207. Supporting Female Athletes' Mental Health and Performance with Therapist and Former NCAA Athlete Olivia Papakyrikos

This episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast is with Registered Sports Dietitian and certified intuitive eating counsellor Becca Rick. Becca is a lifelong runner and we spend time discussing her relationship with endurance training and nutrition. She recently completed the Moab 240-mile ultramarathon, prompting a discussion about her fueling before and during, as well as her training, sleeping and race logistics. This includes fueling training, tapering and rest days, the importance of rest days, and pre-competition nutrition strategies that can be applied to anyone preparing for an athletic event or competition.  Becca and I dive into intuitive eating as an athlete–yes, it’s possible!–and why it’s not the “hunger-fullness” diet. We give listeners tips for making intuitive eating work for you that do include planning and conscious thought about fueling your sport. Becca talks about being a dietitian for elite speed skaters, helping fuel the speed and power demands of their sport, and tackling the topic of power-to-weight ratio. Becca opens up about past struggles with binge eating disorder and exercise dependency, and how she wishes she had help from a sports dietitian during recovery. We ask what “normal eating” really means and define being recovered. Becca’s recovery story highlights the non-linear journey to healing, but that it is possible! You can recover and continue to perform your sport! We’re here to help: find out more and get in touch today! TOPIC TIMESTAMPS: 2:55 Becca’s ultra running journey; how sports relate to life  9:00 Running 200-mile races: logistics and limits 13:40 Fueling training and racing ultramarathons; gut training 16:55 Rest and recovery around races; fueling rest and easy days  24:30 Pre-race/ competition nutrition strategies  25:45 Intuitive eating as an athlete (+ why it’s not the “hunger-fullness” diet) 30:50 Becca’s eating disorder history: struggling with binge eating disorder and exercise dependency; ED recovery as an athlete and the role of a sports dietitian 34:45 ED recovery is non-linear; what even is “normal eating” and being “recovered”?! 40:00 How ultrarunning supported Becca’s ED recovery  44:10 Speed skating nutrition, power-to-weight ratio 52:40 Becca’s future ultrarunning plans 53:40 End of the podcast questions Find Becca (Rebecca) online here: https://nutritionmechanic.com/  Follow Becca on Instagram @becs_slc and me, your host Lindsey Cortes, @female.athlete.nutrition  SIGN UP FOR EMAIL LIST: https://riseupnutrition.activehosted.com/f/6  Check out our NEW website with resources, blogs, and more: www.FemaleAthleteNutritionPodcast.com Join our amazing "FANS": Female Athlete Nutrition Supporters by considering a contribution of just $5 a month: https://www.patreon.com/femaleathletenutrition Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition: www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com And get nutrition help today!  Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support: www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com/REDS Health Practitioner or Dietitian? Check out ThatCleanLife for recipes & meal planning software: https://get.thatcleanlife.com/femaleathletenutrition Check out more brand partners and affiliates at: https://www.femaleathletenutritionpodcast.com/affiliatepartners We are so grateful to our FANS and listeners! I hope you enjoy the episode.

This episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast is Dr. Kyle Pfaffenbach. Kyle is an Associate Professor of nutrition and exercise science at Eastern Oregon University, and also works as a Performance Nutrition Consultant to Olympians and World Champions, including the Brooks’ Beasts Track Club. Warning, this episode starts off a bit science heavy, diving into Kyle’s previous research on protein structure and folding. This is only for a small part of this wonderful conversation, but feel free to skip from 4:45 to 14:15. We transition from science to practice, discussing the importance of science-backed recommendations tailored to individuals and their own experiences.  We go deep on balancing macronutrients for athletes, starting with protein. Kyle and I discuss protein recommendations for how much and when, debunking the “more protein is better” belief. We highlight that over-focusing on protein may impair performance and health when you’re lacking fats and carbohydrates. Kyle shares insights from his work helping Olympians and world-class athletes fuel, underscoring the importance of total energy intake, as well as fats and carbs, even when body composition changes are desired. We discuss the effects of underfueling on performance: hint, hint, if you’re having bad workouts, try eating more! Food is more than fuel. Kyle talks about the role of nutrition in your body for signaling and other essential processes. Food is also for enjoyment and even elite athletes incorporate “fun” foods into their lives. While the media, social media and influencers in particular, demonize certain foods and nutrients, both Kyle and I believe an “all foods fit” approach best supports health and performance. This highlights the importance of working with trusted nutrition professionals and being careful of where you go for nutrition advice.  TOPIC TIMESTAMPS: 4:45 Kyle’s protein research (this is a science-heavy section, feel free to skip ahead to :X) 14:15 The importance of understanding science, then… 17:30 …tailoring research-backed approaches to individuals 23:00 Protein recommendations and timing for athletes  29:20 Is more protein better? 33:40 The importance of fats for female athletes  35:40 Balancing carbohydrates with proteins; macronutrient breakdown for athletes  40:10 Problem solving bad workouts  45:20 Food as signals for your body  49:00 Nutrition complexity: no dumb questions!  52:00 Preventing nutrition stress and making all foods fit, including fast food 57:40 Working with and trusting nutrition professionals for optimal performance  1:01:35 End of the podcast questions  Find Kyle’s research here: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kyle-Pfaffenbach  Follow Kyle on Instagram @kylepfaffenbach and me, your host Lindsey Cortes, @female.athlete.nutrition  SIGN UP FOR EMAIL LIST: https://riseupnutrition.activehosted.com/f/6  Check out our NEW website with resources, blogs, and more: www.FemaleAthleteNutritionPodcast.com Join our amazing "FANS": Female Athlete Nutrition Supporters by considering a contribution of just $5 a month: https://www.patreon.com/femaleathletenutrition Health Practitioner or Dietitian? Check out ThatCleanLife for recipes & meal planning software: https://get.thatcleanlife.com/femaleathletenutrition Check out more brand partners and affiliates at: https://www.femaleathletenutritionpodcast.com/affiliatepartners We are so grateful to our FANS and listeners! I hope you enjoy the episode.

This episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast is with mental health therapist and former NCAA field hockey player Olivia Papakyrikos. Olivia specializes in athletes’ mental health, sport psychology and eating disorders. We start off by discussing our own experiences with mindset challenges as former athletes, including navigating injuries and identity shifts as we moved away from competitive sports. Olivia shares how she helps athletes overcome challenges such as eating disorders, anxiety, depression, and injury recovery to perform better in sports and life. We highlight some of the social pressures high school and college athletes face that make them particularly susceptible. Team culture, coaches and available resources all also impact athletes’ mental health, and seeking professional support from therapists like Olivia can make a big difference on performance and wellbeing. Olivia is also heavily involved in the Female Athlete Conference, helping to elevate female athlete health and research. We speak to the huge lack of research into female athletes and knowledge gaps, such as the impact of the menstrual cycle on performance and mental health. We finish off with the usual end of the podcast questions, and recommend you check out the Female Athlete Conference here! TOPIC TIMESTAMPS: 4:20 How sports psychology helped Olivia as an injured athlete  7:50 The importance of embracing different identities and being more than an athlete 15:00 Recovery processes and timelines for treating eating disorders, injuries, performance anxiety and more 19:45 The impact of social pressures faced by high school and college athletes  25:00 Supporting athletes’ mental health: coaches, resources and outsourcing professional support  29:45 Female Athlete Conference and the lack of research in female athletes  33:10 Understanding the impact of the menstrual cycle on performance and mental health  38:15 End of the podcast questions  Find Olivia at oliviapapakyrikos.com Follow Olivia on Instagram @oliviapapakyrikos and me, your host Lindsey Cortes, @female.athlete.nutrition  SIGN UP FOR EMAIL LIST: https://riseupnutrition.activehosted.com/f/6  Check out our NEW website with resources, blogs, and more: www.FemaleAthleteNutritionPodcast.com Join our amazing "FANS": Female Athlete Nutrition Supporters by considering a contribution of just $5 a month: https://www.patreon.com/femaleathletenutrition Health Practitioner or Dietitian? Check out ThatCleanLife for recipes & meal planning software: https://get.thatcleanlife.com/femaleathletenutrition Check out more brand partners and affiliates at: https://www.femaleathletenutritionpodcast.com/affiliatepartners We are so grateful to our FANS and listeners! I hope you enjoy the episode.

