Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics Student at King's College
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advanced sports nutrition & metabolism
Eating Disorders in Sports: Understanding Unique Risk Factors
Watching the "Eating Disorders in Sport: Understanding the Unique Risk Factors of Athletes" video made me realize that I believed several myths and misconceptions about eating disorders in athletes. I was shocked to learn that EDs are not caused unilaterally by coaches or sports and that EDs are not caused only by an athlete’s attempt to lose weight in order to achieve better performance.(1) I used to think that pressure by peers, coaches, and the sport itself could trigger an individual to develop an ED (i.e. all figure skates should “look” a certain way and therefore, a larger bodied figure skater may be more likely to develop an ED to fit the smaller bodied figure skater stereotype). I now know that to think that an ED is simply an athlete’s attempt to manage weight or perform better in sports is a gross oversimplification of a complex illness.(1) It was important to learn that EDs are not caused by the drive to perform better in sports or the attempt to manage weight – I used to think this was the case. I was shocked to learn that Dr. Nickols works with athletes who recognize that their ED is causing their sport performance to deteriorate, and yet, the ED still persists or intensifies.(1) This really underscores the fact that EDs are, as Dr. Nickols put it, “A stubborn, complex, psychiatric illness.”(1) I often wondered how an elite athlete with an eating disorder could perform at such a high level (Dr. D answered this question for me during office hours so I had a better understanding of how this could happen). I was reminded of the conversation I had with Dr. D when Dr. Nickols stated that “I am immensely struck each and every day at how tremendously resilient the human brain and body are, and despite being quite ill and compromised, can uphold a tremendous amount of responsibilities (academically, athletically, etc) well.”(1) I learned that athletes with EDs can be very high achieving, can have a 4.0 grade point average, and can perform extremely well in sports.(1) With EDs, injury and illness may not happen immediately due to the body’s resiliency and an individual can uphold a high level of performance for quite some time.(1) Prior to watching this video, I was familiar with orthorexia but was rocked to my core when Dr. Nickols stated that orthorexia is often, “…well intentioned to care for oneself to improve health. Often there’s a desire at some level to help improve sport performance, recovery from workouts, and maximize training efforts.” The reason this stood out to me is because someone I know with OCD has recently refused to eat foods that, in her words, “Will make me slower in hockey.” These foods consist of pizza, fast food, and anything fried. I told her that all foods can fit in a dietary pattern, and she knows that there are no good foods or bad foods, but this frame of thinking (foods that, in her mind, will make her slower at hockey) is a new development. This 11-year-old girl suffers from severe clinical Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), so I became curious how prevalent eating disorders are in athletes with OCD. I found a study that suggested the prevalence of orthorexia nervosa (ON) among high-risk populations like athletes, ballet dancers, and health workers was almost 90%.(2) This percentage seemed high to me, and I tried to find other studies to corroborate the 90% prevalence amongst high-risk populations but was unable to do so. I was not able to get full access to the study, but the abstract conclusion found that ON symptoms may be more prevalent amongst individuals with OCD.(2) I am going to request an intra-library loan as I would like to read this full study to fully understand the conclusion stated in the abstract (I don’t like using abstracts to quote studies, but found this one interesting and relevant for this reflection). Another study confirmed that research suggests a strong link between OCD and ON.3 I am glad to now know that there may be a strong link between OCD and ON, which is something I have wondered in the past. When Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) was introduced in the video, it was interesting to hear Dr. Nickols state that he sees the psychological implications of an energy deficient state, and that there is almost always, if not always, a co-occurring mood disturbance (anxiety, depression, OCD, PTSD, etc) in addition to an ED.(1) This makes sense as it takes energy to regulate internal emotional distress, and if an athlete is in a persistent state of energy deficiency, there is not enough energy to regulate internal emotional distress.(1) It was shocking to hear Dr. Nickols state that talking with athletes about the medical complications of RED-S doesn’t necessarily resonate or cause an immediate urgency in the athlete to change.(1) He states that talking about the negative performance implications of RED-S may resonate a little more with an athlete vice focusing on the medical complications(.1) This was helpful to learn about as I did not know this before. One thing that really stood out to me was that unhealthy/unbalanced/excessive exercise is usually a part of eating disorders amongst athletes and may be unknowingly rewarded by coaches, as the coach will praise an athlete who puts in extra training.