As I mentioned last week (click here if you missed it), weight is not a good indicator if you have RED-S. This is because a calorie deficit doesn’t always equal weight loss. You can be undereating and your weight can be stable. Read on to find out how this works. Your body requires calories for more than just movement. Even if you were to lay in bed all day, you would still require calories. Many Read more…
RED-S stands for relative energy deficiency in sport. Low energy availability causes RED-S. Low energy availability occurs when you do not eat enough calories to cover both exercising calories and the calories required to keep the body working. Low energy availability causes the body to go into an energy saving mode. In order to conserve energy, body functions are turned down such as hormone pathways and metabolic rate. This can result in many negative health Read more…
Last week I discussed periodizing carb intake to training demands, and how carb needs will vary day to day (click here if you missed it). I also mentioned that carb needs should also take into consideration the goals of that training session. If you want to perform at your best, then eating ample carbs is important. However, if the goal of your training session is not performance, then training with “low carbohydrate availability” may be Read more…
If you’ve been reading my past blogs, then you know that carbs are key for optimal performance. Carb requirements are not static. How much you require will change day to day depending on how much you training. As a general rule of thumb, on days when you are training less, your carb needs will also be less, whereas on days when you are training more, your carbs needs will be more. When I work with Read more…
Intuitive eating is an approach to eating that promotes trusting and listening to the body. While intuitive eating centers around the premise of eating when hungry and stopping when full, this is an oversimplification. Becoming an intuitive eater is a process that takes extensive practice and unlearning a lifetime of diet culture. There are 10 principles of intuitive eating. If you would like to find out more I would suggest clicking here or reading the Read more…
Most people know that calcium and vitamin D are important for strong bones, but this certainly still holds true, there are many other nutrients that also play an important role in keeping bones strong. One that might come as a surprise is…… carbohydrates. That’s right. Eating enough carbohydrates can help keep your bones strong. However, far too many athletes have an unnecessary fear of carbohydrates. Read on to find out on how carbohydrates impact bone Read more…
When it comes to the negative outcomes of relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S), the most well-known outcomes are poor bone health, irregular periods in females, and low testosterone in males. However, new research suggests that under-fuelling may also increase the risk of iron deficiency. As a reminder, RED-S is caused when not enough calories are consumed by an athlete. For more on that click here. Iron deficiency or iron deficiency anemia occurs when not Read more…
After a hard workout, athletes want to do as much as they can to recover. What you eat post-workout not only helps you get the most out of your workout, but also kick starts the recovery process so that you can be prepared for your next workout. When it comes to post-workout nutrition, there are 4 things to focus on. Replenish glycogen with carbs: During exercise the body’s storage form of carbs, known as Read more…
Confession time. I’ve been putting off this blog topic because it’s something that I’m not so great at, eating a variety of fruits and vegetables. Truthfully, I could eat the same thing every single day and be perfectly content. My go to vegetables include: spinach, tomatoes, and brussels sprouts. As for fruits, unless fresh strawberries or blueberries are available, I might go weeks without eating any. I’ll be the first to admit that my diet Read more…