What Female Athletes Need to Know As a sports dietitian working with hundreds of female athletes over the years, I’ve come to appreciate how vital protein is for recovery, performance, and muscle growth. But recently, a concerning topic has caught my attention — and likely yours too — after Consumer Reports  released findings showing that many popular protein powders contain detectable levels of lead and other heavy metals. I covered this in detail on Episode #242 of the Female Athlete...

Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDS) is a condition that affects athletes when there's an imbalance between energy intake and expenditure. This energy deficit can lead to a range of health and performance issues. Lindsey Cortes has many podcast episodes specifically dedicated to explaining REDS and offering tips for prevention and treatment, linked at the end of this article. This article offers an overview of REDS, the steps to begin REDS Recovery including the REDS Recovery Membership.

Hypothalamic amenorrhea (HA) is a condition that affects many women—especially athletes, high-achievers, or those under chronic stress—but remains widely misunderstood or even misdiagnosed.