(1) I knew excessive exercise may be part of an ED, but when I thought of excessive exercise and EDs, I always pictured a non-athlete excessively working out on the treadmill or at the gym, but never necessarily pictured a college or elite athlete’s exercise as unhealthy/unbalanced and did not know that it could be associated with an ED. However, I now know that what may seem like dedication by an athlete that is always “first in, last out” who always “goes the extra mile and trains extra hard” may actually be a risk factor that makes the athlete more prone to an ED, or who may have an ED. It is not my intention to keep bringing up the young athlete I know in this reflection, however, I cannot ignore the similarities in her behavior and what I have learned in this video. This young athlete is always “first on” and “last-off” the ice, is never satisfied or “tired” (as she claims) with her training or after playing multiple games or long practices and is often given praise by her coaches for being “dedicated” and never slowing down or quitting. I never knew that an ED could hide itself in the context of sport and can embody a dedicated athlete when, in reality, there may be more problematic behaviors that could be signs of an ED.(1) I now know to watch her closely to ensure her behavior does not manifest into something more alarming, such as an ED. Before watching this video, I never would have thought that excessive or unbalanced exercise would be a sign or risk factor to an athlete with an ED. I just would have assumed the athlete was “extra dedicated” and wanted to be a top performer (which I now know can also be an indicator of an ED) who would stop at nothing to achieve his/her goal. One thing that stood out to me the most was that no matter what role an adult is in, they must say something if they recognize an athlete with a potential ED. This reminded me of the time I had dropped down to 97 pounds after I had gone through a prolonged IBD flare (I suffered from a disordered eating pattern where I stopped eating out of necessity in an attempt to control my bowels). Not one adult who saw me on a day-to-day basis said anything to me. It wasn’t until my parents flew in that my mother, extremely alarmed, told me I needed to see a doctor because my “organs might shut down.” I, of course, dismissed her because I thought she was crazy. When I ended up in the hospital on TPN, my father-in-law, who had seen me on a weekly basis, stated, “I’m so glad you’re getting help. You looked like a person from the holocaust.” This was definitely not something I wanted to hear and would have preferred he didn’t say that. However, I distinctly remember wondering why he said nothing at the time and yet waited until I was in the hospital to say something. It was extremely helpful to learn that ED risk factors include genetics, temperament, and environment.(1) I was not surprised to see genetics as a potential risk factor. Growing up, my paternal grandmother suffered from bulimia. My paternal aunt also suffered from bulimia and my cousin (her daughter) also developed bulimia. I (incorrectly) assumed that EDs were a result of learned behavior. I now know that a common temperament of athletes with EDs is one that is extremely high achieving, very driven, motivated, committed, strives for perfectionism, and a high degree of high criticalness who lack patience and compassion towards themselves.(1) I learned that environment can help ED risk factors and vulnerabilities to remain dormant, or can be a trigger that can manifest into an ED.(1) It was interesting to learn that 32.8% of elite female elite athletes suffer from EDs.(1) I was surprised to learn that only 42% of aesthetic sport athletes suffer from EDs as I thought this number would be much higher.(1) However, Dr. Nickols highlighted the potential limitations of these statistics in that some may come from self-report measures, under-reporting, biases and errors.(1) Prior to playing hockey my daughter was a competitive figure skater. I was shocked when I learned that figure skaters are not only judged on their athletic ability and performance, but are also judged on their makeup, hair, outfit, pretty much everything about them and their appearance. Once I learned this, I was hoping she would lose interest, and she did thankfully. I had several figure skating coaches tell me she had the “body of a figure skater” (tall/lean). Her immediate coaches were visibly disappointed and upset when she transitioned to hockey. I assess if she was a larger bodied figure skater they either would not have taken her as a student or would not have cared if she transitioned to hockey. As a parent, I was relieved to see my daughter transition to hockey as I knew that figure skating was not a healthy environment for a young athlete. I can now see how it may be a triggering environment for ED development. I was shocked to learn that there is a fine line between an athlete with disordered eating (DE) or ED, and a dedicated athlete.