Sports Nutrition
For underfueling and RED-S
Whether you are a recreational, competitive or elite athlete, fueling is a crucial part of training. Athletes are a population that need to ensure that they are fueling adequately to meet the energy demands on the body. The sport you practice may impact your specific macro-nutrient needs, such as fat, protein and carbohydrate intake.
Relative energy deficiency in sport, a term coined by the International Olympic Committee in 2014, refers to inadequate energy availability to support the demands of optimal health and performance in both men and women of all ages . Below is a figure illustrating the potential effects of relative energy deficiency in sport.
We are committed to helping you engage in sport without harming your body
How Nutrition Prevents RED-S
Adequate Energy Intake
The dietitian’s at Fueling for Recovery will create tailored meal plans based on the athlete’s energy expenditure, sport, training load, and individual needs. This ensures the athlete is consuming enough calories, macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats), and micronutrients to fuel their body adequately, especially during high-intensity or prolonged training periods.
Education
The dietitian with whom you work will educate you about the importance of maintaining energy balance—consuming enough calories to match their activity level. They will explain the short term and long term risks of underfueling, help breakdown false nutrition information or challenge sports culture beliefs and accompany you in making informed choices.
The dietitian will help you understand the importance of proper fueling for recovery, muscle repair, and glycogen replenishment and what this looks like in day to day training.
We celebrate athletes of all sizes, weights, races and genders through inclusive care.
Underfueling and Eating Disorders
What is unique about our team and our approach is that we specialize in both Sports Nutrition and Eating Disorder Recovery.
This means that as dietitians who specialize in eating disorders, we have the training and experience to assess whether an athlete’s underfueling may be related to something more complex than a lack of knowledge and can also consider how an athlete’s sport is central to their lives when making recommendations for eating disorder recovery.
How our specialties impact your treatment
- We will try to keep you in your sport if your physical and medical condition allow it
- We will collaborate with your coach(es), athletic trainer and other vital professionals that support you in your life and in your sport
- We will explore how your experience as an athlete and your environment have impacted your eating disorder and can support you in your recovery.
- We will provide nutrition education, scientific evidence and psychoeducation to help you feel equipped to both recover and stay in your sport.
- We understand the importance of nutrition for performance AND also strongly believe in flexible eating and recovery.
