It’s also saturated with sports dietitians, nutrition “coaches,” and athletic coaches of all bents – climbing, cycling, ultra running, you name it!

When you’re looking for help fueling your athletic adventures, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the options around here. If you are an active person living in the Front Range who is seeking nutrition care, you probably want someone who can provide guidance about things such as your hourly carb intake and what electrolyte blend you should consume. However, the reality is that while basic sports nutrition strategies are important, there is so much more to fueling your active body and lifestyle, especially when you want to not only perform optimally but also be a healthy person as a whole.

At Alpine Fuel Nutrition, my approach to sports nutrition is fundamentally different from traditional models. In this blog, you’ll learn about what sets my nutrition practice apart, why my background as a Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS®) brings a unique and valuable edge to your nutrition care, and how my functional sports nutrition approach can help you achieve your athletic goals and optimal health.

1. Functional Sports Nutrition vs. Traditional Sports Nutrition

Functional sports nutrition is an evidence-based approach that goes above and beyond basic caloric and macronutrient needs to identify and resolve the underlying physiological imbalances, such as gut dysfunction, systemic inflammation, insulin resistance, stress hormone imbalances, or micronutrient depletions, that limit athletic performance and recovery.

Traditional sports nutrition often focuses on numbers and formulas, treating the human body a bit (dare I say it) like a machine: eat X grams of carbs per hour, drink Y ounces of fluid, and take a gel every 45 minutes.

While that framework may work fine for a perfectly healthy athlete, the reality is that most active peoples’ bodies don’t work like machines. Many active people these days (myself included!) also face one or more health issues that render formulaic nutrition recommendations unhelpful or even counterproductive. In addition, as active people living at altitude in the Front Range of Colorado, we must contend with altitude, temperature extremes, and intense dry air and UV that significantly impact our biochemistry and necessitate nutrition adjustments.

If you suffer from gastrointestinal distress daily or during exercise, chronic fatigue, brain fog on high-altitude summits, or stubborn autoimmune flares during peak training blocks, simply tweaking your hourly carb intake won’t solve these problems.

At Alpine Fuel Nutrition, we don’t just ask “What should you eat before, during, and after training or during your race?” We ask:

• How well is your digestive tract breaking down the food you eat and absorbing macronutrients and micronutrients?
• Are the populations of bacteria and other microbes in your gut supporting a healthy, well-functioning digestive system and immune system, or promoting chronic inflammation?
• Is cellular oxidative stress or underlying inflammation draining your energy and impairing your recovery?
• Are hidden micronutrient depletions (like low iron or vitamin B12) bottlenecking your body’s ability to transport oxygen?

By digging into root causes through functional health assessments and targeted lab work, we can identify the foundational nutrition and lifestyle factors that are compromising your health and athletic performance so we can course-correct and get you feeling and functioning optimally.

2. Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS®) vs. Registered Dietitian (RD): Understanding the Similarities and Differences

Many active people are familiar with the Registered Dietitian (RD) credential, but fewer understand the depth and rigor behind the Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS®) credential (or have simply just never heard of it) and why it is uniquely suited for functional health and personalized sports nutrition.

A Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS®) is an advanced personalized nutrition practitioner holding a Master’s or Doctoral degree in human nutrition, who has completed 1,000 hours of supervised clinical practice under the guidance of experienced nutrition and medical professionals, and passed a rigorous board exam administered by the Board for Certification of Nutrition Specialists (BCNS). The CNS® is the sister profession of the RD, with many similarities and also some important differences.

Here is how a CNS differs from a traditional Registered Dietitian:

I have a lot of respect for RDs, so this isn’t about one credential being better than the other. My goal in sharing this information is to show how a CNS® is well-qualified to provide sports nutrition care; based on my experience, I firmly believe this is not just the realm of the RD and Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD).

Before obtaining my CNS credential, I earned my Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Science and my Master of Science in Human Nutrition. I chose the CNS path deliberately because I wanted to practice personalized, functional health.

While traditional RD programs often train practitioners for hospital settings, the CNS path is designed ground-up for advanced personalized nutrition care. When you work with a CNS, you are working with a practitioner uniquely trained to navigate complex cases, metabolic health, and individual biochemistry.

3. Tried-and-True, Colorado-Based Expertise

It’s hard for a nutrition professional to create a nutrition strategy for an active individual climbing Longs Peak or running a high-altitude trail race from a desk at sea level.

As a trail runner, mountaineer, climber, backcountry skier, backpacker, and mom living right here in the Colorado foothills, I experience the exact same environment you do. I know what it feels like to push through alpine winds, perform at altitude, and balance training with real-life family demands.

When we talk about nutrition for hiking 14ers or fueling long trail runs, my recommendations aren’t theoretical. They are rooted in real-world experience, biomedical science, and nutrition science.

4. Root-Cause Lab Testing and Biomarker Optimization

Standard medical lab ranges are based on population data and averages, not on people who are trying to optimize their health and performance.

For example, a standard lab panel might flag a ferritin (stored iron) level of 20 ng/mL as “normal.” But for a female trail runner pushing hard at altitude, a ferritin level that low may lead to heavy legs, rapid heart rate, and severe fatigue on climbs. Similarly, a serum vitamin B12 level of 200 pg/mL will be flagged as “normal” even though it is well below the level where B12 insufficiency can contribute to low energy and cognitive dysfunction.

At Alpine Fuel Nutrition, we look at your health through a functional lens at factors such as (but not limited to):

• Comprehensive blood panels: Ensuring optimal oxygen delivery capacity and mitochondrial function at altitude.
• Gut health and microbiome composition and function: Fixing bloating, nausea, reflux, and other gut issues by optimizing digestion, intestinal barrier integrity, motility, and gut microbiome composition so your gut functions well daily, whether you’re at work, in the backcountry, or racing.
• Blood sugar balance and metabolic flexibility: Teaching your body to utilize both carbohydrates and fats efficiently so you avoid the blood sugar roller coaster both in daily life and during training.

Ready to Elevate Your Whole-Body Health and Athletic Performance?

If you’re tired of generic nutrition advice or feeling depleted and unable to reach your athletic goals despite “eating right,” hitting your hourly carb target, fine-tuning your sodium intake, and balancing your macros, it’s time for a personalized nutrition approach that digs deeper.

Whether you’re gearing up for 14er season, training for a mountain ultra or big climbing project, or trying to navigate sports fueling alongside an autoimmune condition, perimenopause, or busy family life, functional sports nutrition can help you thrive.

Book your complimentary discovery call to learn how we can work together to build your foundation for peak health and performance.

Nutrition isn’t just about helping your active child climb the next grade at the gym, run faster, or score more goals. It’s about supporting their rapidly growing bodies, protecting their long-term health, and establishing a positive relationship with food that will shape their entire lives. The eating patterns your child develops now during these critical years of growth and development will influence their health, energy, and relationship with their body well into adulthood.

Let’s talk about how to fuel your young athlete for success!

Energy: The Foundation Everything Else Is Built On

One of the big mistakes I see active kids make is simply not eating enough. That may sound surprising, but it is true!

Active children and teens need significantly more calories than their sedentary peers, and those needs vary wildly based on their age, size, sport, training intensity, and individual metabolism.

When young athletes consistently don’t eat enough to match their energy expenditure, they may develop a condition called Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S). (Source) RED-S is associated with delayed puberty, weakened bones (and failure to achieve peak bone mass), frequent injuries, compromised immune function, and poor concentration. (Source) It may also disrupt normal growth in children and adolescents. (Source) In adolescent female athletes, it can show up as irregular or missing menstrual cycles.

However, we don’t want to load just any old calories into our active kids. A 400-calorie fast-food meal and a 400-calorie meal of grilled chicken thighs, quinoa with butter, and seasoned roasted vegetables affect your child’s body in completely different ways. Food quality matters enormously. Nutrient-dense whole foods provide not just energy, but the vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids (like omega-3 fats), and phytonutrients (compounds in plant foods that offer us health benefits) that support everything from muscle repair to immune function to brain health.

The goal definitely isn’t to count your child’s calories; it is to learn (as a parent) and ultimately teach them how to build balanced, nourishing meals centered around whole, minimally-processed foods. If your child is highly active and you are concerned about their growth or the possibility of calorie insufficiency, work with a qualified nutrition professional to assess their nutritional intake and potential gaps in their diet. This is not a time to guess as to what your child may need!

The Building Blocks: Protein, Carbohydrates, and Fats

Let’s break down what should be on your young athlete’s plate.

Protein: The Blood Sugar Balancer, Mood Stabilizer, and Muscle Builder

Protein is essential for building and repairing muscle tissue, supporting immune function, creating neurotransmitters (the substances that regulate mood and cognition), and maintaining healthy growth in children. Active kids generally need around 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily, though some may need more depending on their age, sport, and training intensity. (Source)

One practical tip is to prioritize protein in your child’s breakfast. Many kids start their day with cereal, toast, or pastries – foods that are primarily refined carbohydrates. Adding protein to breakfast (eggs, Greek yogurt, high-quality breakfast sausages) helps stabilize blood sugar, improves focus at school, maintains an even-keeled mood, and supports muscle recovery from the previous day’s training.

Carbohydrates: The Primary Fuel Source

Carbohydrates are your young athlete’s main energy source. But not all carbs are created equal.

Whole-grain carbohydrates like quinoa, steel-cut or rolled oats, whole-grain bread, and sweet potatoes provide your child with sustained energy along with crucial fiber, B vitamins, and minerals. These whole-food carbs digest more slowly, providing steady fuel rather than the spike-and-crash pattern you get from refined carbohydrates.

Processed carbohydrates (white bread, breakfast cereal, pastries, chips) provide quick energy but little nutritional value. They’re usually stripped of fiber and nutrients, leaving just the starch and added sugars. While they have a place occasionally, they shouldn’t form the foundation of your child’s diet.

Fruits and vegetables are also carbohydrate sources, and they’re packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber that support performance, recovery, and overall health. (Source)

Healthy Fats: Essential for Growth, Brain Health, and Hormones

Dietary fat is essential for athletic kids. Healthy fats support hormone production (crucial during puberty), brain development, the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, and K), and provide energy. (Source)

Focus on sources of healthy fats like avocados, nuts, seeds, olive oil, fatty fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel), and nut butters. These provide essential fatty acids (fats that the body needs for healthy function and can’t produce itself) and other beneficial compounds that support everything from post-exercise recovery to cognitive function. (Source, Source) 

Avoid trans fats (found in many processed foods) and limit heavily processed “vegetable” oils, like canola, corn, cottonseed, and soybean oils, when possible. Vegetable oils have high levels of omega-6 fatty acids, which can skew the balance of omega-3 to omega-6, a process linked to adverse health outcomes. (Source)

The Hidden Gaps: Micronutrients Matter

Here’s a sobering statistic: 62% of calories consumed by U.S. children come from ultra-processed foods. (Source) These foods are typically high in calories, refined carbohydrates, added sugars, and inflammatory fats, but low in the vitamins and minerals active children desperately need.

Several micronutrient deficiencies are particularly common, and particularly problematic, for active kids:

• Iron is essential for carrying oxygen to muscles. Shockingly, 35.9% of young female athletes are deficient in iron. (Source) Low iron leads to fatigue, poor performance, and difficulty concentrating. Active young kids who live at altitude in places like the Front Range of Colorado may need even more iron than the average active child. Good sources include red meat, dark poultry meat, fish, beans, lentils, and dark leafy greens. Pair plant-based iron sources with vitamin C (like citrus, tomatoes, or bell peppers) to enhance absorption. 
• Calcium is critical during childhood and adolescence when kids are building the bone density they’ll rely on for life. (Source)  Dairy products are excellent sources (and the easiest sources of calcium for most kids), but so are dark leafy greens, sardines with bones, sesame seeds/tahini, chia seeds, and almonds.
• Vitamin B12 is essential for energy production and nervous system function. (Source) It’s found in animal products (meat, poultry, fish, and eggs), so young athletes following plant-based diets need to be especially mindful about supplementation or fortified foods.
• Vitamin D is crucial for bone health, immune function, and muscle function. (Source) Many children are deficient due to our increasingly indoor lifestyles. Sensible sun exposure and some foods (like fatty fish) provide vitamin D. Some active kids may benefit from supplementation; discuss this with a qualified nutrition professional or your primary care provider, as it is important to test your child’s vitamin D level before supplementing. 
• Magnesium supports muscle function, energy production, and bone health. (Source) It’s found in nuts, seeds, whole grains, leafy greens, and legumes, foods that are often lacking in kids’ diets. 

Strategic Fueling: Timing Matters

What your child eats, and when, can significantly impact their performance and recovery.

Before Activity: 1-3 hours before practice or competition, offer a meal or snack that combines carbohydrates with some protein. Think: whole-grain toast with nut butter and banana, Greek yogurt with granola and berries, or a turkey sandwich (choose the preservative-free high-quality turkey deli meat) on whole-grain bread. This provides readily available energy without causing digestive discomfort.