Trigger warning for talk of disordered eating behaviors and weight control. Feel free to skip this episode or fast-forward from 34:00 to 43:45.  This episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast is with professional Ironman triathlete Dede Griesbauer. Dede shares her remarkable story from an NCAA DI swimming career to working on Wall Street. Over a decade later, she returned to competitive sport and became a professional Ironman triathlete aged 35. At 52 years old, Dede won the Ultraman World Championships, a multi-day triathlon event, and is still performing at an elite level now. We discuss tips for career longevity and how Dede has maintained her health and love for sport throughout. Dede’s events, Ironman and Ultraman triathlons, are long endurance events requiring considerable fuel before, during and after training and racing. We dive deep into fueling during exercise, comparing real food and sports nutrition products like gels and chews, creating a fueling plan, and problem solving GI issues. Dede shares advice for meeting your nutrition needs on a busy schedule, as well as how she uses food trackers to her benefit. We highlight how, with the support of a professional, trackers can support performance nutrition goals. This is not something I recommend my clients do because the risk of negative impacts is too high. Dede opens up about the negative food, body and weight messaging she received in college, and how her mindset has totally shifted to not monitor her weight, instead fueling for health and performance.  TOPIC TIMESTAMPS: 5:15 Returning to competitive sports as a master’s athlete  8:35 Finding Ironman triathlon  10:30 Becoming World Champion aged 52 after turning pro at 35 12:20 Tips for career longevity in elite sports  16:10 Female vs male performance differences  18:20 Increasing opportunities for women in sport post-college 21:40 What is an Ironman and an Ultraman triathlon? 24:35 Nutrition for an Ironman vs Ultraman; sports fuel vs real food; problem solving GI issues in races 28:00 Fueling with sports nutrition products vs “real food” 32:30 Daily vs performance nutrition  34:00 Shifts in fueling, weight and performance mindsets over time; Dede’s NCAA swimming experience 35 years ago 35:45 Uncoupling weight and performance; food is fuel 38:50 Dede’s current nutrition habits to fuel elite performance 39:55 Using food trackers and numbers to help performance 43:45 Performance supporting habits outside of training  47:00 Tips for fueling with a busy schedule  51:25 End of the podcast questions  For more on food tracking, check out Episode 146: Nutrition Apps + Fitness Trackers: Helpful or Hurtful?  Find Dede at dedegriesbauer.com  Follow on Dede Instagram @dedegriesbauer and me, your host Lindsey Cortes, @female.athlete.nutrition  SIGN UP FOR EMAIL LIST: https://riseupnutrition.activehosted.com/f/6  Check out our NEW website with resources, blogs, and more: www.FemaleAthleteNutritionPodcast.com Join our amazing "FANS": Female Athlete Nutrition Supporters by considering a contribution of just $5 a month: https://www.patreon.com/femaleathletenutrition Health Practitioner or Dietitian? Check out ThatCleanLife for recipes & meal planning software: https://get.thatcleanlife.com/femaleathletenutrition Check out more brand partners and affiliates at: https://www.femaleathletenutritionpodcast.com/affiliatepartners We are so grateful to our FANS and listeners! I hope you enjoy the episode.

