Food Doping: RED-S, Energy Balance, and Eating for Performance

In triathlon, nutrition is often considered the “fourth discipline” after swim, bike, and run. Truthfully, it should be the first focus for so many athletes! If you’ve ever wondered if your nutrition is holding you back, if you’re eating enough, or found yourself sick and tired too often in training, then this is a must listen episode.

Far too often, we find athletes under eating for the amount they burn in workouts. That’s particularly true in endurance sports like triathlon or long distance running, where athletes working out several hours daily regularly burn 1500-2000+ calories on top of their other requirements. This can lead to a negative energy balance, for which the body compensates by shutting down things it can’t fuel. Unfortunately, this often leads to a missed menstrual cycle in women, low bone density, reduced immune function, and much more

Does that sound like you? Listen with us to learn what your body is doing!

Today’s episode is pretty technical. If you’re interested in learning more about RED-S, take a look at International Olympic Committee’s consensus paper.

We also included some slides in the video. If you’re listening to our podcast or want to catch those equations again, they’re posted below.