During Activity: For activities lasting less than 60-90 minutes, water is typically sufficient. For longer sessions, your child may benefit from a sports drink easily digestible carbohydrates. However, try to avoid feeding your child neon-colored ultra-processed sports drinks and processed sports nutrition products frequently. 

Most commercial sports drinks are essentially sugar water with artificial colors and flavors. Artificial colors are linked to behavioral and allergic problems in children. (Source) Instead, consider whole-food carb options: orange slices, dates, bananas, or DIY sports drink (I have a recipe in this blog). These provide carbohydrates along with actual nutrients.

After Activity: The 30-60 minutes after intense exercise is a crucial window for recovery. Offer a combination of carbohydrates to replenish glycogen (stored glucose that fuels exercise) stores and protein to support muscle repair. A smoothie made with Greek yogurt, frozen fruit, and a healthy fat like almond butter or peanut butter is a great option!

The key is to prioritize real food over ultra-processed foods whenever possible. Your child is (most likely) already exposed to ultra-processed foods day in and day out at school, practice, friends’ houses, etc. They need you to set the example at home by prioritizing whole foods and setting boundaries around ultra-processed foods, which should ideally be for occasional enjoyment.

Hydration: Keep It Simple

Proper hydration is essential for performance, temperature regulation, and overall health. But it doesn’t need to be complicated. 

Water should be your first choice. Filtered water is ideal, as it removes potential contaminants that are so common in our water these days due to environmental pollution. Encourage your child to drink water regularly throughout the day, not just during practice. A good rule of thumb: their urine should be pale yellow, not dark or completely clear.

Electrolytes have their place, but perhaps not as often as you think. For activities lasting less than an hour in moderate temperatures, water is sufficient. For longer, more intense sessions, especially in heat and at altitude, electrolytes (sodium, chloride, potassium, magnesium) become important. But you don’t need artificial, ultra-processed neon-colored drinks to get them. There are many natural electrolyte blends on the market that are free of artificial colors and flavors.

Be cautious with fruit juice. While it seems healthy, juice is concentrated fruit sugar without the fiber that helps regulate blood sugar. Fruit juice intake in children is linked to small increases in BMI that may compound in an unhealthy way over time. (Source) Whole fruit is usually going to be a much better choice than fruit juice (even 100% fruit juice).

Avoid making sugary drinks the norm. It almost goes without saying, but sports drinks, sodas, and sugar-sweetened beverages shouldn’t be everyday choices. They provide empty calories and can contribute to dental problems, blood sugar dysregulation, and a preference for overly sweet flavors that may make your child a very picky eater with a one-track mind for sugary foods.

Help Your Active Child Cultivate a Healthy Relationship with Food

How you and your other household members talk about food and bodies has a huge impact on your active child’s relationship with food and their body. 

Avoid labeling foods as “good” or “bad,” which can create guilt, shame, and disordered eating patterns. Instead, talk about how different foods help their bodies perform and feel.

Rather than: “Don’t eat that cookie, it’s bad for you,” try: “Cookies are fine sometimes! Let’s also make sure you’re getting the nutritious foods that give you energy for climbing practice.”

Focus on what foods do for the body rather than what they do to the body. “Protein helps your muscles recover after practice” is empowering. 

Be very mindful of body talk: both about your child’s body and your own. Comments about weight, size, or appearance (even well-intentioned ones) can contribute immensely to body image issues and disordered eating. Instead, celebrate what bodies can do: “Your body is getting so strong!” 

Remember: your children are watching how you relate to food and your own body. If you’re constantly dieting, expressing guilt about eating, or criticizing your appearance, they’re learning that this is normal. Model the balanced, positive relationship with food that you want them to have.

In addition, I recommend practicing extreme caution around children and vegetarian and vegan diets. These restrictive diets are linked to eating disorders in children, and can also drive nutrient deficiencies. (Source) 

The Truth About Supplements

Supplements cannot replace a nutrient-dense diet, even in a super picky eater. They’re called supplements for a reason; they’re meant to supplement a solid nutritional foundation, not serve as the foundation itself.

A multivitamin simply cannot provide all of the beneficial compounds (antioxidants, phytonutrients, fiber) that come packaged with nutrients in real food.

That said, some young athletes may benefit from specific supplementation:

• Vitamin D, especially in winter months or for athletes who train primarily indoors
• Iron, if deficiency is confirmed through blood work
• Omega-3 fatty acids, particularly for athletes who don’t regularly eat fatty fish

Supplementation should be individualized to your child and ideally guided by a qualified professional who can assess your child’s specific needs, consider their diet, and monitor for deficiencies through appropriate testing.

Your Next Step: Individualized Nutrition for Your Active Child

Every young athlete is different. Their nutritional needs vary based on their age, size, sport, training volume, growth stage, food preferences, family food culture, and individual metabolism. What works perfectly for one child might not be right for another.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all this information, or if you’re concerned that your child isn’t getting what they need to thrive, I’m here to help! As a nutrition professional specializing in active individuals, including active kids, I work with families to create individualized nutrition plans that support long-term health and performance without creating stress, rigidity, or unhealthy relationships with food.

Together, we can:

• Assess your child’s current nutrition and identify any gaps
• Create practical meal and snack strategies that fit your family’s lifestyle
• Develop fueling plans for training and competition
• Address any specific concerns (picky eating, food allergies, dietary restrictions, suspected deficiencies)
• Build positive food language and attitudes in your home
• Support your child’s growth, performance, and lifelong health

The effort you put into your child’s nutrition now will pay dividends not just in their athletic performance, but in their energy, health, confidence, and relationship with food for decades to come.

Ready to optimize your young athlete’s nutrition? Schedule a discovery call with me to learn how I can help your active child fuel and nourish their body for health and success!

The content provided on this nutrition blog is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read on this blog.

The information and recommendations presented here are based on general nutrition principles and may not be suitable for everyone. Individual dietary needs and health concerns vary; what works for one person may not be appropriate for another.

I make every effort to provide accurate and up-to-date information, but the field of nutrition is constantly evolving, and new research may impact dietary recommendations. Therefore, I cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information presented on this blog.

If you have specific dietary or health concerns, please consult a qualified nutritionist or another healthcare professional for personalized guidance.

I began running again 3 months postpartum to manage stress and boost my energy. I even ran two half marathons, a 10k, and an 8-mile race during my first postpartum year (keep in mind that I’ve been a runner for years and ran up until week 38 of pregnancy, so this was not a complete shock to my system). Yet, during the thick of that year, I wondered if I’d ever really feel like myself again. 

If you are a new mom navigating postpartum recovery while trying to reclaim your identity as an active woman, I see you. 💜 I’ve been there. 

The truth is, getting back to training after having a baby isn’t just about lacing up your running shoes or hopping back on your mountain bike at the 6-week mark and hitting the trails again (this is probably too early for most women, by the way, just ask a pelvic floor specialist…). It’s not about “bouncing back,” and it is definitely not about restricting calories and pushing through exhaustion to lose the baby weight as quickly as possible.

In this blog, I want to share what I’ve learned, both professionally and personally, about truly supporting your body nutritionally during postpartum recovery and reengaging in physical activity and training in ways that respect your biology and nourish rather than deplete.

The Postpartum Athlete Reality: Why Everything Feels Harder

I remember running my first “race,” the Boulderthon 10k, which I hesitate to call a “race” because my only goal was to finish, 5 months postpartum. I had woken up 6 times the night before to nurse and comfort my son. My legs felt heavy during the race, and my body felt unfamiliar – puffy and exhausted. I finished the race, but I honestly felt terrible. I realized then that I needed to take a step back and REALLY take care of myself as I eased back into running. 

I realized that pre-pregnancy fitness isn’t waiting for you just on the other side of that 6-week appointment that clears you for exercise. Your body has been through three profound physiological events: growing a baby for 9 months, birth, whether you delivered vaginally or via C-section, and potentially breastfeeding. 

These three physiological events require nutrition support in three categories, especially if you are trying to ramp up your physical activity postpartum: replenishment, recovery, and resilience. 

Replenishment

Pregnancy and breastfeeding heavily deplete your nutritional reserves, including but not limited to micronutrients like iron, folate, choline, omega-3 fatty acids, and calcium. (Source, Source, Source, Source, Source) These nutrients are raw materials your body needs to produce energy, synthesize hormones, repair tissue, support your nervous system, and (if you’re breastfeeding) support the growth of a second human being. Your body also needs these nutrients to fuel physical activity, including oxygen transport, muscle function, and muscle recovery. If you are already entering postpartum with depleted micronutrients, you won’t have enough available to fuel the additional demands of physical activity.

Think of your body like a bank account. Pregnancy and birth represent a massive withdrawal. You’ve withdrawn your reserves of iron building your blood supply, used up B vitamins supporting baby’s rapid cell division and growth, and your bones have released calcium. Your tissues have been stretched (maybe even torn) and are trying to repair.

This is why I strongly feel that postpartum women need to have a strategic nutrition plan, not just think about eating enough calories. Yes, you absolutely need sufficient calories to maintain your energy and milk supply, but you also need deep nourishment. In the postpartum period, the ideal timing can vary from one woman to another. Under the guidance of a qualified nutrition professional, I recommend a comprehensive nutrient panel to assess your vitamin, mineral, and fatty acid levels. This is one reason I include a comprehensive micronutrient panel in my Trailblazer Nutrition™ program. This is also why trying to lose weight too soon postpartum by restricting your food intake (and thus your micronutrient intake) can be a recipe for disaster, hurting your energy, mental wellbeing, recovery process, and milk supply.

If you don’t nourish your body well in the postpartum period, you may experience postpartum depletion, a state of profound physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion that can persist anywhere from months to years after giving birth. If you want to get back your energy, zest for life, and ability to be active, you need to avoid falling into the trap of postpartum depletion.

Potential signs of postpartum nutrient depletion may look like:

• Chronic (and sometimes debilitating) fatigue that doesn’t improve with the sleep you get
• Hair loss beyond normal postpartum shedding
• Brittle nails that easily break, have white spots on them, or have visible ridges.
• Brain fog and difficulty concentrating
• Mood changes, anxiety, or depression
• Slow wound healing
• Frequent illness
• Poor exercise recovery
• Low or declining milk supply (if breastfeeding)

Altogether, this is why nutrient repletion needs to be the foundation of your postpartum nutrition plan, not weight loss.

A crucial note on postpartum depression: I would be remiss not to discuss the potential role of nutrition in postpartum depression. I dealt with postpartum depression in waves throughout the first year of my son’s life. For some women, there are nutritional influences in postpartum depression, such as low omega-3 fatty acids. (Source) For me, postpartum depression was related more to feeling extremely overwhelmed and unsupported in my postpartum life. Once I made some changes to enhance my support system and removed the things and people that were not supporting me, my mood improved dramatically and has stabilized (no medication required). If you are struggling with postpartum depression, please contact your healthcare provider to discuss your options, as this is a serious condition that requires attention. 

Recovery

Why does the postpartum recovery process take so many women by surprise? Personally, I felt inadequately prepared for how slowly the recovery process went. After growing and birthing a baby, your body must undergo a lot of tissue repair. On top of that, studies examining muscle health show that chronic sleep disruption is associated with increased inflammation and impaired muscle recovery and strength. (Source, Source) While I haven’t found any studies looking specifically at postpartum sleep deprivation and tissue recovery, I can’t help but wonder whether the sleep deprivation impairs tissue recovery postpartum. Getting your nutrition right, including total caloric energy, protein, carbohydrates, and micronutrients, is essential for promoting recovery from pregnancy and birth. 

In addition, your core and pelvic floor need rehabilitation after pregnancy and birth. Diastasis recti, pelvic floor dysfunction, and core weakness are common postpartum issues that affect your ability to train safely and effectively. Jumping back into high-impact activity without addressing these can lead to injury, incontinence, or pelvic organ prolapse. Seek the care of a pelvic floor specialist for help with these issues.

Resilience

Motherhood demands a LOT from you, including your love, energy, mental capacity, time, sleep, and nutrient stores. Eating to support your body’s total resilience, your ability to adapt to and recover from change and difficulties, is essential. Along with nutrient replenishment, this means eating to support balanced blood sugar control and your hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the system of organs and hormones that regulates your body’s stress response. 