(1) I was equally as shocked to learn that athletes have a higher prevalence of ED than non-athletes.1 I used to think it was the other way around in that non-athletes would spend hours on the treadmill or in the gym and were more prone to having an ED due to being non-athletes. I now know that I incorrectly assumed that athletes had lower prevalence of DE/EDs because they were fit and had an athletic community (coaches, teammates) to support them. It was also interesting to learn that as competition level increases, the prevalence rates of DE/ED also increase.(1) I’d never heard of the athlete heart vs the “sick” heart prior to watching the video. I used to believe that it was natural for an athlete to have a low heart rate but now know that studies suggest it is rare for an athlete’s resting heart rate to fall below 50 bpm.(1) When Dr. Nickols stated that a low heart rate is normalized amongst the context of sport and athletes, I agreed as I literally thought this was normal until watching the video.(1) I would not have thought twice if an athlete told me they had a resting heart rate of 45 bpm because I would have assumed they were just “very fit.” I now know this is not the case and that a heart rate below 50 bpm may be caused by the body not having enough available energy to sustain normal beats per minutes.(1) I was shocked to learn that the average time a medical student spends on learning about EDs in medical school is 13 minutes.(1) This shocked me and is quite alarming as one with an ED may present to the ER and “fly under the radar” because the physician may not be properly trained on the nuances to look out for. This underscores the importance that we, as future RDNs, must familiarize ourselves with the risk factors and symptoms associated with EDs as we may need to speak up and be the voice for a vulnerable patient or vulnerable athlete. I really liked how Dr. Nickols stated that reframing an ED as an injury (metabolic injury) and explaining to coaches and sports staff that it should be treated similarly to a physical injury (like breaking your leg) may be helpful.(1) I also liked the approach Dr. Nickols suggests in that explaining to coaches that the athlete with an ED will need to rest, recover and rehabilitate until nutrition and energy balance are re-established, the medical risks and complications are evaluated, and the coordinated assessment and ongoing follow-up care are complete will help coaching staff better realize that an ED injury (metabolic injury) is similar to a physical injury. Ongoing communication with coaches and coaching staff, sports RDs, therapists, psychologist, family/parents, psychiatrist, physician, athletic trainer, physical therapist, strength and conditioning coaches and the athletic administration are crucial to ensure the athlete with an ED is ready and healthy enough to return to their respective sport.(1) Additionally, it was good for me to learn that providing the most minimal information about the athlete’s ED to parents and coaches are often the best approach as an athlete with an ED may worry what their coach or parent think of them. I didn’t realize that the NCAA recognizes ED treatment similarly to a physical injury and that they grant medical redshirts and medical waivers for athletes needing ED treatments just as they would for an athlete with a physical injury.(1) This is promising, and I was happy to learn that this is in place. It was interesting to learn about the return to play protocol. What really stood out to me was the “willingness to fuel for output.” This really highlights that an athlete with an ED must be closely followed by a sports RD to ensure they are consuming enough energy and must be willing and able to consume enough energy to fuel performance and stay metabolically healthy. Overall, I now have a much better understanding of EDs and EDs in athletes. I now know what ED risk factors, symptoms, and behaviors to look out for and strategies for proper care of an athlete with an ED. This knowledge is helpful and crucial in helping me develop as a well-rounded future RDN. References 1. The Eating Disorder Foundation. Eating Disorders in Sports. YouTube. July 27, 2022. Accessed April 12, 2025. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmIo3OekhWU&t=306s 2. Vaccari G, Cutino A, Luisi F, et al. Is orthorexia nervosa a feature of obsessive-compulsive disorder? A multicentric, controlled study. Eat Weight Disord. 2021;26(8):2531-2544. doi:10.1007/s40519-021-01114-7 3. Hallit S, Azzi V, Malaeb D, Obeid S. Any overlap between orthorexia nervosa and obsessive-compulsive disorder in Lebanese adults? Results of a cross-sectional study and validation of the 12-item and 4-item obsessive-compulsive inventory (OCI-12 and OCI-4). BMC Psychiatry. 2022;22(1):470. Published 2022 Jul 14. doi:10.1186/s12888-022-04119-3
Reflection
I am so glad we covered eating disorders (ED) and also eating disorders in athletes. I learned that most of the beliefs I had about ED was incorrect and were simply myths. What was most shocking (and scary) to me was that medical doctors receive ~13 minutes of ED training in medical school. Considering that pediatric and adult patients who suffer from EDs could fly "under the radar" is scary to me. I am glad to have learned more about EDs and EDs in sports as this knowledge will definitely help me as a (future) registered dietitian.
