Precision Performance: Michelle Buchegger and Ross Dougall on Polar Tech & Fixx Nutrition
Introduction: Where Tech Meets the Trail
Michelle Buchegger: Ross, it is fantastic to finally sit down and chat. We’ve worked together for a long time now, but I’m really keen to dive deep into the synergy between what you’re doing at Polar and how we approach fueling here at Fixx. Before we get into the tech, I have to ask, how are you doing today?
Ross Dougall: Medium rare, Michelle! Most people just say "not bad," so I like to be a little more personable. It’s great to be here. I’m joining you from just up the road inBrisbane. It’s a beautiful time of year for training up here - once you get past that November to January heat wall, which is usually a perfect segue into needing Fixx Nutrition, I’m sure.
Michelle Buchegger: Absolutely. That Queensland humidity is exactly why we do what we do. You’ve been with Polar for a while now - can you give us the "skinny" on your role and what Polar is focusing on globally?
Ross Dougall: Of course. My official title is Sports Channel Manager for Australia and New Zealand. I manage the big retail spaces, but I love working across strategy, marketing and with our stable of athletes.
Polar has been around since 1977, the same year Star Wars came out, so we are one of the most established global sports tech brands. At our core, we are about heart rate tracking and science. We help people understand their individual makeup so they can progress safely and optimise their performance.
The Gold Standard: Why Heart Rate Accuracy Matters
Michelle Buchegger: You mentioned heart rate science. In a market flooded with wearables, why is accuracy the "make or break" for an athlete?
Ross Dougall: Because you only benefit from the training that you actually absorb. It’s what happens to your body after the run that helps you adapt. If your data is wrong, you won't get the most out of your training, recovery and performance.
Polar is the global gold standard for heart rate accuracy. For example, over 75 per cent of people signing up for a race will experience an injury in the lead-up. Most of the time, that’s a "training error,"doing too much, too soon. Our tech sits alongside you, acting as a coach on your wrist. It tells you if you’re in a position of overload or if you’re hitting that "sweet spot" of progression.
FuelWise: The Nutrition Revolution on Your Wrist
Michelle Buchegger: I’m fascinated by how the watches are now integrating nutritional prompts. We talk a lot about "training your gut" alongside your legs. How does Polar help an athlete manage their intake of something like Fuel X Pro during a race?
Ross Dougall: This is one of our best tools - it's called FuelWise. It creates a personalised nutrition plan right on your watch. It understands your intensity levels and the duration of your event.
If you’re using Fuel X Pro, you can input how many grams of carbohydrates are in your mix. The watch then calculates exactly how many packets or scoops you need, based on your output. As you run, it sets reminders for you to take that Fixx product. By the time you feel thirsty or "bonked," it’s often too late. Fuelwise creates your fueling plan so you can focus on getting the most out of your training and racing.
Michelle Buchegger: That is a game-changer. Especially for endurance and trail running, where "race brain" sets in and you forget to eat.
Ross Dougall: Exactly. Consistency is the number one thing elite athletes cite for their success. Technology like ours ensures that consistency isn't just in your strides, but in your fueling and recovery too.
Individual Engineering: No Two Athletes are Alike
Michelle Buchegger: We are seeing a huge trend toward personalisation in sports nutrition. How is Polar staying at the forefront of that "individual engineering"?
Ross Dougall: Everyone is built differently. My jog is different from your jog. "Everyone's heart rate zones are different. With Polar, you can discover and train in your unique zones. If you're doing it well, it will also carry over into your fueling approach. One of the biggest reasons we are seeing race times tumble globally - whether in triathlon or marathons -is nutrition.
We’ve worked with clinical experts like Danielle Di Francesco, and the takeaway is always the same: do not try anything new on race day. You need to train your stomach. Our watches show you your calorie usage across low, medium, and high days. Some days you fuel lightly; on high-intensity days, you might need a Fixx gel during a session and another immediately after to kickstart recovery.
The "Nightly Recharge": Sleep as a Performance Metric
Michelle Buchegger: You mentioned that recovery is where the "magic" happens. Tell me about the Nightly Recharge feature.
Ross Dougall: If you want to improve, optimise your sleep. The Norwegian triathletes, who are currently on an absolute tear, prioritise sleep above almost every other recovery modality.
Our Nightly Recharge doesn't just look at hours slept; it looks at how well your autonomic nervous system recovered. It can detect whether you’re getting sick or overly stressed before you even feel symptoms. It’s a safety net for your overall well-being.
Ross’s Personal Journey: Off-Road Triathlon and CrampFix
Michelle Buchegger: I have to ask about your own training. You’ve gone from zero to a top-10 world ranking in off-road triathlon in just a few years. What role did Fixx play in that?
Ross Dougall: I’d be lying if I said I wasn't prepared with CrampFix. Off-road triathlon is brutal—you’re mountain biking at altitude and then stamping your foot down to get into running shoes for a 10k trail race.
As soon as you put that shoe on, a cramp can hit immediately. Having CrampFix there to reset the neuro-muscular system is essential. It’s about being smart with the time you have. I look at food as fuel, and I look at recovery as part of the job.
Final Advice: Keep it Simple
Michelle Buchegger: To wrap up, what’s your best advice for someone training for their first big event, like the Gold Coast Marathon?
Ross Dougall: Don't overcomplicate it. Your easy days need to be really easy so your hard days can be really hard. Where you can, try to reach for food that isn't in a packet. Plan ahead with meals, eat for recovery, and plan for a low/medium/high workload based on what you've got coming up tomorrow. Refuel smartly after workouts. Be consistent in your approach, just like your training.
Get expert advice, whether from the team at Fixx or from a dietitian like Danielle. Train with the nutrition you plan to race with, and use the tech to stay honest about your recovery. Enjoy the process—food and sport should be fun!
Michelle Buchegger: I couldn't agree more. Thanks for the yarn, Ross!