To get you started, here are some foundational recommendations for eating for postpartum resilience, including blood sugar and HPA axis support: 

• Eat breakfast – and make it substantial. Aim for at least 25-30 grams of protein, complex carbohydrates, whole food sources of fiber, and healthy fats like nut butter, olive oil, avocado, or butter. This sets the tone for stable blood sugar throughout the day. 
• Build your day around at least 3 balanced meals, and include balanced snacks as needed. Balanced meals should always include a protein, a complex carb, fiber from whole food sources like veggies and fruit, and healthy fats. This isn’t about grazing constantly; it’s about preventing erratic eating patterns that put your blood sugar on a roller coaster, leading to energy crashes, cravings, and that sudden, urgent desire to take a nap at 3 pm. Snacks should also be balanced: protein and carbs. Avoid naked carbs—eating carbs all by themselves.
• Don’t fear carbohydrates. As an active woman, you need carbohydrates to fuel physical activity and support basic bodily processes, such as brain function. Your brain runs on glucose. Your muscles need glycogen for training. If you’re breastfeeding, milk production requires carbohydrates. The low-carb approach that might have worked for you pre-pregnancy is likely to backfire postpartum, leaving you exhausted, irritable, and potentially tanking your milk supply. I include whole-food, complex carbs at every meal, such as sweet potatoes, steel-cut oats, quinoa, legumes, and fruit, just to name a few examples.
• Hydrate strategically. Dehydration exacerbates fatigue. (Source) Maintain your fluid needs with plenty of filtered water and incorporate electrolytes strategically. Make sure you’re hydrating properly during exercise too.

When Does Intentional Postpartum Weight Loss Make Sense?

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: baby weight.

I know the pressure you feel to lose the baby weight. I’ve felt it too. Social media is a toxic place when it comes to promoting postpartum bounce-back culture. But here’s the reality – in my professional and personal experience, making weight loss a goal in the first six months postpartum is, in most cases, premature and potentially harmful. If you naturally lose weight postpartum (you’re bound to lose some once baby is out, your uterus returns to its normal size, and your blood and total fluid volume decrease), actively pushing yourself to lose more weight is not something I recommend in those early months.

But actively pursuing weight loss through calorie restriction and/or exercise during the early postpartum period carries real risks:

1. Compromised milk supply. If you’re breastfeeding, aggressive calorie restriction can reduce milk production. I’ll just go ahead and say it – your baby’s nutrition is more important than fitting into your pre-pregnancy jeans weeks or months postpartum. Despite what you’ve been told about how breastfeeding will make the baby weight “melt off,” many women experience the opposite – their intelligent bodies strategically hold on to some extra weight throughout breastfeeding, presumably to keep sufficient energy available for breast milk production. 
2. Nutrient depletion. Back to the nutrient depletion conversation – restricting food intake to attempt to lose weight further limits your ability to replenish critical nutrients, which can lead to chronic fatigue, hormonal imbalances, mood disorders, and impaired immune function.
3. Hormonal disruption. Undereating, especially combined with overtraining, can suppress thyroid function, disrupt menstrual cycle return, lower estrogen and progesterone, and keep cortisol chronically elevated. These hormonal imbalances can actually make it harder to lose weight in the long run and can impact your fertility if you’re planning to have more children.
4. Loss of muscle mass. When you’re in a calorie deficit without adequate protein and strength training, your body will break down muscle tissue for energy. Less muscle means a slower metabolism and reduced functional capacity, the opposite of what you need as an active parent.
5. Disordered eating patterns. The postpartum period is already emotionally vulnerable. Adding the stress of restrictive dieting can trigger or exacerbate disordered eating behaviors and negative body image.

So when IS the right time to think about weight loss? In my practice, I generally recommend waiting until you are at least 6 months postpartum, in a decent sleep routine, with stable energy throughout the day, have addressed nutrient deficiencies, and have the mental and emotional bandwidth to focus on this goal. For some women, I may also recommend waiting until their menstrual cycle has returned, if that takes longer than 6 months.

As an active woman, your approach to postpartum weight loss matters enormously. It should be gradual, fueled by nutrient-dense foods, avoid large calorie deficits, flexible, and ideally monitored by a nutrition professional and a lactation counselor if you are still breastfeeding. 

Training for a Marathon with a Baby: What’s Actually Working

When I registered for a marathon this upcoming fall (Boulderthon in Boulder, Colorado), my baby was a year old. Do I feel uncertain about it? Yes, I do. But I also feel ready for a new goal. I also feel more confident after recently placing second in my age group in a local half marathon in Arvada, Colorado. ☺️Training postpartum looks different from before, and I’ve had to make peace with that. Here’s what I’ve learned:

• Flexibility is the plan. Some weeks I hit every workout. Other weeks, issues like teething, a busier work schedule, or wildfire smoke preventing me from running outside require me to change my plans. I’m trying to be as flexible as possible while continuing to work towards my goal.
• Recovery is training. I used to think recovery was for rest days. Now I understand that as a postpartum athlete, recovery is happening 24/7. This means prioritizing sleep when possible (I have been taking naps a couple of times a week, even though I want to use that precious time for other things), managing stress, and fueling optimally.
• Fueling around workouts is critical. I avoid training fasted, even for my 5:30 am morning workouts. I have a small, easily digestible snack 30-60 minutes before runs, such as applesauce or a banana. I always eat a recovery meal within 30 minutes of finishing my training session. 
• Getting outside is vital. Living in Conifer, Colorado means I have incredible access to mountain trails, and I’ve been intentional about incorporating them into my training. The Alderfer/Three Sisters Park trails offer varied terrain and beautiful views without being overly technical. Staunton State Park is perfect for longer, steady efforts. Running these trails is mentally and emotionally restorative to me.

TheTrailblazer Nutrition™ Program: Personalized Support for Your Postpartum Journey

If you’ve read this far, you might be thinking: “This all makes sense, but I don’t know how to apply it to my body, my situation, and my goals.” I have you covered with my Trailblazer Nutrition™ Program! This comprehensive, personalized nutrition program is designed to help active people like you boost their energy, balance hormones, build strength and resilience, and live an active lifestyle. Here’s what we’ll do to support your active postpartum:

• We start with assessment, not assumptions. The Metabolomix+ nutritional test provides objective data on your unique nutrient levels needed for energy production, mental health, hormone balance, and training. This takes the guesswork out of supplementation and dietary recommendations.
• We address your foundation first. Before we talk about training nutrition or weight loss, we focus on nutrient repletion, blood sugar stability, and balanced fueling for daily life. 
• We integrate your physical activity goals. Whether you’re working toward your first postpartum 5K or training for a marathon, we create a fueling strategy that supports your training volume and intensity while maintaining energy for motherhood, your career, and life as a whole.
• We approach weight loss (if appropriate) thoughtfully. If and when the timing is right, we create a gradual, sustainable approach that prioritizes nutrient density, sustainable changes, and close monitoring of your health.
• We adjust as you go. Postpartum recovery isn’t linear. Your needs will change as your baby grows, your sleep improves, your training volume increases, and your hormones stabilize. We check in regularly and adjust your plan accordingly.

You don’t have to figure this out alone; you CAN balance being a mom and being active, and you don’t have to sacrifice your health to achieve your goals. You are NOT being selfish for taking care of yourself; self-care is essential for your success and health as a mother.

You deserve to feel strong, energized, and capable now in the thick of your postpartum season, not just someday down the road! 

Are you ready to take the next step? Schedule your complimentary discovery call to learn how the Trailblazer Nutrition™ program can help you experience a vibrant, healthy, and active postpartum period.

The content provided on this nutrition blog is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read on this blog.

The information and recommendations presented here are based on general nutrition principles and may not be suitable for everyone. Individual dietary needs and health concerns vary; what works for one person may not be appropriate for another.

I make every effort to provide accurate and up-to-date information, but the field of nutrition is constantly evolving, and new research may impact dietary recommendations. Therefore, I cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information presented on this blog.

If you have specific dietary or health concerns, please consult a qualified nutritionist or another healthcare professional for personalized guidance.

Here’s what might surprise you: optimizing your experience hiking 14ers isn’t just about what you eat the day of the hike—it ties back to your nutrition in the weeks and months leading up to it.

Most hikers focus exclusively on trail snacks, water, and electrolytes. They stock up on energy gels, grab a box of granola bars, and call it good. But if you want to feel strong at 14,000 feet, avoid the dreaded afternoon energy crash, and actually enjoy the experience of summiting peaks like Mount Bierstadt, Quandry, or Longs Peak, you need to think bigger.

Your body’s ability to perform at altitude—to transport oxygen efficiently, maintain steady energy levels, make smart decisions on the trail, and recover quickly—is built on a foundation that starts in your kitchen every single day, not just on summit morning.

As a functional sports nutritionist working with hikers and outdoor athletes throughout the Front Range of Colorado, I’ve seen firsthand how the right nutritional foundation transforms people’s high-altitude experiences. Read on to learn about nutrition for hiking 14ers, from the months of preparation through your post-hike recovery meal.

Prepping: Your Daily Diet and Micronutrient Status Matter More Than You Think

Let’s start with the foundation that most hiking blogs completely skip when discussing your nutrition for hiking 14ers: your everyday nutrition.

The truth is, what you eat in April, May, and June directly impacts how you’ll feel on Quandary Peak in July. Your daily diet determines your fitness, your micronutrient stores, your metabolic flexibility, your muscle glycogen capacity, and your body’s ability to adapt to the stress of high altitude.

Build a Balanced, Whole-Foods, Nutrient-Dense Daily Diet

Eating whole foods matters for altitude performance: whole foods provide the full spectrum of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytonutrients that your body needs to function optimally under stress.

When you’re hiking at 12,000+ feet, your body is under significant physiological stress. Oxygen availability is limited and your cardiovascular system is working harder. Your brain and muscles are demanding fuel and your cells are managing oxidative stress (an imbalance between reactive molecules made in your body and the availability of antioxidants to neutralize them). All of these processes require micronutrients—vitamins and minerals that act as cofactors in thousands of biochemical reactions.

A diet built on ultra-processed foods and refined carbohydrates simply doesn’t provide the raw materials your body needs to perform at altitude.

Instead, during your training season for 14er hiking, focus on:

• Quality proteins (grass-fed meat, wild-caught fish, pastured eggs, legumes)
• Colorful vegetables and fruits (aim for variety)
• Healthy fats (avocados, nuts, seeds, olive oil, fatty fish)
• Whole-food carbohydrates (sweet potatoes, squash, whole grains, properly prepared beans)
• Minimal processed foods and added sugars

This isn’t about perfection. It’s about building a strong nutritional foundation that supports your body’s demands.

Your Iron Status is Key!

Iron is one of the most important micronutrients you need to perform at altitude. I’ll give you a sneak peek into iron here, but read my comprehensive blog about iron for active individuals for even more information.

Iron is essential for oxygen transport. It’s the central component of hemoglobin, the protein in your red blood cells that carries oxygen from your lungs to your muscles (and other parts of your body, of course). At altitude, where oxygen is already limited, your iron status becomes even more critical.

But here’s what most people don’t know: standard iron tests (like serum iron or hemoglobin) don’t tell the whole story. It’s important to do a comprehensive iron panel that includes these markers PLUS ferritin, the storage form of iron in your body.

For optimal performance at altitude, I recommend a ferritin level of 70-100 ng/mL. Many active women, in particular, have ferritin levels well below this range, often in the 20-40 range, which can significantly impact energy levels and endurance capacity.

If you’re planning to hike 14ers this summer and you don’t know your ferritin level, now is the time to get it tested. Low ferritin will absolutely limit your performance when you’re asking your body to perform at 13,000 feet with 40% less oxygen.

This is exactly the type of functional nutrition work that can make or break your 14er season—and it starts months before you ever hit the trail.

Starting Your Hike Off Right: What to Eat Before Hiking a 14er in Colorado

Let’s talk about the 24 hours leading up to your hike. This is where most hikers start thinking about nutrition, but they often miss the mark.

The Night Before: Balanced, Not Bloated

The night before a big hike, many people think they need to “carb load” with massive plates of pasta, white bread, and refined carbohydrates. This outdated approach often leaves you feeling bloated, sluggish, and uncomfortable.

Instead, eat a balanced dinner that includes:

• Protein: chicken, fish, grass-fed beef, or plant-based options
• Whole-food carbohydrates: roasted potatoes, sweet potatoes, whole grains like quinoa or rice, or quality sourdough bread
• Healthy fats: olive oil, avocado, nuts
• Vegetables: a generous serving of colorful veggies

This balanced approach provides sustained energy without the digestive discomfort that comes from overloading on refined carbs. Your body will store adequate glycogen (glucose stored in your muscles and liver) without the blood sugar rollercoaster.

For example, a dinner of grilled salmon with roasted sweet potatoes, sautéed greens with olive oil, and a side of quinoa provides everything your body needs to fuel tomorrow’s adventure.

Morning Of: The Balanced Breakfast You Actually Need

I’m going to be really honest here – a cup of cereal and a cup of coffee is not a balanced breakfast, no matter what the cereal box claims.