Happy New Year! This is a solo episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast with me, your host, Lindsey Cortes. Instead of fad diets and quick fixes, we’re talking about health-promoting changes and real life transformations. That’s why I start this episode with some exciting updates! Firstly, Rise Up Nutrition is back! I’m now taking clients looking for nutrition support to achieve their highest athletic performance. I’m expanding my offerings beyond the female athlete and RED-S spaces, open to helping anyone level up their fueling. Get in touch today! Secondly, I share that I have begun writing a book, hoping to share healthy fueling tips with a wider audience. And it wouldn’t be the New Year without talking about health and fitness! I get ahead of some expected 2025 trends: high fiber and protein diets, plant-based proteins, GLP1 agonists like ozempic, personalized nutrition,  intermittent fasting and more. I take a little longer to discuss affordable nutrition, with tips for eating well on a budget. TOPIC TIMESTAMPS: 6:10 I’m writing a book! The story behind the book and how it’s going  11:35 Goal setting framework for 2025 15:10 Expected food trends for 2025: fiber, plant-based proteins, affordable food 18:15 Eating well on a budget 20:50 Food trends continued: GLP1, high protein diets, personalized nutrition, intermittent fasting SIGN UP FOR EMAIL LIST: https://riseupnutrition.activehosted.com/f/6  Check out our NEW website with resources, blogs, and more: www.FemaleAthleteNutritionPodcast.com Join our amazing "FANS": Female Athlete Nutrition Supporters by considering a contribution of just $5 a month: https://www.patreon.com/femaleathletenutrition Health Practitioner or Dietitian? Check out ThatCleanLife for recipes & meal planning software: https://get.thatcleanlife.com/femaleathletenutrition Check out more brand partners and affiliates at: https://www.femaleathletenutritionpodcast.com/affiliatepartners We are so grateful to our FANS and listeners! I hope you enjoy the episode.

This episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast is with two special guests, Zoë Rom and Kylee Van Horn. Zoë and Kylee cohost the Your Diet Sucks podcast, a new show debunking diet culture and nutrition misinformation. Zoë Rom is the Editor-in-Chief of Trail Runner magazine, entrepreneur with her own Microcosm Coaching business, author of Becoming a Sustainable Runner, accomplished ultrarunner, journalist, comedian and more! While Kylee Van Horn is a Registered Dietitian and founder of Fly Nutrition, writer, lifelong runner and coach.   Our discussion today is all about the dangers of social media influencers. We explore how social media and unqualified influencers are shaping (and often distorting) the way female athletes approach their nutrition, body image, and training. No one is immune to influencers –myself, Zoë and Kylee included– and we share why people are “influenced”, the rise of young girls wanting to become influencers, and where athletes fit into this. Supplements are a particular area of concern we dive into, explaining how a lack of regulation and scientific support allows influencers and supplement companies to run wild with marketing claims for expensive and potentially dangerous products. We give listeners tips for discerning fact from diet fad, finding experts over influencers, avoiding falling for fantastical supplement claims, and cultivating a healthy social media experience. TOPIC TIMESTAMPS: 4:30 Your Diet Sucks podcast; Zoë and Kylee’s backgrounds 10:30 Being “influenced” by social media; why we get “influenced” 17:45 Supplements on social media: how influencers are selling fake, unscientific and unsafe claims  21:05 Responsible and ethical social media marketing and use; deciphering good and bad messages 25:50 Athletes as influencers and athletic endorsement 28:30 Mental health and social media use  31:00 Social media pressures 34:30 Using social media safely and for good 36:35 Who to trust? The blurred lines between experts and influencers 40:20 Tips for separating experts from influencers and not falling for misinformation/ untruths 47:00 How women and men consume media differently  53:30 End of the podcast questions For more just like this, check out this episode of Your Diet Sucks: The Dangers of Social Media and Influencers in the Nutrition Space and Zoë’s Athletic Cheese reel  Listen to the Your Diet Sucks podcast here! Follow on Zoë Instagram @carrot_flowers_z Kylee Your Diet Sucks @yourdietsuckspod and me, your host Lindsey Cortes, @female.athlete.nutrition  SIGN UP FOR EMAIL LIST: https://riseupnutrition.activehosted.com/f/6  Check out our NEW website with resources, blogs, and more: www.FemaleAthleteNutritionPodcast.com Join our amazing "FANS": Female Athlete Nutrition Supporters by considering a contribution of just $5 a month: https://www.patreon.com/femaleathletenutrition Health Practitioner or Dietitian? Check out ThatCleanLife for recipes & meal planning software: https://get.thatcleanlife.com/femaleathletenutrition Check out more brand partners and affiliates at: https://www.femaleathletenutritionpodcast.com/affiliatepartners We are so grateful to our FANS and listeners! I hope you enjoy the episode.

This episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast is with sports physiologist Julia Casadio. Julia’s work includes helping Olympic athletes prepare to compete in the heat, as well as educating coaches, parents, and athletes involved in youth female sport. We dive straight into Julia’s area of expertise: heat training. She talks about the what, why, how, and when to heat train for both professional and everyday athletes. This includes differentiating between acclimation and acclimatization, passive and active heat training, and strategies we can all implement. Julia talks about helping Olympians prepare to compete in the heat, as well as easy heat training protocols we can do ourselves. Julia highlights differences in how women and men should heat train, variance in sweat rate between genders,  as well as the influence of the menstrual cycle on temperature and fluid regulation. We talk about Julia’s most recent project: Her Strength, an online learning platform for coaches, parents, and athletes involved in youth female sport. Julia speaks to the importance of educating coaches working with adolescent female athletes on a variety of topics: female puberty and sport, health, nutrition, training and recovery optimisation, and psychological considerations. We discuss the impact of puberty on performance, normalizing plateaus and body changes, and how working with your body as it changes results in better long term performance. We give listeners tips for improving performance through puberty without controlling your body and food. Julia answers the end of the podcast questions and shares her plans for future athlete- and parent-focused resources on Her Strength. TOPIC TIMESTAMPS: 3:30 Heat training 101: what, why, when, and how; heat training protocols and strategies  9:45 Heat training for the everyday athletes 11:40 Adaptations and benefits of heat training  14:30 Sweat differences in female athletes; the impact of the menstrual cycle on temperature regulation  16:30 Her Strength: supporting young athletes 21:05 The importance of educating coaches on female athletes 26:10 Understanding puberty challenges: body changes and performance plateaus  29:00 Improving performance through puberty  34:05 Her Strength’s online course for coaches and parents; future resources for athletes  36:40 End of the podcast questions  Check out Her Strength. Follow Her Strength on Instagram @_herstrength.co_ and me, your host Lindsey Cortes, @female.athlete.nutrition  SIGN UP FOR EMAIL LIST: https://riseupnutrition.activehosted.com/f/6  Check out our NEW website with resources, blogs, and more: www.FemaleAthleteNutritionPodcast.com Join our amazing "FANS": Female Athlete Nutrition Supporters by considering a contribution of just $5 a month: https://www.patreon.com/femaleathletenutrition Health Practitioner or Dietitian? Check out ThatCleanLife for recipes & meal planning software: https://get.thatcleanlife.com/femaleathletenutrition Check out more brand partners and affiliates at: https://www.femaleathletenutritionpodcast.com/affiliatepartners We are so grateful to our FANS and listeners! I hope you enjoy the episode.

