier collaboration. The Feed supported USA Triathlon in 2022 and 2023 through a smaller program. Based on the value provided to members and the success of that initial effort, both organizations extended the relationship through 2025.
Victoria Brumfield, USA Triathlon CEO, noted that she has been a personal customer for years. She pointed out that nutrition is increasingly recognized as a key differentiator in endurance sports. For triathletes who dedicate extensive hours to training and compete over extended durations, a well-planned fueling strategy is essential for peak performance.
Building a Community of Athletes
The Feed has grown its community through Strava, the fitness tracking app that millions of runners use. In 2022, the company’s Sponsored Challenges on Strava became a cornerstone of their marketing strategy. Over that year, their Strava club grew by 14,246 members, a 345% increase.
One challenge alone brought in 92,895 total participants with 83,750 completions. That single event added 4,563 members to The Feed’s Strava club. The numbers show how many athletes want to be part of a community focused on fueling and performance.
The company acquired energy snack delivery company Kona Kase back in 2014, demonstrating early strategic thinking about growth. They continue to look for acquisitions that fit their human performance model and bring high brand loyalty from customers.
The Bottom Line for Runners
Finding the right nutrition takes time and money. You need to test products during training, not during races. You need access to enough variety that you can find what works for your body. And sometimes, you need advice from someone who knows more about fueling than you do.
The Feed solves all three problems. Single servings let you test without committing to full boxes. More than 300 brands give you enough options to find your perfect combination. Free coaching helps you build a plan that makes sense for your goals and your gut.
When professional athletes like Courtney Dauwalter and Taylor Knibb choose The Feed for their nutrition, it says something about the quality of products and support available. These athletes have access to anything they want. They picked The Feed because it gives them what they need to perform at their best.
That same level of selection, expertise, and service is available to every runner who wants to get their fueling right.
Photo: Taylor Friehl from Unsplash