If you’re planning to hike for 4-8 hours at altitude, you need real fuel. A balanced breakfast should include:

• Protein: eggs, Greek yogurt, protein smoothie, or nut butter
• Complex carbohydrates: oatmeal, whole grain toast, sweet potato, or fruit
• Healthy fats: avocado, nuts, seeds, or coconut oil
• Add some veggies in there: spinach, onion, or bell peppers in your eggs, mixed greens in your smoothie

For example:

• Scrambled eggs with avocado and whole grain sourdough toast
• Greek yogurt with berries, nuts, and a drizzle of honey
• Oatmeal made with protein powder, topped with almond butter and banana
• A smoothie with protein powder, spinach, berries, banana, and nut butter

Eat this meal 1.5-2 hours before you start hiking to allow for proper digestion. You want to start your hike feeling energized, not uncomfortably full.

Fueling on the Trail: Maintaining Steady Energy at Lower Elevations

Once you’re on the trail, your nutrition strategy shifts to maintaining steady blood sugar and energy levels. The goal is to prevent “bonking”—that awful feeling when your energy completely crashes and every step feels like you’re walking through mud.

The Strategy: Pair Whole-Food Carbs with Protein and Fat

The key to stable energy on the trail is selecting snacks that provide whole-food carbohydrates paired with protein and fat. This combination slows down carbohydrate absorption, resulting in steady blood sugar rather than the spike-and-crash pattern you get from eating refined carbs alone.

Think of protein and fat as the “metering system” for your carbohydrates. They help your body absorb glucose more gradually, providing sustained energy for hours rather than a quick burst followed by a crash.

Trail Snack Ideas for Stable Energy

Here are some of my favorite options that I recommend to clients hiking peaks like Mount Bierstadt, Quandary Peak, or the Grays and Torreys combo:

• Trail mix or granola: I love Wildway granola! It contains a delicious blend of nuts, seeds, and dried fruit with no added sugars. The dates and dried fruit provide the perfect amount of sweetness while the nuts and seeds provide protein and healthy fats. Avoid granola that has added sugars as a primary ingredient.
• Energy bars with simple ingredients: Choose bars with simple, whole-food ingredients
• Nuts and seeds: I personally love pistachios and pecans. My absolute favorite resource for nuts is Wildly Organic. A handful of nuts provides sustained energy and essential minerals.
• Nut butter packets: Pair nut butter packets with apple slices, a banana, or spread on whole grain crackers.
• Dried fruit paired with nuts: I recommend choosing unsulphured dried fruit with no added sugars. The key is pairing dried fruit with a handful of nuts for a more sustained blood sugar and energy response. Dried fruit alone will spike your blood sugar; dried fruit plus almonds provides steady fuel.
• High-quality jerky: Chomps jerky is a great option for clean protein on the trail. The protein helps stabilize blood sugar and provides amino acids for muscle function.
• Plantain or sweet potato chips: These provide whole-food carbohydrates with more nutrients than regular potato chips. Pair with jerky or nuts for balanced fuel.

Adjusting for Duration, Intensity, and Individual Needs

The physiology of hiking for more than 2 hours or hiking at a brisk pace requires carbohydrate intake to replenish glycogen and maintain your pace. Your body’s glycogen stores are limited, and once they’re depleted, your energy and performance will suffer significantly.

Trail nutrition options that provide quality carbohydrates include:

• Fresh fruit (apples, oranges, bananas)
• Dried fruit (unsweetened when possible)
• Sweet potato or plantain chips
• A sandwich or wrap made with high-quality bread or a tortilla

If hiking for more than 2 hours, you may benefit from consuming 30-60 grams of carbohydrates per hour. Start at the low end of this range (30 grams) and work up if needed based on how you feel.

For example, a medium-sized banana provides 27 grams of carbs. Pair your banana with 2 tablespoons of almond butter (which provides protein and fat), and you have a perfectly balanced trail snack that will sustain your energy for the next hour or two.

What to Eat at 10,000-14,000 Feet: Why Carbs Matter More at Altitude

As you climb higher, your body’s nutritional needs shift. This is something many hikers don’t realize until they’re struggling at 12,000 feet wondering why they feel so depleted.

The Physiology of High Altitude

At altitude, your body may rely more heavily on carbohydrates for fuel. Carbohydrate metabolism requires less oxygen than fat metabolism. When oxygen is limited (as it is at 10,000-14,000 feet), your body preferentially uses carbohydrates because it’s more oxygen-efficient.

This means that as you approach the summit of Longs Peak or any other high-altitude 14er, you’ll want to shift your fueling strategy to emphasize carbohydrates more heavily.

Best High-Altitude Fuel Options

Focus on easily digestible carbohydrate sources that don’t require much digestive effort:

• Fresh fruit: Apples, oranges, and bananas are excellent choices
• Dried fruit: Dates, apricots, mango (choose unsweetened varieties when possible)
• Fruit pouches: Applesauce pouches or other fruit purees are easy to consume and digest
• Date or honey pouches: These provide quick carbohydrates with more nutritional value than processed gels

Notice what’s on this list: whole foods that provide carbohydrates along with vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. These options provide significantly more nutritional value than gels or Bloks (more on that below).

At higher altitudes, you may also find that your appetite decreases. This is normal, but it’s crucial to continue fueling even if you don’t feel hungry. Set a timer on your watch to remind yourself to eat every 30-45 minutes.

What About Sports Nutrition Products Like Gels and Bloks?

Here’s my contrarian take that often surprises people: most hikers don’t need to fuel with gels, Bloks, and other sugary sports nutrition products. They simply aren’t hiking at an intensity that requires these highly-processed, sugary fuels.

When You Don’t Need Gels

If you’re hiking at a recreational pace—even if you’re hiking for 6-8 hours—whole-food options will serve you better than sports nutrition products. Whole foods provide:

• A broader spectrum of nutrients
• More sustained energy release
• Better satiety
• Less digestive distress for most people
• No artificial ingredients or excessive added sugars

The marketing around sports nutrition products has convinced many outdoor enthusiasts that they need these products to perform. But the reality is that these products were designed for high-intensity endurance athletes (think: marathon runners, cyclists racing for hours) who need rapid carbohydrate absorption during sustained high-intensity efforts.

Most 14er hikers simply aren’t operating at that intensity level.

The Exception: When Gels Might Make Sense

There are scenarios where sports nutrition products can be useful:

• Speed hiking: If you’re trying to set speed records on 14ers or hiking at a pace that significantly elevates your heart rate for extended periods, rapid carbohydrate absorption becomes more important.
• Multi-day backpacking: When you’re hiking multiple days in a row and need to maximize calorie intake while minimizing pack weight, gels and other concentrated carbohydrate sources can be practical.
• Personal digestive tolerance: Some people genuinely do better with liquid or gel nutrition at altitude when solid food becomes unappealing. There are still good options and not-so-great options for gels and liquid nutrition. Work with a nutritionist to find better options.

But for the vast majority of hikers tackling Colorado 14ers at a recreational pace, whole-food options will provide superior nutrition and better sustained energy.

Hydration: Your Strategic Approach to Fluid and Electrolyte Balance

Proper hydration is just as critical as nutrition, especially at altitude where you’re losing more fluid through respiration and may not feel as thirsty as you should.

Start with Your Baseline

Aim to drink half your body weight in ounces of water daily. This is your baseline hydration need before you even factor in hiking.

For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you should be drinking approximately 75 ounces of water per day as your baseline. This ensures you start your hike properly hydrated rather than playing catch-up on the trail.

Adjust for Altitude and Activity

The amount of water you need to drink while hiking depends on multiple factors, including your body weight, sex, age, the intensity level of your hike, environmental conditions (altitude, heat), and your sweat rate. Therefore, it will take some experimentation to determine your optimal hydration strategy while hiking.

According to the Institute for Altitude Medicine, you should consume an additional 1-1.5 liters of water daily at altitude. This accounts for increased fluid loss through respiration in the dry mountain air and your body’s increased metabolic demands.

Don’t Forget Electrolytes

It is also important to consume electrolytes when hiking for more than 2 hours, especially if you are hiking at altitude or breaking a sweat, provided you don’t suffer from a health condition or take medications that preclude using supplemental electrolytes.

Electrolytes—particularly sodium, potassium, and magnesium—are essential for:

• Proper muscle function
• Nerve signaling
• Fluid balance
• Preventing cramping

I often recommend a low-osmolality electrolyte mix such as Skratch Labs Hydration Sports Drink Mix. Low-osmolality formulas are absorbed more quickly and are less likely to cause digestive upset than high-sugar sports drinks.

A Word of Caution

Always consult with your physician before taking any supplement, including electrolyte supplements, especially if you have any health conditions or take medications that affect fluid or electrolyte balance.

Post-14er Nutrition: The Recovery Window That Sets You Up for Tomorrow

You’ve summited, taken your photos, and made it back to the trailhead. You’re exhausted, maybe a little sunburned, and ready to collapse. But before you do, you need to think about recovery nutrition.

What you eat after hiking is as important as what you eat before and while hiking! Post-hike nutrition supports muscle recovery, allowing muscles to repair overnight so you can go out and hike again the following day, if you so choose.

The 2:1 Carb-to-Protein Ratio

Many hikers do well eating a 2:1 ratio of carbs to protein after a hike. Here’s why this ratio works:

Your muscles will be more sensitive to insulin after a hike and thus more readily able to take up glucose from your bloodstream. This means you can tolerate more carbohydrates after a hike without experiencing a significant blood sugar spike compared to before your hike.

This post-exercise insulin sensitivity is a metabolic window you want to take advantage of. Eating carbohydrates during this window helps replenish your muscle glycogen stores efficiently, preparing your body for your next adventure.

Don’t Skip the Protein

It is crucial to ensure you eat plenty of protein in your post-hike meal.

The amino acids in protein are used to repair damaged muscle tissue and support beneficial training adaptations. When you hike, you create micro-tears in your muscle fibers. Protein provides the building blocks your body needs to repair this damage and build back stronger.

Protein needs vary widely from one person to the next. For healthy hikers seeking to maintain their weight, a total daily protein intake of 1.4-2.0 g/kg body weight may be appropriate. Aim to eat approximately 1/3 of your daily protein intake in your post-hike meal.

For example, if you weigh 70 kg (154 pounds) and aim for 1.6 g/kg, your daily protein target would be 112 grams. Your post-hike meal should include roughly 35-40 grams of protein.

Why Carbs + Protein Work Better Together

Eating sufficient carbohydrates after hiking will help you replenish your glycogen stores. Furthermore, research shows that pairing carbohydrates with protein in a post-exercise meal is more effective at replenishing glycogen than consuming carbohydrates alone.

Combining carbohydrate and protein intake may be more effective for replenishing glycogen because leucine, a muscle-building amino acid found in protein, can promote insulin release. Insulin is a hormone your pancreas makes that helps your tissues take up glucose, including liver and muscle tissues.

Combining carbohydrates and protein may also stimulate glycogen synthase, a critical enzyme involved in glycogen formation. This synergistic effect means you get better recovery from eating carbs and protein together than from eating either macronutrient alone.

Add Anti-Inflammatory Foods

I also recommend incorporating anti-inflammatory foods into your post-hike meal. While inflammation is a normal and desired short-term response to exercise, chronic inflammation can impair exercise recovery and subsequent exercise performance.

Foods with anti-inflammatory properties that may support exercise recovery include:

• Fruits like berries: Blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries are rich in antioxidants
• Leafy greens: Spinach, kale, and other greens provide vitamins and phytonutrients
• Omega-3-rich seafood: Salmon, sardines, and other fatty fish provide anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids

Try to eat this recovery meal within about an hour of finishing your hike to maximize the benefits of that post-exercise metabolic window.

Ready to Feel Strong on Your Next 14er?

Nutrition for hiking 14ers isn’t one-size-fits-all. Your energy needs, hydration strategy, and tolerance at 12,000+ feet are unique—and mistakes can mean the difference between powering to the summit or turning around early.

This blog has provided an overview of the nutritional strategies that support high-altitude hiking performance, from the foundational work you do months in advance to your post-hike recovery meal. But here’s the reality: truly optimizing your nutrition requires personalization.

Your iron status, your individual carb and protein needs, your digestive tolerance at altitude, your training volume, your health history—all of these factors influence what will work best for your body.

If you want a personalized plan that helps you hike stronger, avoid energy crashes, and actually enjoy the experience of summiting Colorado’s beautiful 14ers, I work with Front Range hikers to dial in nutrition for high-altitude performance.

We’ll look at your complete health picture, test your micronutrient status, identify your individual fuel needs, and create a customized nutrition strategy that supports your specific goals—whether that’s summiting your first 14er or completing all 58 peaks.

Schedule your discovery call and let’s make this your strongest 14er season yet!

The content provided on this nutrition blog is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read on this blog.

The information and recommendations presented here are based on general nutrition principles and may not be suitable for everyone. Individual dietary needs and health concerns vary; what works for one person may not be appropriate for another.

I make every effort to provide accurate and up-to-date information, but the field of nutrition is constantly evolving, and new research may impact dietary recommendations. Therefore, I cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information presented on this blog.

If you have specific dietary or health concerns, please consult a qualified nutritionist or another healthcare professional for personalized guidance.