This is the third episode in our new Fast Fueling Facts series. These episodes are designed to highlight key areas of sports nutrition and equip you with actionable tips for optimizing your nutrition and performance. This episode is all about hydration: what, when, why, and how much to drink before, during, and after exercise. I provide listeners with a basic overview of why being optimally hydrated is important, and the health and performance consequences of being both under-hydrated (dehydration) and over-hydrated (hypernatremia). I highlight emerging research on women's unique hydration needs based around our menstrual cycles. Fluid shifts and body temperature changes impact sweat losses and how much water is available in the muscles and, as such, women's hydration needs fluctuate. Taking birth control, as well as being peri or post menopause, can affect hydration needs too. I recommend following Dr. Stacy Sims to stay up to date on new research in female athletes. We’ve previously tackled the topics of fueling before, during and after workouts, which are the perfect complements to this episode.  Go give them a listen here:  194. Fast Fueling Facts: Pre + Post Training  195. Fast Fueling Facts: During Training Sports Nutrition TOPIC TIMESTAMPS: 1:50 Introducing the episode on hydration 3:20 Defining hydration and the importance of water in the body 7:30 Fluid intake and general recommendations 9:15 Staying hydrated around exercise 11:25 Why optimal hydration matters: avoiding under-hydrated (dehydration) and over-hydrated (hypernatremia) 14:35 The role of sodium post-exercise 15:45 Pre-workout hydration: how much, when and why 17:45 Sweat loss and hydration during exercise 19:35 Rehydrating after exercise; guidelines for replacing sweat loss 22:20 Women's specific hydration needs around the menstrual cycle 27:20 Dr. Stacy Sims' research on women's hydration needs Studies referenced: National Athletic Trainers’ Association Position Statement: Fluid Replacement for the Physically Active American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Exercise and fluid replacement 2022 Review: Hydration in Physically Active Women SIGN UP FOR EMAIL LIST: https://riseupnutrition.activehosted.com/f/6  Check out our NEW website with resources, blogs, and more: www.FemaleAthleteNutritionPodcast.com Join our amazing "FANS": Female Athlete Nutrition Supporters by considering a contribution of just $5 a month: https://www.patreon.com/femaleathletenutrition Health Practitioner or Dietitian? Check out ThatCleanLife for recipes & meal planning software: https://get.thatcleanlife.com/femaleathletenutrition Check out more brand partners and affiliates at: https://www.femaleathletenutritionpodcast.com/affiliatepartners We are so grateful to our FANS and listeners! I hope you enjoy the episode.

This is a special episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast celebrating 200 episodes and our 4 year anniversary! For the first time, Lindsey Cortes is the guest rather than the host. Instead, podcast producer Ruby Wyles is behind the mic leading this conversation. This episode has it all: reflections on 200 episodes, family updates, future projects, dream guests, sports nutrition trivia, myth busting and much more! We are so grateful to you, our audience, for tuning in each and every week, and we want to hear from you! Check out all the topic timestamps and links below for everything we mentioned and ways to get in touch. Here’s to 200 more! TOPIC TIMESTAMPS 2:15 How Lindsey has “balanced” parenting with work, training, podcasting and more 9:30 Advice for juggling competing demands as a student-athlete 12:45 Being a medical mom to Levi, her son who has glycogen storage disease, and the impact on family and day-to-day life 19:50 Why Lindsey’s family are sugar-free 22:00 Tips for meeting your nutritional needs as a busy parent and/or athlete 23:10 Podcast trivia on the 3 most popular episodes: 141. Dr. Stacy Sims, 176. Meghann Featherstun, 180. Carrie Verdon 27:50 How and why the podcast started, how and why it’s still going 31:00 What Lindsey is most proud of about the podcast; how the podcast is having an impact 34:25 The podcast’s impact on Lindsey’s nutrition and training 37:15 Podcast dream guests (email us at [email protected]) 38:20 How to support the podcast 39:40 Bonus round on the top sports nutrition trends of 2024: plant-based nutrition and protein, gut health, and rapid rehydration solutions. 45:25 Myth busting: Is all you need to recover protein? 47:20 Myth busting: Should all female athletes supplement with iron? 49:00 Myth busting: Does lighter and slimmer equal a faster, better athlete? 50:55 Teasing Lindsey’s future plans: (1) her book, (2) returning to working with clients as a dietitian 52:40 Rise Up Nutrition vs Female Athlete Nutrition (don’t stress the name change!) 