"Supermarket Victory" for College Athletes
It has been almost 20-years since I graduated from college, so watching/listening to the Supermarket Victory webinar further helped me understand the needs and barriers that are unique to student athletes on college campuses. This semester, I learned that there are several different types of meal plans and dining options available to students on college campuses and also learned about fueling stations (something I had never heard of prior to taking this class). However, prior to listening to the Supermarket Victory webinar, I hadn’t considered that both meal plans and fueling stations help to reduce the need for college athletes to purchase groceries. Now that I’m reflecting on this, it makes sense but is not something that I intuitively thought of. I was not surprised to learn that the student athletes knew that protein was important in their overall dietary pattern for training and recovery, but did not understand that carbohydrates have an equally important role.(1) Prior to starting the MSND program and learning about hockey nutrition from Dr. D, I also did not understand that carbohydrates were extremely important for all aspects of athletics – building glycogen stores, providing quick energy (in the form of simple carbohydrates), and also helping an athlete stay hydrated. When working with a youth hockey team last season (8U – 14U), I learned that many of these young girls knew that protein was important but were very confused about carbohydrates. Some thought carbohydrates were “bad” while others had heard over and over again from their parents that they should not eat sugar, etc. I thought it was interesting to learn that college athletes knew micronutrients were important, but that these athletes did not understand why iron and calcium are especially important for athletes nor how to incorporate these micronutrients into their overall dietary pattern.(1) I truly was impressed to learn that college athletes were aware of micronutrients, as this is not something I had considered at all when I was in college. I now know that should I work with college athletes in the future, it may not be overwhelming for them should I choose to teach about micronutrients such as calcium and iron, as this was focused on during the supermarket tour and seemed to be a success. I thought the “athlete’s plate” visual that was shown to the college athletes and webinar attendees was very clear and easy to understand. I am a visual learner, so I can see how this visual would be helpful for the college athletes. However, I did not like how this particular athlete’s plate did not show fruit. I also did not like how this plate did not call grains and vegetables “carbohydrates.” Lastly, I think this should have contained a source of hydration next to the plate, such as water, to emphasize the importance of hydration. The meats were marked as “protein,” but the grains and vegetables were not marked as carbohydrate. I understand the presenters wanted to present the vegetables as a source of micronutrients, and examples of iron and calcium containing foods, but I think this could have been better broken down if a few different plate examples were shown. I really did not like that the plate shown in the webinar did not contain any type of fruit. I feel this is a mistake as fruits also contain fiber and micronutrients. I know this particular issue was addressed later in the webinar during the question-and-answer period, but I do think it is a mistake to not show fruit on the plate. I think the athletes should be encouraged to consume both fruits and vegetables, which it sounds like they were encouraged to do during the nutrition education sessions, however, the fruit should also be reflected in the athlete’s plate visual. As mentioned previously, I think the speakers could show two different athlete plate examples – one with the original plate they showed, and a plate with both fruits and vegetables. I was excited to learn that the athlete focused grocery tours were conducted by Drexel dietetic interns. This is a great opportunity for dietetic interns to get hands-on experience in communication and working with people in-person! I hadn’t thought of giving grocery tours before, but I think this is a great opportunity to teach by going to the direct source of where most groceries are purchased – the grocery store! I was ecstatic to hear that nutrient rich carbohydrate sources that they decided to include in the grocery store was fresh produce, frozen foods and the snack aisle to go over examples for the athlete’s carbohydrate needs.(1) I’m not sure why the aisles that contain canned goods, such as canned vegetables and fruits, were not incorporated into the tour, but perhaps there was some concern that going through too many aisles may be too overwhelming for the student athletes. However, later in the webinar during the question-and-answer period, the webinar speakers stated that they emphasized to the athletes that it is okay to eat canned and/or frozen fruits and vegetables, and that they also emphasized that nutrition content is the same as consuming fresh produce.(1) It was interesting to hear that the student athletes were aware they have increased protein needs, but did not know how to quantify and figure out their exact needs and how to incorporate this into their dietary pattern.(1) I was not surprised to hear this as many coaches, strength and performance coaches, social media influencers, and even parents emphasize the importance of protein as they have been taught this misconception generation after generation. Because of this, I am glad that one, carbohydrates were addressed, and two, protein was also part of the grocery store tour. What I found most interesting and helpful to learn was that they focused on minerals important for athletes like calcium and iron during the grocery store tour. This is not something I would intuitively think to do if I were to conduct a grocery store tour, as I would have instead focused on macronutrients in an attempt to not overload the student athlete or parents. However, I now know that this can be incorporated into a grocery store tour with success! I thought it was a fantastic idea to communicate serving amounts to athletes by encouraging them to “drink 7 cups of milk” when placing the milk in their shopping carts and to also place “7 sticks of string cheese and 7 yogurt cups” in their grocery cart.