Furthermore, the preconception nutrition guidance that works for the average sedentary woman won’t adequately meet the needs of most active women. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the evidence-based nutritional strategies to optimize your fertility while honoring your athletic identity—because you shouldn’t have to choose between the sport you love and the family you want to build.

This blog is all about nutrition for fertility in female athletes; stay tuned for a separate blog on nutrition for fertility in male athletes!

The Paradox of the Fit but Infertile Athlete

Let me guess: You’ve walked into your OB/GYN or a reproductive specialist’s office, and they’ve looked at your athletic physique and dismissed your concerns about your fertility struggles. “You look healthy,” they say, before suggesting IVF without investigating what’s happening beneath the surface.

I see this pattern regularly with active women, and it’s deeply frustrating. Here’s the truth that the fertility industry often overlooks:

Physical fitness does not equal fertility. Just because you’re at the peak of your athletic potential doesn’t mean your body has the resources for optimal reproductive function.

In fact, some of the physiological changes that may have occurred during your athletic career —your low body fat percentage, your elevated cortisol response to training stress, your menstrual irregularities —can work against your fertility. This isn’t a failure on your part. However, it does require a nuanced, athlete-specific approach to optimizing your nutrition and health for conception.

The good news? Once we identify and address the nutritional factors undermining your fertility, your athletic body often responds beautifully. Let’s explore what might be standing between you and conception.

Low Energy Availability – Leading to Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S)

The Problem: Low energy availability (LEA) – a chronic deficit between dietary energy intake and energy expenditure through exercise – leading to relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S) – is the primary driver of functional hypothalamic amenorrhea, the fancy medical terminology for the absence of menstruation in female athletes. And here’s the fundamental truth: if you’re not ovulating and menstruating regularly, conception isn’t possible.

A high percentage of female endurance athletes are at risk for LEA. (Source) The strategy of only eating when you are hungry tends to fail female athletes who are trying to conceive, as exercise can suppress appetite, leading to underfueling. Potential signs that you are underfueling (besides functional hypothalamic amenorrhea and fertility struggles) include persistent fatigue despite optimal sleep and recovery time, reduced immune function, a drop in performance, immune system dysfunction, and stress fractures.

The Solution: You need to eat enough—not just to fuel training, but to support the robust hormone production required for ovulation and conception. This means consuming sufficient energy to cover your basal metabolic needs, daily activity, AND training demands, with enough left over for your reproductive system to function optimally.

I’ll be direct: In some cases, you may need to reduce training volume to restore hormonal balance and menstrual regularity. This can feel like an impossible sacrifice, but there’s also significant room to optimize nutrition first. Together, we can explore how to adequately fuel your athletic pursuits while creating the metabolic environment for fertility.

Macronutrient Intake Imbalances

The Problem: Your macronutrient intake may be imbalanced, either at one end or the other. On one end, insufficient carbohydrate intake is directly associated with hormonal disturbances and menstrual dysfunction in female athletes, compromising both conception and pregnancy outcomes.(Source) 

On the opposite end of the spectrum, excessive carbohydrate consumption paired with inadequate protein and fat creates blood sugar dysregulation, insulin resistance, and sex hormone imbalances—particularly affecting estrogen and progesterone—which directly impact menstrual regularity and fertility. (Source) Your reproductive system interprets chronic low-carb intake as a signal of scarcity, downregulating fertility accordingly.

The Solution: Work with a nutrition professional to determine whether your carb, fat, and/or protein intake is imbalanced, and to develop solutions to bring them into balance to support a healthy menstrual cycle and fertility. If you are inadvertently (or intentionally) eating a low-carb diet, bring back healthy, whole-food carbohydrates that will support your athletic performance and fertility, such as sweet potatoes, white potatoes, fruits, root vegetables, squash, legumes, and whole grains.

A word of caution: There’s a popular pregnancy dietitian whose whole-food approach I deeply respect, but whose carbohydrate recommendations are far too low for most active women. This perfectly illustrates why fertility nutrition for athletes requires true personalization—not generic advice adapted from sedentary populations.

Micronutrient Deficiencies and Insufficiencies

The Problem: As athletes, we demand a lot from our bodies, and our micronutrient needs may be higher than those of the average sedentary person due to factors like increased micronutrient utilization and increased excretion through urine and sweat. (Source) Yet, many athletes are low in critical nutrients. (Source, Source, Source) 

Simultaneously, optimal fertility requires robust micronutrient status to support egg quality, ovulation, implantation, and early pregnancy. The following nutrients are essential for both athletic performance AND fertility—and frequently run low in active women:

• Vitamin D: Vitamin D influences the health of the endometrium – the lining of the uterus – which must be healthy and receptive for conception and implantation to occur. (Source) It is essential for ovarian function and follicle development, a small fluid-filled sac that contains an immature egg. Vitamin D supplementation is linked to an improved hormone status, including reduced androgens, luteinizing hormone (LH), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in women with PCOS, one of the most common causes of female infertility. (Source) Vitamin D deficiency is common in athletes. (Source)
• Magnesium: Low magnesium is associated with impaired blood sugar control in women with PCOS, which adversely affects fertility. (Source) Magnesium is also needed for vitamin D utilization, which, as discussed above, is imperative for fertility. (Source) It is a cofactor for enzymes involved in the production and function of reproductive system hormones and is linked to egg quality. (Source)
• Omega-3 fatty acids: Omega-3 fatty acids, found in seafood (in their most utilizable forms, EPA and DHA), and in flaxseed, chia seeds, and walnuts (in the precursor form to the more critical long-chain omega-3 fatty acids), regulate inflammation, which is essential for optimizing fertility and supporting egg quality. (Source, Source) Altogether, omega-3 fatty acids are linked to enhanced fertility. (Source)
• Vitamin B12: Vitamin B12 regulates DNA synthesis (crucial for healthy egg development) and oxidative stress and inflammation, which can impair healthy egg development and implantation when elevated. (Source)
• Iron: Iron is needed to support a healthy endometrium for implantation and follicle development. (Source) MANY female endurance athletes, and especially those living at altitude, are low in iron because it is depleted by foot-strike hemolysis, losses through sweat, and higher demands. (Source) You can read more about iron and its specific implications for athletes in this article.
• Zinc: Zinc is crucial for egg development and maturation, fertilization, and the synthesis of reproductive hormones. (Source)

The Solution: I highly recommend comprehensive micronutrient testing for all women preparing for pregnancy, especially active women, who typically have higher nutrient needs than the average woman. A nutrition professional can guide you through which micronutrient tests to order (I use a comprehensive micronutrient panel in my nutrition practice) and help you optimize your micronutrient status through foods and, when necessary, supplements.

Check out my free micronutrient guide for outdoor athletes to learn about the optimal reference ranges for many micronutrients and how to test for them. If you want personalized guidance and testing support, I would love to work with you in my nutrition practice!

Side note: Besides nutritional testing, I also highly recommend getting the following labs done, as these markers also reflect critical aspects of your health that impact fertility:

• Thyroid function panel: Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), total T4, total T3, free T4, free T3, reverse T3, thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO Ab), thyroglobulin antibodies (TG Ab)
• Hormone testing (if you are struggling with irregular periods), such as the DUTCH Cycle Mapping test.
• Diurnal cortisol test

Chronic Inflammation and Oxidative Stress

The Problem: Chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, an imbalance between reactive molecules generated in the body by stressors like exercise and the body’s ability to “quench” those free radicals with antioxidants, are linked to fertility impairment. (Source) While exercise offers profound health benefits, intense and excessive endurance training can tip this balance unfavorably if you’re not strategically supporting your body through nutrition and recovery.

The Solution: Eating a nourishing, colorful, whole-foods diet rich in antioxidants to help your body quench oxidative stress and inflammation. Limit high-glycemic and ultra-processed foods, which are linked to heightened inflammation and fertility issues. (Source, Source) Use comprehensive nutritional testing to assess levels of antioxidant nutrients needed for oxidative stress regulation and egg health, such as alpha-lipoic acid and glutathione. (Source, Source)

Gut Health Problems

Emerging research reveals a fascinating connection between gut health and female fertility—and unfortunately, many female outdoor athletes struggle with gastrointestinal issues. At the most fundamental level, gut health determines how effectively you extract and absorb the nutrients essential for optimal fertility.

But the gut-fertility connection goes deeper. Research indicates that the gut microbiome serves as a vital link between environmental factors—such as diet and stress—and reproductive health, specifically influencing the ovarian reserve and oocyte quality. For endurance athletes, who often balance high-performance fueling with reproductive goals, the sources highlight that diet is the most direct and modifiable factor shaping microbial composition; specifically, plant food-rich dietary patterns increase the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that support hormonal and immune functions. (Source)

If you struggle with gastrointestinal symptoms like gas, bloating, constipation, or acid reflux, or extraintestinal (outside the intestine) symptoms that link back to the gut, like fatigue, skin issues, and mental health struggles, it is crucial to get to the root of your gut imbalances and address them before trying to conceive.

A Note About Hormonal Contraceptives and Fertility in Athletes

This is a complex topic that deserves acknowledgment: hormonal contraceptives (like the pill) may not only have adverse effects on athletic performance in female athletes but, even after a woman comes off of them, may be indirectly linked to fertility struggles. For example, hormonal contraceptives are linked to depleted levels of multiple micronutrients necessary for fertility.

If you were originally prescribed hormonal contraceptives for “period problems,” they have likely been masking underlying hormonal and inflammatory imbalances for years that will still need to be addressed to achieve optimal fertility.

For more information about hormonal contraceptives and athletic performance, I recommend you check out the work of Dr. Stacy Sims. For more information about how hormonal contraceptives impact fertility, I recommend looking into the extensive work of Lisa Hendrickson-Jack.

The Bottom Line on Fertility Nutrition for Female Outdoor Athletes

Your athletic lifestyle and fertility can coexist, especially when you nourish your body well and prioritize rest, recovery, stress management, and gut health. If you are struggling with fertility issues, then it is reasonable to expect it to take 3-6 months to optimize your health before trying to conceive. Just like training for a big race, the road to optimal fertility isn’t traveled overnight.

Based on everything I’ve discussed in this article, here are practical next steps you can take to optimize your fertility while maintaining your active lifestyle:

• Assess your current energy intake (ideally with a nutrition professional, but you can also start on your own) to ensure you’re eating enough. As long as you don’t have an eating disorder or disordered eating behaviors, using a food tracking app that provides quantitative feedback, such as Cronometer, is a great place to start.
• Next, get key nutritional testing done.
• If you’ve identified any macronutrient imbalances (too low-carb, not enough healthy fats), then work on correcting your macros.
• Evaluate your training volume and recovery.
• Get to know your menstrual cycle intimately. I love TempDrop for this purpose!
• Work with a nutrition provider to personalize your approach. There’s a lot to consider health-wise when you’re trying to conceive, especially if you’re an athlete. I would love to help!

Fertility nutrition for outdoor athletes isn’t one-size-fits-all—and this blog scratches the surface of what’s truly possible. The strategies you’ll discover here reveal the core principles: energy availability as your foundation, macronutrient balance, and the micronutrient gaps many female athletes miss.

A truly personalized approach with a nutrition professional goes deeper—comprehensive assessment of your current dietary intake and needs, functional testing, a customized nutrition plan, strategic supplement recommendations, and ongoing support to troubleshoot the challenges that arise. You’ve trained strategically for countless races, summits, and adventures; optimizing your fertility deserves that same level of personalized attention. 

Ready to move from understanding the problem to building your unique solution? Schedule your 20-minute discovery call to discuss your situation and explore how we can work together to fuel both your peak performance and your dreams of becoming a mother!

The content provided on this nutrition blog is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read on this blog.

The information and recommendations presented here are based on general nutrition principles and may not be suitable for everyone. Individual dietary needs and health concerns vary; what works for one person may not be appropriate for another.

I make every effort to provide accurate and up-to-date information, but the field of nutrition is constantly evolving, and new research may impact dietary recommendations. Therefore, I cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information presented on this blog.

If you have specific dietary or health concerns, please consult a qualified nutritionist or another healthcare professional for personalized guidance.

We navigated icy trails winding through the forest with our little one tucked snugly in the ski trailer. We had to frequently check in on him to adjust blankets, apply baby sunscreen, breastfeed, and gauge his comfort level. What would have been a relatively straightforward ski outing pre-baby became an intricate dance of logistics and timing, all while being physically active!

Our ski outing perfectly exemplified this crucial thing: Parenthood – especially if you are an active parent with an active family – is truly an endurance event! It requires great physical and mental stamina, and there’s no finish line or post-race recovery period.

Whether you’re a breastfeeding mom literally fueling another human with your own body (raising my hand here!), a stay-at-home primary caregiver managing your household and caring for children day and night, or a busy full-time working dad, parenthood places extraordinary demands on your physical and cognitive capacity. These demands are nutritionally significant, yet so often overlooked or minimized.