54:40 End of the podcast questions Things we mentioned: Ep 140: My Newborn’s Medical Condition + Life Updates Ep 143: Individualized Nutrition For All + Glycogen Storage Disease Lindsey’s sugar-free blog: One year ago I decided to cut out all sugar… Ep 200: Faster as a Master’s Runner + Nutrition for Lyme Disease with Jen Saint Jean  141: Dr. Stacy Sims on Female Physiology, Training, Nutrition + RED-S 6. Mary Cain, More than a Runner  167. Nutrition + Training Upgrades For Female Athletes of All Ages with Dr. Stacy Sims 176. Peak Performance Nutrition: Understanding Carb Loading, Hydration + GI Issues with Meghann Featherstun 180. How To Fuel For Better Performance + Recovery Like An Elite Athlete with Carrie Verdon Follow Ruby on Instagram @rwyles_ and me, your host Lindsey Cortes, @female.athlete.nutrition  SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTER AND EMAIL LIST: https://riseupnutrition.activehosted.com/f/6  Check out our NEW website with resources, blogs, and more: www.FemaleAthleteNutritionPodcast.com Join our amazing "FANS": Female Athlete Nutrition Supporters by considering a contribution of just $5 a month: https://www.patreon.com/femaleathletenutrition Health Practitioner or Dietitian? Check out ThatCleanLife for recipes & meal planning software: https://get.thatcleanlife.com/femaleathletenutrition Check out more brand partners and affiliates at: https://www.femaleathletenutritionpodcast.com/affiliatepartners We are so grateful to our FANS and listeners! I hope you enjoy the episode.

This episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast is with lifelong competitive runner and mother of 2, Jen Saint Jean. After an active childhood and running in high school, Jen walked on to her collegiate cross country and track team and has never looked back! We talk about how her athletics journey evolved to where now, aged 49, she is training to be faster than ever in her #fasterasamaster project. We highlight the inclusiveness of running, as well as the impact female coaches can make for all athletes. As a coach, Jen shares how she intentionally helps girls and young women understand their menstrual cycles so they can better manage symptoms and optimize training. We explore the evolution of women’s sports in the last 50 years, and how women like Jen and myself are able to continue progressing and achieving athletic goals even after becoming parents and as we get older. We talk about Jen’s experience dealing with chronic Lyme disease, the signs and symptoms that led to her diagnosis, and her management strategies. Jen speaks about the key role of nutrition for treating her Lyme disease, together with training modifications and bloodwork. Jen and I discuss ways of feeding a family with different nutrition requirements, alongside fueling for performance as an aging athlete. For Jen, this meant increasing her protein, while younger athletes should focus more on increasing their carbohydrates, as well as food flexibility and always eating enough. Jen shares more of her running goals as a master’s athlete and you can follow her journey and thoughtful writing on her website here. TOPIC TIMESTAMPS: 6:00 Jen's athletic background and natural running talent; the inclusiveness of cross country running 11:30 College athletics recruiting and being a "walk-on" athlete 16:15 The power of female coaches 21:05 Coaching young athletes; Puberty and performance in boys and girls 26:00 Performing on your menstrual cycle 31:20 Jenn's goal to be faster as a master's athlete than she was in her 20s; Women's high performance throughout the lifespan. 38:00 Balancing motherhood with athletics  41:15 Lyme disease: symptoms and diagnosis  46:50 Treating Lyme disease through nutrition and training changes 52:40 Feeding a family with different nutritional needs and fueling as an athlete; the importance of eating enough and food flexibility  1:00:15 Nutrition changes throughout life; higher protein needs for aging athletes Reach Jen on Instagram @jensaintjean and follow me, your host Lindsey Cortes, @female.athlete.nutrition  SIGN UP FOR EMAIL LIST: https://riseupnutrition.activehosted.com/f/6  Check out our NEW website with resources, blogs, and more: www.FemaleAthleteNutritionPodcast.com Join our amazing "FANS": Female Athlete Nutrition Supporters by considering a contribution of just $5 a month: https://www.patreon.com/femaleathletenutrition Health Practitioner or Dietitian? Check out ThatCleanLife for recipes & meal planning software: https://get.thatcleanlife.com/femaleathletenutrition Check out more brand partners and affiliates at: https://www.femaleathletenutritionpodcast.com/affiliatepartners We are so grateful to our FANS and listeners! I hope you enjoy the episode.