About this episode

The episode discusses Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs) and the implications of underfueling in endurance running with Dr. Melissa Lodge.

You can run well on too little fuel for a long time. Right up until you can't. This week, Coach Amanda and Coach Nick sit down with Dr. Melissa Lodge (PhD in exercise science and sports nutrition, RD-in-progress, and the mind behind @fed_collaborative) to unpack REDs: Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport. It's one of the most misunderstood, under-screened issues in endurance running, and it does not have a look. We get into why low energy availability sneaks up on runners (intentional and inadvertent), why weight is a terrible way to diagnose it, and the hidden biomarkers worth advocating for on your next blood panel (hi, T3). Melissa breaks down what's actually happening beneath the surface when you underfuel: bone loss, suppressed hormones, disrupted cholesterol, and a body quietly triaging which systems it can afford to keep running. We also cover: Why a "withdrawal bleed" on hormonal birth control isn't a period, and what you lose as a vital sign The adolescent window for bone development that you genuinely cannot get back (essential listening for parents and coaches) Within-day energy deficits, backloading calories, and why "I fueled my long run" isn't the…

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