Born and raised in small-town Iowa, Angela Salveo grew up in an active family and fell in love with fitness in early childhood. She participated in many sports, including track in high school and cheerleading through college at Iowa State University (ISU), where she earned a degree in Exercise Physiology in 2004. She has spent more than 20 years in the fitness industry and is currently CrossFit Level 2 Trainer and a Precision Nutrition Coach at CrossFit Sallus, a Middletown, New Jersey, facility she co-owns with her husband.

Salveo is competitive. Before her twins were born in 2010, she competed in a handful of National Physique Committee (NPC) shows. Soon after, she discovered and fell in love with CrossFit, which led to her love of Olympic Weightlifting (69 kg snatch, and 89 kg clean and jerk). In addition to recently representing Team USA at the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) 2019 World Masters Championships in Montreal, Quebec, she is training for the Nationals Masters Weightlifting Competition in April 2020. If that wasn’t a full enough schedule, she recently completed the CrossFit Games Open, placing 90th out of close to 12,000 women worldwide in the 40- to 44-year old age group. This qualified her for the next round: The Age Group Online Qualifier in March 2020.

Natural Products Insider talked to Salveo about her training and nutrition, and her view of sports nutrition relative to female athletes.

Insider: How does diet and nutrition factor into your training to optimize performance, body composition and recovery?

AS: I’m a 40-year-old mother of twins, business owner and athlete. In order to achieve optimal balance for all these, nutrition plays a huge role. My diet consists of mostly whole, unprocessed foods. I do count macros to ensure I’m fueling my body enough of the right stuff at the right times relative to my training. I'm meticulous about ensuring sufficient carbohydrate intake before, during and after my training sessions to optimize recovery. Recovery is huge.

I train four days a week (twice a day) for weightlifting, one day a week of CrossFit and one day a week of accessory and skill work. The other day is an active recovery day that usually consists of a lot of mobility, an Epsom salt bath and meditation.

Insider: Where do you get your nutrition info?

AS: I have an insatiable desire to learn. In 2007, I became a Precision Nutrition Coach and love coaching clients through behavior change. I’m constantly reading, listening to podcasts and seeking out evidence-based brands I can trust. Right now, I’m reading, “Healthy Gut, Healthy You” (Michael Ruscio, D.C.) and listening to the “Precision Nutrition” Podcast.

For the full Q&A, download the digital issue: Female strong: Women’s mark on sports nutrition.