In my nutrition practice, many of my clients are parents navigating these exact challenges. They have busy personal and professional lives, yet they also have ambitious athletic goals—they want to PR their next trail half marathon, train for the Leadville Trail 100 MTB, or ski 14ers this winter. They come to me because they’re struggling to balance it all and are feeling depleted and unable to function as their best selves.

Here’s what I tell them: Optimizing your nutrition and caring for your health as a parent isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity.

You can’t pour from an empty cup. You can’t be the primary food source for a baby, chase toddlers, excel at work, and train for that ultra if you’re running on coffee and survival snacks. Proper nutrition isn’t about being perfect or having it all together—it’s about giving your body what it needs to sustain the incredible output parenthood demands of you.

Let’s talk about four foundational nutrition strategies that can help you not just survive, but truly thrive during this demanding season of life.

“Optimizing your nutrition and caring for your health as a parent isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity.“

Four Foundational Nutrition Strategies for Active Parents

1. Start Your Day with a Protein-Rich Breakfast

I know mornings are chaotic as a parent. I wake up around 5 am most mornings so I can get in a workout and shower before my infant son wakes up around 6:30 am. I then need to nurse him, change his diaper, make and feed him breakfast, and clean up the kitchen before our caretaker comes over. Once she’s here, I head to my in-home office for a full day of work. It’s a lot, and I don’t even have to commute!

The rush and time crunch are real. I understand the temptation to grab a granola bar and call it breakfast – or to skip breakfast entirely. However, this is a significant nutritional mistake that can follow you through the rest of the day.

How you start your day nutritionally sets the trajectory for your blood sugar control, energy level, focus, mood, and motivation throughout the rest of the day. Instead of skipping breakfast, try eating a breakfast that provides 25-30 grams of protein.

You can prepare your breakfast in advance (such as egg muffins or a breakfast hash) or make a quick breakfast the morning of, such as a smoothie. Include protein, a whole-food carbohydrate source (such as sweet potato hash, fruit, or sourdough toast), and healthy fats to keep yourself satiated and provide steady, sustained energy. This will help stabilize your blood sugar throughout the day. Stable blood sugar, in turn, enables you to stay sharp and patient (if you’re a parent, you know how important patience is!) throughout the day, AND provides the amino acids your body needs for muscle recovery and exercise adaptation.

2. Include Protein at Each Meal

Starting your day with protein sets a positive trajectory, and continuing that pattern throughout the day maintains it. Include adequate protein at each meal – breakfast, lunch, and dinner – and also a small amount in your snacks. This is an underappreciated but highly effective strategy for keeping your blood sugar and energy steady throughout the day for parenting, work, and training.

Side note – for breastfeeding mothers, protein needs are even higher than for the average active adult. You’re literally building another human’s tissues with nutrients from your own body. Skimping on protein can leave you feeling depleted, weak, and struggling to maintain your own muscle mass and recovery capacity.

Aim for at least a palm-sized portion of protein at each main meal. Ideal protein options at main meals include eggs, meat, poultry, seafood, dairy products (if you tolerate dairy), legumes (like chickpeas and lentils), and organic tofu and tempeh.

Great protein options at snacks include hard-boiled eggs, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, nuts, seeds, and nut or seed butters.

One of the biggest challenges I hear from parent-athletes is that they simply don’t have time to prepare elaborate meals. I totally get it, and the solution isn’t perfection—it’s having strategies that work within your constraints. In my nutrition practice, I help clients develop realistic, actionable plans to nourish their bodies.

3. Optimize Your Micronutrient Intakes

While macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fats) often get the most attention in the sports nutrition world, micronutrients—vitamins and minerals—are the unsung heroes of energy production, cognitive function, mood regulation, training performance, and recovery. And here’s the reality: many active parents are falling short on key micronutrients.

Micronutrients are involved in virtually every physiological process in your body. For example, B vitamins and magnesium are essential for converting the food you eat into usable energy. Vitamin D and iron support your immune system, which is constantly challenged when you have small children and a heavy training load. They’re necessary for bone health, which is especially important for breastfeeding athletes. They play vital roles in muscle contraction, oxygen transport, and the countless enzymatic reactions that keep you functioning.

When you’re deficient in key micronutrients, you might experience:

• Persistent fatigue that doesn’t improve with rest
• Difficulty recovering from workouts
• Increased susceptibility to illness
• Brain fog and difficulty concentrating
• Mood disturbances, including increased anxiety or low mood
• Poor sleep quality
• Decreased athletic performance

Working with a qualified nutrition professional can help you identify your specific needs based on your diet, training load, life stage, and any symptoms you’re experiencing. Lab testing can reveal deficiencies that might be holding you back.

Because micronutrient optimization is such a crucial and detailed topic, I’ve created a comprehensive free eBook that dives deep into the specific micronutrients that matter most for active parents, food sources, and how to know if you might be falling short.

The bottom line: micronutrients have a big impact on how you feel and perform. Don’t overlook them!

4. Limit Your Intake of Ultra-Processed Foods

Let me be clear – I do not think it is realistic to cut ultra-processed foods out of our diets altogether. As a parent myself, I understand that sometimes the choice is between a less-than-ideal meal or snack and no meal at all. However, relying heavily on ultra-processed foods can significantly affect your energy, recovery, inflammation levels, and overall health. All of these factors directly affect your capacity to show up as the parent and athlete you want to be.

Ultra-processed foods are comprised of substances extracted from other foods, such as starches, oils, added sugars, and emulsifiers. They often bear little resemblance to the whole foods they originated from. Examples of ultra-processed foods include breakfast cereal, potato chips, candy, sugary drinks, and (yes) even vegan meat alternatives like “Beyond Meat”. These foods are often high in calories, low in nutrients, and can lead to weight gain if consumed in excess.

Ultra-processed foods send your blood sugar on a roller coaster, are associated with increased inflammation, and may have adverse effects on your gut health, where all of your food digestion and nutrition absorption takes place. Reducing your intake of ultra-processed foods can, therefore, make a big difference in your energy and inflammation level, and your ability to extract nourishment from your food.

What does limiting ultra-processed foods look like practically?

• Choose whole grains over refined grains when possible: brown rice instead of white, whole-grain bread instead of white bread, steel-cut oats instead of instant oats.
• Prioritize whole fruits over fruit juice or fruit snacks. The fiber in whole fruit slows sugar absorption and provides satiety.
• Cook at home more often than eating out or relying on packaged meals. Even simple home-cooked meals—a piece of grilled protein, roasted vegetables, and a baked potato—provide far more nutrition and far fewer inflammatory ingredients than most restaurant or packaged equivalents.
• Read ingredient lists. If a product has a long list of ingredients you don’t recognize or can’t pronounce, it’s likely ultra-processed. That doesn’t mean you can never eat it, but it shouldn’t be a staple of your diet.
• Keep minimally processed convenience foods on hand for busy times: pre-washed salad greens, rotisserie chicken, frozen vegetables, canned beans, eggs, Greek yogurt, nuts, and fresh fruit. These items require minimal preparation but provide real nutrition.

Again, I want to emphasize: this isn’t about never eating processed foods. It’s about the overall pattern of your diet. If 90% of what you eat is minimally processed, nutrient-dense food, there’s absolutely room for some treats, convenience items, and less-than-perfect choices. The goal is to build your diet on nourishing foods that support health, performance, and resilience.

Self-Care Isn’t a Luxury as a Parent – It’s a Necessity

When you prioritize your health and nutrition, you’re not being selfish—you’re ensuring you can show up fully for your family, your career, and your adventures. You deserve to feel energized, mentally sharp, and physically strong. Not just someday down the road when the kids are all grown up—right now, in the thick of parenthood.

Taking care of YOU is essential to taking care of them.

I see this transformation regularly in my practice. Parents come to me feeling depleted, struggling to balance everything, wondering if they need to give up their athletic goals or just accept feeling tired all the time. Then we implement these foundational nutrition strategies—nothing extreme, nothing unsustainable, just consistent, solid nutrition practices—and everything shifts.

They have energy for morning workouts and evening playtime. They’re more patient and present with their kids. They’re performing better in their training and recovering more effectively. They’re sleeping better. They’re getting sick less often. They’re hitting PRs while also being the parents they want to be.

This is why I love working with active and outdoorsy parents in my nutrition practice. You’re a unique population with unique demands, and you deserve support that understands and honors both your athletic ambitions and your commitment to your family!

Parenthood is indeed your longest endurance event. But unlike a race, you don’t just want to survive to the finish line—you want to thrive throughout the entire journey. Proper nutrition is what makes that possible.

The content provided on this nutrition blog is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read on this blog.

The information and recommendations presented here are based on general nutrition principles and may not be suitable for everyone. Individual dietary needs and health concerns vary, and what works for one person may not be appropriate for another.

I make every effort to provide accurate and up-to-date information, but the field of nutrition is constantly evolving, and new research may impact dietary recommendations. Therefore, I cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information presented on this blog.

If you have specific dietary or health concerns, please consult a qualified nutritionist or another healthcare professional for personalized guidance.

These substances—whether they come from the environment, the products you use, or are made inside your body—can quietly pile up and take a toll on your energy, athletic performance, and recovery. In this blog, we’ll discuss six sources of toxin exposures that athletes face and why supporting your body’s detoxification systems can aid your athletic performance and long-term health.

What is Detoxification?

The term “detoxification” may sound gimmicky, likely because many people associate it with questionable practices, such as juice cleanses and shady supplements. However, the reality is that “detoxification” is simply the process by which your body uses a coordinated set of biochemical pathways and organs to process and rid itself of toxins. Your detox system links together your brain, liver, kidneys, gastrointestinal system, lymphatic system, and skin to create an elegant system for handling toxins.

“Toxins” (another term that’s often misconstrued) are substances that can be natural or man-made, acquired from outside the body or produced in it, that harm human health. In our modern world, we are exposed to a mind-boggling number of toxins – far more than ever before in human history. (Source, Source)

As athletes, we often consider what we put into our bodies in terms of food and hydration – chances are that you do if you’re reading this blog! However, few athletes consider what goes into their bodies in terms of toxins, let alone how their bodies handle those toxins. Yet, the reality is that your ongoing, cumulative exposure to toxins may be hurting your physiology and, in turn, negatively affecting your athletic performance, recovery, and long-term health.

Why Does Detoxification Matter for Athletes?

Most athletes focus on training harder or eating cleaner to perform better, but few realize how much their body’s ability to detoxify plays into the equation. Your detox organs, including your liver and kidneys, don’t just clear out what your body doesn’t need—they also help keep your metabolism, recovery, and energy systems running smoothly. (Source, Source, Source)

When those systems become bogged down, fatigue, inflammation, and sluggish recovery can creep in, regardless of how dialed-in your training is.

Supporting detoxification isn’t about trendy cleanses—it’s about helping your body function at its peak so you can train harder, recover faster, and feel your best.

Six Surprising Sources of Toxin Exposures for Outdoor Athletes and Their Health Effects

Here are six of the most common and, to many athletes, surprising sources of toxins that we encounter in daily life.

Microplastics

Microplastics are tiny, ubiquitous pieces of plastic that range in size from 1 nanometer (nm) to 5 millimeters (mm). They are intentionally manufactured to be used in the creation of larger plastic products or result from plastic degradation in response to wear and tear, heat, washing, and other environmental stressors. (Source)

Microplastic exposure is linked to:

• Damage to the lungs (a pretty concerning effect for athletes demanding a lot from their respiratory systems!) (Source)
• Gut inflammation and microbiome disruption (Source)
• Hormone imbalances (Source)
• Cognitive dysfunction (Source)

Athletes are exposed to microplastics through:

• Microbeads in face scrubs and toothpaste (Source, Source)
• Microfibers shed from polyester clothing (like most of your athletic clothes!) (Source)
• Disposable coffee cup liners (Source, Source)
• Plastic water bottles (yes, your Nalgene water bottle is mostly likely shedding microplastics into your water) (Source)
• Nylon tea bags (Source, Source)

The more plastic products we use in our active lives – plastic water bottles, synthetic fiber clothing, running shoes, hiking boots, yoga mats, etc. – the most likely we are to have a significant body burden of microplastics.

Ultra-processed Foods and Beverages

Ultra-processed foods are comprised of substances extracted from other foods, such as starches, oils, added sugars, and emulsifiers. They often bear little resemblance to the whole foods they originated from. Examples of ultra-processed foods that athletes commonly reach for include breakfast cereal, potato chips, candy, and energy drinks. These foods are often high in calories and low in nutrients. However, beyond their caloric content, ultra-processed foods and beverages can also be a significant source of environmental toxin exposure.

Eating ultra-processed foods and beverages is linked to a higher intake of “forever chemicals” and microplastics, likely because these toxins migrate into the food as it is being processed. (Source, Source) Athletes often eat a larger volume of food than the average person, which may expose them to even greater amounts of foodborne toxic contaminants.

