FUELING AND NUTRITION

As endurance athletes, we put our bodies under high stress, even higher than other athletes. Long durations of exercise requires us to fuel our bodies to recover and adapt. In order to be healthy and continue to train at a high level, we need to be putting enough food back into our bodies.

How much should I be eating?

LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! You are the expert of you. Only YOU know when you are hungry, when you are full and what foods taste and feel good in your body.

What should I be eating?

Click HERE to see "The Satter Hierarchy of Food Needs"

• This is a great starting point!

What if I am not hungry?

Yes, sometimes after a hard workout or long run, we may not have much of an appetite. However, we need to ensure we are still putting fuel in our body.

I’ve heard lighter is faster? Is this true?

NO. This is not true. Plain and simple.

• Research has shown underfueling will undermine an athlete’s ability to reach their goals.

• Trying to chase a certian "size" is unhealthy - injuries and fatigue will occur, ultimately costing performance.

• In order to perform, we NEED health.

What happens if I do not fuel properly?

If we do not fuel properly we can go into a state of low energy availability. This is a state that occurs when an athlete’s energy intake doesn’t match their energy expenditure. 

Continuous underfueling can result in Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S)?

What is (RED-S)?

Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport is a condition that occurs when an athlete’s nutritional fueling is insufficient to meet the demands of their training and daily activities. In other words, the “energy in” is less than the “energy out."

So what? Why should I can about RED-S?

Well, it can have both long term and short term effects on our overall health!

These include:

Bone health: Underfueling can lead to low bone mineral density. This increases risk of stress fractures and  osteoporosis. Chronic underfueling, may lead to long term bone density issues later in life.

Hormone imbalance: For those who experience periods, it can cause menstrual dysfuction, which can further impact long term bone health.

Mental health: RED-S has psychological impacts, including increased anxiety and depression.

Can RED-S impact my athletic performance?
YES. It can have very detrimental effects on our athletic performance.

These include:

• Decreased endurance

• Increased risk of injury

• Decreased muscle strength

• Impaired judgement

• Decreased coordination

Boston Marathon Study:

• “Using data from runners’ wearable timing chips, researchers found that runners with indicators of low energy availability had significantly worse race outcomes, even when matched with runners of similar BMI, sex, marathon experience, and training.”

• “‘Runners with signs of chronic under fueling had much slower times on race day,’ says Whitney. They also required medical attention twice as often, with 22 percent of those medical encounters resulting in withdrawal from the event.”

What are some symptoms of RED-S?

• Fatigue

• Rapid weight loss

• Frequent illness

• Trouble focusing

• Trouble staying warm

What should I do if I think I am experiencing symptoms of RED-S?

• Please tell your parent, guardian, or a trusted adult, that way we can address it :)