(1) This is a fantastic idea as dairy products are the most common dietary sources of calcium and calcium is also highly bioavailable in dairy products.(1) Like calcium, I also thought it was great they highlighted the importance of iron while developing their curriculum for the guided supermarket tour. Again, I would not have thought to highlight iron (or calcium) specifically during a first-time tour but learned from the webinar speakers that they were able to successfully incorporate this without overloading the student athletes (and parents of athletes) in the process. I was elated to learn that they included a fluid stop in the supermarket tour to emphasize importance of hydration as a method to maintain competitive advantage.(1) Specifically framing hydration as a method to “maintain a competitive advantage” would definitely capture an athlete’s attention and, in my assessment, better help them remember to hydrate! I think I may adapt this verbiage in future hydration nutrition education lessons to youth hockey athletes and maybe title the lesson, “Hydration and how it properly helps you maintain a competitive advantage!” I had never heard of the "Produce for a Better Health Foundation," so decided to look it up and thought the "Produce for a Better Health Foundation" website was very colorful and appealing to the eye. I went to their “Fruits and Veggies” tab and searched for “green beans” as I was curious to see if they were bias and would emphasize more on buying “fresh” produce over frozen or canned produce. I chose “green beans” because this is often a vegetable that can be found canned, frozen or as fresh produce in most grocery stores. I was absolutely thrilled to see that green beans were neutrally supported in all forms – canned, fresh, or frozen!(2) Honestly, this took me by surprise and was refreshing to see as I’m so used to seeing and hearing on social media, the mainstream media, and many other (unreputable) sources that “fresh is best” – which I know as a future RDN is not the case at all. It was refreshing to come across a website that was very pro fruit and vegetables – in all forms! I am definitely going to use this website as a resource and recommendation to the patients and clients I may see in the future (if appropriate)! I can tell that the grocery tour was inspired by the "Produce for a Better Health Foundation" as there was definitely an emphasis on increasing the knowledge of student athletes and parents about the importance of fruits and vegetables. However, as mentioned previously, their athlete’s plate should also contain fruit to have this occur full circle! It was helpful for me to learn that each tour was limited to 5 to 7 total participants and was no longer than 40-45 minutes to ensure each participant could receive information clearly from the tour guide and to also not create burden for the supermarket, as the supermarket was still open for business.(1) Prior to watching this webinar, I did not think about how many participants should complete a grocery store tour at a time, but now know that 5 to 7 can still address individual needs and create an effective and successful supermarket tour! I liked how they titled their first handout “Quick tips for your shopping trip” as the title can be comforting in itself as does not sound overwhelming just based on title. I thought it was great that the other side of the sheet contained a space where participants could write down food items they would enjoy that they saw in the grocery store during their respective tour (this all occurred in phase 3). However, I learned that this method was not well received or liked by the participants. Much like a study, all phases helped them perfect a method that they found did work – which ended up being an interactive flip book that they introduced in phase 4. Therefore, it was interesting to learn that the handout was replaced with the flip book, which is not something I would have thought would be effective due to having to flip through the pages. However, I now know that this was the preferred method and can easily be created or tailored by the tour guide, so I will remember this should I give grocery store tours in the future! Additionally, during the question-and-answer period, it was extremely helpful to hear that they did not receive funding for the flip books and that they made the flip books themselves – which gave me the idea that I, too, can create something similar! I enjoyed hearing how they were able to maintain flexibility when giving the tour (student athletes vs athlete parents) and how the grocery store tours were tailored for the needs of the audience (growing pre-teens and teenagers), which really emphasized adhering to the increased nutritional needs of growth and development.1 It was also interesting to learn that many Drexel athletes were encouraged to sign up by their coaches to learn more about nutrition in order to increase performance.(1) I think this is fantastic and shows that when players have the support of coaches, they may be more apt to attend a grocery store tour and learn more about nutrition. If it’s important to the coach, and an athlete observes that the coach takes nutrition seriously, they may be more willing to take nutrition more seriously. It was no surprise that they found that if coaches communicate to athletes that nutrition is essential, more athletes were willing or excited to go to the grocery store tour.(1) Sadly, I was not surprised to hear that the webinar presenters were met with some resistance and mixed response from certain athletic departments (coaches, athletic trainers and people who were supporting the athletes).