We already discussed some of the health problems associated with microplastics above. “Forever chemicals” like per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are used in products with non-stick and water-repellant properties, including a lot of outdoor gear. (Source) PFAS are linked to altered immune function, thyroid problems, and weight gain. (Source) These are physiological effects that could significantly compromise performance and recovery by increasing chronic inflammation (a barrier to efficient post-exercise recovery), possibly increasing your risk of respiratory infections (Source), and impairing your ability to reach your body composition goals.

Pesticides and Herbicides

Pesticides and herbicides are chemicals used to deter a variety of pests, from weeds to insects. They are heavily used in agriculture and thus end up in our food.

One of the most important effects of pesticides and herbicides for athletes is that they’re linked to mitochondrial damage. (Source) Mitochondria are the cellular powerhouses that generate the energy you need to fuel your daily life and athletic endeavors; without healthy mitochondria, achieving optimal health and athletic performance may be challenging.

Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables is vital as an athlete for regulating inflammation, optimizing micronutrient intake, and supporting gut health. However, many fruits and vegetables in the United States are significantly contaminated with pesticides and herbicides. You can remove some pesticide and herbicide residues by washing produce before eating it, but this will not remove all residues. This is why I recommend that my clients try to buy organic produce whenever possible and refer to the Environmental Working Group’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce to determine which types of conventionally grown produce have the highest pesticide and herbicide residues, so they can prioritize which ones to buy organic and which to buy conventionally.

Water Contaminants

Water is essential for every process in your body—from regulating temperature to breaking down food for energy. But if you’re drinking straight from the tap, you might be taking in more than just H₂O. Studies show that tap water often contains chlorine disinfection byproducts, “forever chemicals” (PFAS), and even traces of pharmaceutical drugs—all of which can add to your body’s toxic load. (Source, Source, Source) And if you rely on well water, that’s not automatically safer—it can carry its own mix of pollutants. Choosing clean, filtered water is a straightforward way to protect both your health and your performance.

Air Pollution

When you train near busy roads, you’re not just pushing your limits—you’re also breathing in fine particles called PM2.5, released from exhaust and stirred up by passing traffic. These tiny pollutants can penetrate deep into your lungs, where they may reduce oxygen delivery, strain your cardiovascular system, and may impair your performance and recovery. (Source, Source) Over time, that added stress can erode endurance and performance, even in the most fit athletes.

Reactive Oxygen Species from Exercise

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are reactive molecules that your body generates as byproducts of metabolism, including metabolism during exercise. Those who train heavily can end up producing a significant amount of ROS, which contributes to the body’s total load of toxins that need to be processed and eliminated. (Source, Source)

This is not a comprehensive list of all toxins to which outdoor athletes are exposed, but it is a good starting point for addressing toxin exposures and making lifestyle changes to reduce them.

How to Start Supporting Detoxification as an Outdoor Athlete

Starting to support your body’s natural detox pathways doesn’t have to be complicated—small, intentional changes can make a real difference in how you feel and perform. Here are a few simple places to start:

• Prioritize whole, nutrient-dense foods. Your body relies on high-quality protein, fiber, phytonutrients, and essential vitamins and minerals to process and eliminate toxins. Limiting ultra-processed and takeout foods also helps reduce exposure to hidden environmental contaminants. (Source)
• Swap to non-toxic products. Choose safer cleaning and personal care products to lower your daily toxic load. The Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep and Guide to Healthy Cleaning databases are great tools to help you make cleaner choices.
• Nurture your gut health. A balanced gut microbiome supports healthy detoxification and overall resilience—another reason to focus on whole foods and fiber. (Source)
• Opt for natural fiber athletic clothes whenever possible. Synthetic performance wear sheds microplastics that can accumulate in your body and the environment. Choose cotton, merino wool, or bamboo when possible.
• Get personalized guidance. Your genetics and lifestyle influence how efficiently your body detoxifies. (Source) Working with a functional sports nutritionist trained in nutrigenomics can help you identify whether additional detox support is needed—and design a plan that’s tailored to your unique physiology and athletic goals.

With the proper support, detoxification becomes less about restriction and more about unlocking your body’s full potential for health, energy, and performance.For comprehensive nutrition care to support your athletic performance and whole-body health, including detoxification, my Trailblazer Nutrition™ program can get you there! If you are ready to begin, I’d love to work with you!

Farmers’ markets offer access to fresh, nutritious, and (often) organically-grown produce (even if not certified organic), meat, poultry, eggs, and other whole foods that you can use to fuel your health and athletic performance. In this blog, I’ll highlight several farmers’ markets in the Denver area where you can pick up nutrient-dense foods to fuel your life and your adventures!

Boulder Farmer’s Market

Perhaps the most famous farmers’ market in the Denver area is the Boulder Farmers’ Market. Boulder has long been known for being a health-centric and active city, and its farmers’ market is the perfect place to pick up fresh, whole foods to fuel your athletic adventures!

When I lived in Broomfield, Colorado, during my first few years in Colorado, I often visited the Boulder Farmer’s Market. It is my favorite farmer’s market in the Front Range; the only downside is that they don’t allow pets, so I couldn’t bring my dog. 🙃

Some of my favorite produce purchases at the Boulder Farmer’s Market came from Aspen Moon Farm, a beautiful farm north of Boulder in Longmont. They have USDA Certified Organic vegetables, herbs, and even starter plants. I also love picking up mushrooms from Hazel Dell Mushrooms. I recommend trying their Lion’s Mane mushrooms – they are delicious pan-fried in a bit of butter!

Athlete-Friendly Functional Food at the Farmer’s Market: Beets

Pictured above, you’ll see the beautiful beets I got in my Aspen Moon Farm’s CSA order! Beets are a vegetable that should absolutely be in your diet as an outdoor athlete. They contain phytonutrients, including nitrates, that can improve anaerobic performance (such as sprints). Beetroot consumption is also associated with increased muscular strength and endurance performance and lower post-exercise muscle soreness in mountain climbers! (Source, Source)

Here’s my favorite way to prepare beets (it’s super simple):

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place the beets in a glass or oven-safe enamel baking dish in a single layer with ¼ inch water (the water will create steam to help cook the beets).
3. Place a layer of unbleached parchment paper over the beets and then a layer of foil over that.
4. Roast the beets for an hour or until they are tender when you pierce them with a fork.

Golden Farmer’s Market

The Golden Farmer’s Market is another highly rated farmers’ market in the Front Range of Colorado. They are open on Saturdays from 8 am to 1 pm, May 31st through October 4th, with vendors selling everything from peaches to kombucha to mushrooms.

Athlete-Friendly Functional Food at the Farmer’s Market: Kombucha

Fermented foods are powerhouses of probiotic bacteria and beneficial probiotic metabolites that can support our health and wellness as outdoor athletes. Kombucha – which you can find from multiple vendors at the Golden Farmer’s Market – is associated with reduced oxidative stress and inflammation, two factors that (in excess) can hinder athletic performance and recovery. (Source, Source)

Kombucha also contains probiotics, live microorganisms that can provide health benefits when consumed. Kombucha probiotics are associated with increases in beneficial gut bacteria (Source, [in vitro] Source)

As I’ve written about before, a healthy gut is vital for your long-term health and athletic performance. Kombucha (and other fermented foods) can be powerful allies in supporting your gut health!

South Pearl Street Farmer’s Market

The South Pearl Street Farmer’s Market is a popular farmer’s market in Denver proper. They have a ton of vendors! One of my favorite vendors is Il Porcellino Salumi, an artisan meat producer with all sorts of charcuterie.

Athlete-Friendly Functional Food at the Farmer’s Market: Dark Leafy Greens

Dark leafy greens like kale, collards, and mustard greens are a great source of magnesium, a mineral that is vital for outdoor athletes. Magnesium is required for hundreds of biochemical reactions inside the body, including cellular energy production, maintenance of bone density, muscle contraction and relaxation, blood pressure regulation, hormone balance, and mental health.

You can eat dark leafy greens in a salad, saute them gently and serve with protein and a starch for dinner, or add them to smoothies (spinach tends to work well in smoothies, in my experience).

Farmers’ markets are a wonderful place to acquire whole, fresh foods to fuel your body and your outdoor adventures. If you live in the Denver area, the Boulder, Golden, and South Pearl Street Farmer’s Markets are the top ones to visit, in my experience.

Have you visited any Denver-area farmers’ markets? I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments!

When I recently became a new mom, I was shocked by how physically and mentally demanding motherhood is. Between breastfeeding my baby every 2-3 hours (and burning somewhere around 500 extra calories per day in the process!), running around all day tending to his needs, juggling new appointments with various healthcare providers, caring for our dog, and tending to household tasks and my marriage – I found myself utterly exhausted at the end of each day. And this was before I returned to my full-time job! 

As a functional nutritionist, I started to realize that parenting isn’t just an emotional journey—it’s a full-on endurance event. Much like training, parenthood places significant nutritional demands on the body due to the combination of physical and psychological demands it entails. (Source, Source, Source) 

Parenthood is the ultimate endurance event because it doesn’t end after a couple of hours, days, or weeks – it continues for years!

Many of my clients are parents who want to PR their next trail half-marathon, finish the Leadville Trail 100 MTB, or complete multiple climbing projects. This takes the endurance event that is parenthood up a notch, to say the least! They want nutrition care that supports their energy and health so they can show up fully for their families and in their professional and sporting lives.

In this blog, I’ll discuss the nutritional demands of parenthood, how these demands are increased when parents are also athletes, and how a comprehensive performance nutrition approach can help active parents thrive. 

The Nutritional Demands of Parenthood

We don’t often think of parenthood as “physical activity,” but for many parents, it is! Whether you are a stay-at-home mom caring for your baby all day, a parent constantly chasing after your active toddler, or working parents juggling car pools and all the household tasks involved with caring for kids and teenagers, parenthood is an active time for many!

The cognitive load of juggling work, a household, and children places significant demands on your brain. Your brain is a major consumer of calories, gobbling up about 20% of your daily energy (calorie) requirement! (Source) 

In addition, the sleep deprivation that often accompanies parenthood, at least in the early days, necessitates more food intake to keep you awake. (Source) And then, of course, the mental and emotional stress associated with caring for children may deplete B vitamins and magnesium, among other nutrients. (Source)

If you are a breastfeeding mother, your body is already burning about 500 calories more per day than it does at baseline. (Source) This calorie burn is basically equivalent to running five-6 miles a day!

Fueling Properly When Parents Are Also Athletes

I work with many active parents ranging from a high-level climber who has a young child and works full-time to a day training for long-distance mountain bike races. These individuals are ambitious athletes AND don’t want to compromise their personal or professional lives. 

When parents are also outdoor athletes, their fueling needs are increased further! Training, recovery, and racing expend a lot of calories. Individual calorie burn varies from one athlete to the next. If you’re curious, you can estimate the amount of calories you burn during physical activity with the total daily energy expenditure equation.

Total energy expenditure is calculated as follows:

TEE = BMR + TEF + SPA + TEA

• TEE = total energy expenditure
• BMR = basal metabolic rate (such as the Harris-Benedict equation)
• TEF = thermic effect of food (can use a TEF online calculator)
• SPA = spontaneous physical activity (% of RMR)
• TEA = thermic effect of activity

To calculate TEA and SPA, you’ll need to look up energy expenditure tables online. Alternatively, a functional nutritionist can use activity tables to calculate your estimated TEA and SPA. 

While the TEE calculation isn’t perfect because people’s individual calorie burn varies based on other factors, including their hormone status, it is a good starting point for ascertaining your unique calorie needs. 

Here’s the problem many active parents face – they don’t know how to properly fuel their bodies to meet the dual demands of life and training. They’re doing things like fasted training, cutting calories, and skipping meals, which can lead to fatigue, irritability, brain fog, non-restorative sleep, and compromised athletic performance and recovery, among other symptoms.

A few quick nutrition tips for active parents:

• Don’t skip breakfast! Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day for athletes and parents, although lunch, dinner, and thoughtful snacks are also vital. Eating a balanced breakfast sets the tone for healthy blood sugar control, energy, and stamina throughout the day.
• Remember that quantity AND quality matter. As an active parent, you must eat enough to support the demands of daily life and training. Avoiding low energy availability, which can significantly impact your health, performance, and recovery, is essential. However, we simultaneously want to prioritize high-quality, nutrient-dense foods that will nourish our bodies and brains – think: high-quality protein (pastured, organic, and/or wild-caught, if possible), starchy tubers like potatoes and sweet potatoes, root vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds, organic dairy products, and olive oil, to name some example foods. 
• Plan your meals. Always winging it with your meals is a recipe for inconsistent blood sugar and energy levels, leading to fluctuating motivation, performance, and recovery. A little bit of meal planning can go a long way towards reaching your health and performance goals. 

I delve into these strategies and many more with my clients who are active parents.

It can be downright challenging to train for a climb, marathon, or mountaineering trip while parenting. However, as many of my clients have discovered, with dedication, a solid training plan, and a comprehensive nutrition plan, you can not only complete that climb, race, or expedition, but do so with flying colors!

Performance and parenting are not mutually exclusive. With the proper support, you can achieve your performance goals and be fully present in all aspects of your life, including parenting. 

How I Help Active Parents Thrive

I love supporting my active parent clients with my Trailblazer Nutrition™ program! This program is designed to help outdoor enthusiasts like you achieve sustained energy, smooth digestion, and stress resilience, so you can unlock peak performance and feel your best in daily life and during activities like trail running, mountain biking, climbing, and beyond.

Here’s how it works:

☑️ Trailhead Assessment: Let’s start with a deep dive into YOU! We’ll uncover your unique physiological and nutritional needs to understand what’s holding you back from achieving peak health and performance.

☑️ Peak Performance Panel: Boost your nutrition with the right data. Functional laboratory tests reveal key biomarkers that affect health and performance.

☑️ Your Nutritional Compass: Your personalized nutrition plan – no one-size-fits-all approaches. We’ll craft a strategy tailored to your goals.

☑️ Grounded Living: Let’s create a nutrition plan that fits your life seamlessly. We’ll tackle key factors like sleep and stress management.

☑️ Adventure Strategy: Fuel for the trails, peaks, and everything in between. Whether you’re training for a 5k, an ultra run, a multi-pitch climb, or a mountaineering expedition, we’ll create a custom fueling plan to help you feel and perform at your best.

The Trailblazer Nutrition program enables me to offer personalized, high-touch support to each of my parent-athlete clients, allowing them to feel their best and optimize their health and performance. If you’re an outdoor athlete or parent ready to take your health and performance to the next level, I invite you to learn more about the Trailblazer Nutrition program here! 

Being a Parent Doesn’t Mean Sacrificing Your Active Identity

Whether you’re a climber, trail runner, cyclist, or thru-hiker, or participate in one of the many other outdoor sports available, being a parent doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice your active identity. It is 100% possible to fuel both your family and your goals with the right support. For comprehensive nutrition care to support your parenting, whole-body health, and active lifestyle, my Trailblazer Nutrition™ program can get you there! If you are ready to begin, I’d love to work with you!

In my nutrition practice, I meet outdoor athletes daily who struggle with gut issues and have accepted that these symptoms are “normal” and part and parcel of their daily lives. In fact, these symptoms deserve focused attention, testing, and treatment. If your gut health is a mess, it will be hard, if not impossible, to achieve the level of health and performance you desire in your life. 

In this blog, I’ll discuss the connections between gut health, whole-body health, and athletic performance and explore how gut testing can help you up-level your well-being and athletic experience! 

Your Gut: The Foundation of Health and Performance

The gastrointestinal system, often referred to simply as your “GI system” or “gut” (I will use these two terms interchangeably in this blog), plays numerous and profound roles in your physiology. 

In fact, in the functional nutrition paradigm, which you can read about here, a healthy gut is essential for whole-body health and optimal physical, mental, and emotional function. 

Your gut health (or lack thereof) significantly impacts the following aspects of your well-being and athletic performance:

• Digestion and absorption of nutrients: Digesting and absorbing nutrients from your food is absolutely vital for fueling your body in daily life, not to mention during training and racing. Nutrient availability also affects how your body repairs and recovers after exercise.
• Immune function: Your gut is home to a significant portion of your immune system, and an increasing body of research shows that gut health affects immune function. An unhealthy gut is associated with an increased risk of infections and autoimmunity. (Source, Source, Source) 
• Mood and mental health: An abundance of research demonstrates the connection between the gut and mental health. Gut imbalances are associated with an increased risk of depression and anxiety. (Source) 
• Energy: Gut imbalances may drive fatigue by impairing digestion and absorption of key energy-supporting nutrients like iron and vitamin B12, causing chronic inflammation (which can drain your energy), or even disrupting hormones such as thyroid hormones. (Source, Source, Source, Source) 
• Blood sugar control: Your ability to maintain balanced blood sugar is affected by your gut. 
• Cardiovascular health: Gut imbalances are linked to high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. (Source, Source) 
• Body weight and composition: The gut may impact body weight and body composition through its effects on calorie absorption from food, inflammation, and hormones. (Source, Source) 
• Endurance, muscle recovery, and exercise capacity: The gut and overall gut health (or lack thereof) are linked to endurance, muscle recovery, and exercise capacity, thus impacting your overall athletic performance. (Source, Source) 

As you can see, your gut is involved in many processes that affect your health and physical functioning. The keystone aspects of health mentioned above (digestion, absorption, mood, immune function, etc.) are prerequisites to training and performing well as an athlete. 

If your gut health is a mess, it will be hard, if not impossible, to achieve the level of health and performance you desire. This is why it is so crucial to get your gut health in check if you’re struggling with symptoms. I guarantee you will feel and function better as a human being and an athlete when your gut is healthy! 

Common Gut Symptoms in Active Individuals:

• Loose stools before, during, or after running
• Constipation (defined as not having a bowel movement daily. A healthy GI system should produce at least one well-formed daily bowel movement.)
• Frequent bloating after meals or bloating that gets worse over the course of the day
• Food sensitivities
• Reflux
• Frequent burping 

In addition, problems in the gut can manifest in other parts of the body, potentially causing problems such as:

• Acne
• Eczema
• Rosacea
• Menstrual cycle difficulties
• Sleep issues 
• Brain fog 
• Low mood

What Most Sports Dietitians/Nutritionists Get Wrong About Gut Health

On social media and on podcasts, I commonly see sports dietitians attribute athlete gut issues to just a few factors:

1. Overeating sugar, mainly simple sugars from sports nutrition products.
2. Not hydrating sufficiently.
3. Not “training” the gut to tolerate certain types and volumes of sports nutrition products and foods before training and racing.

While these factors can contribute to gut issues, they are not the only factors compromising athlete gut health. In fact, for some athletes, these issues are just the tip of the iceberg. It takes a sports nutritionist who is highly trained in GI health and has worked with many people with GI issues to understand how to address and improve stubborn athlete gut issues. 

What’s Really Going on with Your Gut Health?

In my work with hundreds of clients, including outdoor athletes, I’ve noted that the following gut issues are common:

• Gut dysbiosis: Gut dysbiosis is an imbalance in the gut microbiota, the community of microbes that live in your intestines. A conventional gastroenterologist cannot identify gut dysbiosis with standard tests such as stool cultures or a colonoscopy. To identify this issue, we need to use a functional stool test (more on this shortly). 
• Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO): SIBO is a condition where an abnormal number or type of bacteria grow in the small intestine, leading to symptoms like bloating, gas, diarrhea, or constipation. It can disrupt digestion and nutrient absorption, affecting overall gut health. In many cases, a person who was told they have IBS may actually have SIBO. (Source) 
• Increased intestinal permeability (aka “leaky gut”): Leaky gut is a condition where the lining of the gut becomes too permeable, allowing undigested food particles, toxins, and bacteria to pass into the bloodstream. This can lead to inflammation and may contribute to various health issues, including autoimmunity and musculoskeletal injuries. (Source, Source) 
• Gluten and dairy sensitivities: Dairy and gluten sensitivity are the two most common food sensitivities in my practice that can cause significant gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhea, constipation, bloating, excessive gas, heartburn, and reflux. Removing these foods for 4-6 weeks while working to improve gut health via testing and an evidence-based gut protocol can significantly improve gut symptoms and overall gut function.
  • Before you get all up in arms and say that “only people with celiac disease are gluten-sensitive,” you should be aware that there is an ABUNDANCE of research indicating the reality of non-celiac gluten sensitivity. (Source) 
• FODMAP sensitivity: Difficulty digesting certain types of carbohydrates known as FODMAPs (Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols). These compounds are found in various foods and can ferment in the gut, causing symptoms like bloating, gas, diarrhea, or abdominal pain, especially in people with conditions like SIBO and IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).

How Do Gut Issues Develop?

Clients often ask me how or why they have gut issues. While I can’t directly answer this question, I tell them that many factors can interfere with healthy gut function throughout life. 

Some of these factors include:

• Antibiotics: Decreases levels of beneficial gut bacteria and disrupts the healthy balance of microbes in the gut
• Hormonal contraceptives: Hormonal contraceptives are associated with adverse changes in the gut microbiota and gut inflammation. It is possible that the longer you’ve taken hormonal contraceptives, the more potential there is for gut dysbiosis. (Source, Source)
  • For more information about hormonal contraceptives and the gut, check out this blog by Jolene Brighten. 
• Stress: Stress can increase the growth of harmful gut bacteria and reduce beneficial bacteria. (Source) 
• NSAIDs: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can promote leaky gut, especially when used in excess (which is common amongst athletes). This may be due to the toxic effect of NSAIDs on intestinal cells. Yikes! (Source) 
• Ultra-processed food: A diet heavy in processed foods, including added sugars and other refined carbohydrates like white bread and cereal, is connected to gut dysbiosis. (Source) 
• Exposure to pesticides and herbicides: Exposure to agricultural chemicals via residues on our food may negatively impact our gut health. This is one reason I’m a big proponent of choosing pesticide- and herbicide-free produce or conventional produce that is low in chemical residues. (Source, Source)
  • The Environmental Working Group is a good resource for choosing low-pesticide produce.  
• Excessive exercise: If you’re reading this article, chances are you’re an athlete and love training! However, intense training can cause gut issues for some people by disrupting the intestinal lining and causing inflammation. High temperatures, fluid restriction (aka dehydration), and high altitude may exacerbate exercise-induced leaky gut. (Source) 

Enhance Your Health and Performance with Gut Testing

There are some gut tests that I refer clients to their providers for, such as the small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) test and celiac disease testing. It is possible to get these tests covered by insurance, so I prefer to have clients go this route if their doctor is open-minded about testing.

However, as a functional sports nutritionist, I am also qualified to order and interpret a variety of gut tests based on my training. 

Here are several of the gut tests that I use with athletes in my nutrition practice:

• GI MAP: This is a comprehensive functional stool test that uses the PCR (DNA) method to analyze gut dysbiosis, digestive enzyme production, parasites, candida/fungal overgrowth, pathogenic bacteria, viral infections, healthy gut bacteria products (short-chain fatty acids), leaky gut, detox function, and H. pylori. 
• IBSSure (anti-vinculin antibody testing): Assesses for the antibodies associated with post-infectious Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), or IBS, that occurs after a bout of food poisoning. Identifying these antibodies helps to plan and optimize gut protocols, especially during maintenance phases. 
• Wheat/Gluten Sensitivity and Intestinal Permeability Testing: This test provides a detailed assessment of wheat and gluten reactivity/immunity, including Celiac, non-celiac, and wheat protein sensitivity. It also includes LPS antibodies (which provide a detailed assessment of intestinal permeability or ‘leaky gut’).

What will a GI MAP test show you? Here are several pages from a sample GI MAP report:

I offer each of these labs in my nutrition practice and get great results when I use these tests with my clients! 

If you decide to do a gut test like the GI MAP, it is crucial to work with a nutritionist who is trained in and experienced with using the test. I’ve seen some dietitians and other healthcare providers order the test and not know what to do with the results, leaving their clients in the lurch. 

Example interventions that I use to help athletes improve their gut health include:

• Supplementation protocols for SIBO (can be done alongside antibiotics from your doctor if you choose to go the antibiotic route), including evidence-based herbs, probiotics, and digestive supports
• Probiotic and prebiotic protocols for improving low beneficial bacteria
• Dietary interventions and supplement protocols for improving leaky gut 
• Short-term elimination diets to address chronic gut symptoms such as loose stools, constipation, and bloating 

For six quick tips on supporting your gut health while running, check out my blog, 6 Smart Tips for Navigating Runner’s Stomach on the Trail and in Daily Life. 

These are just a few examples of the tools in my “toolkit” that I use to help active individuals overcome their gut symptoms and feel and perform their best!

The Bottom Line on Gut Health and Athletic Performance

Taking care of your gut is about more than just avoiding digestive discomfort—it’s about supporting your overall health and maximizing your performance. From nutrient absorption to inflammation control, your gut plays a vital role in how your body functions and recovers. By using the right tests to identify gut problems, addressing imbalances, and implementing evidence-based gut protocols with the guidance of an experienced nutritionist, you can build a strong foundation for both everyday wellness and peak athletic performance.

Want to learn more about the gut health-athletic performance connection? Check out my free masterclass on this important topic here!

The content provided on this nutrition blog is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read on this blog.

The information and recommendations presented here are based on general nutrition principles and may not be suitable for everyone. Individual dietary needs and health concerns vary, and what works for one person may not be appropriate for another.

I make every effort to provide accurate and up-to-date information, but the field of nutrition is constantly evolving, and new research may impact dietary recommendations. Therefore, I cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information presented on this blog.

If you have specific dietary or health concerns, please consult a qualified nutritionist or another healthcare professional for personalized guidance.