(1) It was helpful to learn that a main reason resistance and mixed responses occurred were because the athletic departments wanted to prioritize practice and training time vs emphasizing nutrition – which is a huge issue and really shows a need for nutrition education for coaches and athletic trainers so they can better understand how nutrition will improve the athletic performance of their athletes. I wasn’t surprised to hear that they found the diet related challenges athletes face can be improved or prevented by giving the athlete nutrition education. I would take it a step further and say that if coaches and athletic departments received nutrition education over the summer and/or prior to the season beginning, diet related challenges could also be eliminated as there would be a “nutrition game plan” set prior to the season even starting. However, this would require athletic departments and coaches to be willing to undergo nutrition education. I can’t wrap my mind around the fact that many coaches and athletic departments fail to realize the importance of nutrition – it really makes no sense to me. I was excited to learn that the “peer-on-peer” athlete focused supermarket tour is both reproducible and effective.(1) Overall, it sounds like this program is a great way for sports dietitians to utilize dietetic interns and nutrition students to serve the athlete while also helping the nutrition student grow in knowledge and communication.(1) As we’ve already learned in our MSND program, feedback is important when developing and implementing programs. While developing the supermarket tour program, feedback was emphasized heavily during program development. Surveys were conducted before and after the tours during each phase and the webinar speakers stated that they perfected their program based on feedback. I also liked how the webinar speakers stated that though the design of supermarket tour toolkit was designed for the collegiate level, they easily tailored it for parents of Philadelphia Union Training Academy to emphasize the needs of growing pre-teens and teenagers.(1) This helped me realize that supermarket tours can be helpful, effective, and easily tailored to the needs of the audience! My only critique (albeit a small one) for this webinar is that I thought it would have been more personal if the speakers showed their faces during the question-and-answer period – but this could be because I’m more “old school” and think it’s impersonal when speakers do not show their faces. I was okay with them not showing their faces while presenting the webinar but do think it would have been better if they showed their faces during the question-and-answer portion. References 1. Liu J, Tsui L. Supermarket Victory: Optimizing Sports Performance through Step-by-Step Shoppping Guides. Eatright: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. April 21, 2017. Accessed April 25, 2025. https://kings.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=cb2b5722-decc-4ad3-951f-af93013c9a99 2. have a plant. Green Beans. 2025. Accessed April 27, 2025. https://fruitsandveggies.org/fruits-and-veggies-101/green-beans/
Reflection
I learned so much in this class about fueling stations for athletes and how fueling stations combined with meal plans decrease the need for a student athlete to go to the grocery store. As I stated in my reflection, this is not something I would have necessarily thought of as I went to the Naval Academy, so had to eat all of my meals at "King Hall" (the dining hall). I had no concept of "meal plans" or fueling stations (I was on the cycling team, so my team did not get fueling stations). I assess the football team may have, but either way, it is good to know how it works on many large college campuses! Incorporating a grocery store tour into nutrition education is a fantastic idea that I may adopt for my future clients in the future!
Adopt an Athlete Project
Reflection
During this course we learned about Relative Energy Deficiency in Sports (REDs) and the impacts that low energy availability (LEA) has on youth female athletes. I abruptly learned while completing the Adopt an Athlete (AAA) project that it is one thing to learn about REDs, and another thing entirely to identify and work with an athlete first-hand that is in REDs. The 12U youth hockey athlete I "adopted" for this project was in REDs, which was honestly shocking for me. This athlete was described by her parents as a frequent eater who did not skip meals nor displayed disordered eating (DE) behavior. However, this athlete was in a significant caloric deficit due to the demands of her hockey training schedule. This athlete was below her energy needs by 656 kcal (+/- 10% error). Additionally, the athlete was not meeting several micronutrient needs and at significant risk of micronutrient deficiency. Part of the AAA project was creating a 3-day meal plan comprised of foods the athlete enjoys and is willing to eat to aid the athlete is meeting her daily energy needs. This was a very rewarding project and I look forward to working with athletes of various ages and sports in the near future.
Pre-Game Energy Boost Tips
Reflection
I enjoyed making an "energy boosting" video for the King's College men and women's hockey teams. It is essential that athletes who compete in high intensity intermittent activities consume carbohydrates (CHO). I explain to athletes that CHO is the "MVP macronutrient" to consume 30-minutes prior to practices and/or games to top off glycogen stores. One common misconception is that gummy bears or candy is "unhealthy" and should be avoided. However, simple carbohydrates such as gummy bears, or candies such as skittles or sour patch kids, even fruit loops, will provide simple CHO for fuel. I like to remind athletes that 15 g of simple CHO should be consumed 30 minutes before activity to ensure glycogen stores are topped off! I am passionate about this topic, so if you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact me directly.