Fueling for Function means emphasizing food as a tool that allows you to have enough energy to pursue exercise and sport goals, while maintaining a healthy body. This movement encourages you to eat in a way that allows your body to feel its best, instead of manipulating food intake as a route to achieve a certain reflection in the mirror!

 Fueling for function implies that athletic individuals should strive to feel strong, not look strong. Food can do so many amazing things for your body. We want you to utilize these benefits to become the healthiest and happiest version of you. Join our movement to empower yourself and prevent the Female and Male Athlete Triad!

F: Focus on You

Health and fitness look different on everyone. Refrain from comparing yourself to those around you and trying to fit an “ideal body” mold.  

Embrace your Individuality!

In order to be the best athlete you can be, athletes train hard. At a young age, athletes are taught to “get outside” of their ”comfort zone” and to adopt a “whatever it takes” mentality to optimize performance. Often, athletes compare themselves to other athletes in an effort to figure out if they are progressing at the right pace to be able to be competitive. This mindset is ultimately geared towards success, inside and outside of the athletic world. However, where do you draw the line? If this perspective is uncontained, it may lead to unhealthy comparisons to others and potentially lead you down the path toward physiological consequences of The Female and Male Athlete Triad (Triad). It is important to know the facts regarding your health and well-being so that you can continue to pursue the happiest and healthiest version of yourself.

When it comes to body image, it is important to know what causes you to feel pressured to meet a specific standard of body composition or body type. Sometimes, these triggers may be more controllable than we realize. Becoming knowledgeable about common factors that make you compare yourself to others, may help you to identify why you compare yourself to another, and therefore, stop it in its tracks. In addition, by taking action to focus your energy inward on your thoughts and feelings, you might find a decreased temptation to compare yourself to others.

1. Social Media

Social media can provide many benefits when used in moderation and for positivity. If you feel like social media triggers you to compare yourself to others, consider the follow tips:

  • Follow uplifting pages/people. There are so many positive and useful accounts on social media. Follow accounts that make you happy.
    • Follow us on Social Media!
      • Instagram, Twitter, Facebook: @theathletetriad
    • Gratitude: Practicing an attitude of gratitude is great way to approach social media and life in general. Remember that you are gifted and have so much to offer. Acknowledging what you have leaves little room to compare yourself to others.
    • Remember the “highlight reel” concept. Most people are not posting their hardships and struggles for all to see. Keep these things in mind when scrolling through your newsfeed.
    • Unfollowing spree! Reevaluate the pages and people that you follow and fill your mind with. Unfollow content that doesn’t positively encourage growth.
    • Set time limits. New cell phones have a feature that allows you to set time limits for social media. This feature offers a way to gauge how long you’ve been scrolling and pace your usage throughout the day.
    • Take a detox. Set aside a day/week/month to go “cold turkey” from social media. Not only will this give you more free time, but also it may surprise you with how often you go to your phone to check social media or how your thumb instinctively taps the app. After your detox, reflect on how you’re feeling. Do you think your usage is healthy? Are you using social media to encourage positivity or evoke comparison?

2. Meditation

  • Mindfulness-based meditation, or mental training involving calming the mind, has been particularly effective in reducing anxiety symptoms and improving mood, and in some cases, the benefits of meditation may be maintained over longer periods of time.
  • Dedicating time to reflect allows you to check in on external pressures you may be feeling, and identify what factors are within your control. Allowing yourself to reflect on your feelings, ensures that you are aligning your actions with what is best for you.
  • Here are some tips for meditation:
    • Sit with your thoughts and let them naturally come and go.
    • Focus on the present moment and nothing else.
    • Meditation can be done anywhere, preferably in quiet and calm places.
    • If you aren’t initially good at meditating, do not be discouraged. Keep trying! This is why it’s called a meditation practice.
    • Start with even just 2 minutes of meditation and work your way up.
    • Utilize mediation apps on your smart phone or online. You could also try a guided meditation if you feel more comfortable!
      • (FREE): Insight Timer, Mindfulness
      • ($): Calm, Headspace

3. Exercise 

  • Exercise promotes physical and mental health. Here are some mental health benefits to your exercise or workout sessions:
    • Boosts self-esteem by giving you a sense of accomplishment
    • Allows you to set short and long-term goals
    • Fights depression and anxiety by releasing endorphins
    • Lowers stress by decreasing muscle tension, while improving sleep and focus
    • Major Key: Exercise and moving your body allows you to focus on what your body can do, as opposed to what it looks like

4. Journaling

  • Journaling allows you to express your thoughts onto paper, and you can evaluate how you are truly feeling rather than looking in the mirror to check out progress. The truth is, your growth is not measured by the scale or by your muscular definition, but by the perspective you have of yourself that is constantly evolving.
  • Benefits of Journaling
    • Reduces stress
    • Decreases memory loss
    • Boosts mood
    • Improves emotional functioning (helps brain to regulate emotions and strengthens confidence and self-identity)
  • Tips for Journaling
    • Writing down your thoughts and feelings can seem daunting. Start by writing about your day and challenge yourself to keep that pen moving.
    • Your journal can look however you want. If you like drawing, illustrate pictures that correlate to your writing.
    • Create lists! For example, it is a common practice to “gratitude journal” and list all things you are grateful for each day.
    • Try a “1-month challenge” that provides writing prompts for each day so that you don’t get stumped with topics.
    • Write down details of your thoughts and feelings. Maybe if you see that you have been fatigued for a number of days, it might be time to look at your fueling, sleep, or hydration. That way you can pinpoint the cause of your tiredness.
    • Athletes: By recording your feelings, you may be able to identify potential stress injuries sooner and stop them in their tracks.

5. Quotes 

If you are an athlete or active individual that struggles with body image, know that you are not alone. Check out our “Triad Triumphs” page to read about athletes who have overcome The Athlete Triad. Check out these quotes from professional athletes; athletes from all levels of sport struggle with body image:

“I don’t look in the mirror and think ‘slim’, I look in the mirror and think ‘Woah, beast’.” -Chantae McMillan, USATF Heptathlet

“”In 2016, Aly gave a sarcastic “shout-out” to the boys in her old high school on Instagram. “Thanks for forcing me to learn to love myself and my body,” she wrote. “My muscular arms that were considered weird and gross when I was younger have made me one of the best gymnasts on the planet.”–Aly Raiseman, olympic gymnast

“”The ice skater told ESPN in 2017 that her body shows all the blood, sweat, and tears she puts into her training. “My body is a perfect display of all the hard work,” she said.”” –Ashley Wagner, ice skater

  • DO: Promote an open line of communication. Create an environment where your athletes feel comfortable coming to you with concerns about themselves or a teammate – gaining your athletes’ trust allows them to see that you have their best interest in mind.

  • DON’T: Only make the game about winning and performance results.

  • DO: Be aware of the warning signs of the Female and Male Athlete Triad.

  • DON’T: Divide the team. Pushing your athletes against each other may lead to distrust amongst team members. You want your athletes to trust one another so they feel they have a support system and can go to each other if they are experiencing problems.

  • DO: Build your athletes up. Help increase your athletes’ confidence instead of constantly critiquing them to the point where they feel they need to comprise their health to receive your approval.

  • DON’T: Focus on body fat. Low body fat is not a sign of athletic success, and in many cases indicates that the athletes is not fueling for optimal performance. Instead, help your athletes create a healthy relationship with food and foster an environment for body positivity.

U: Utilize Food

Your ambition, your attention to detail, and your goals are what make you exceptional. We want to help you be the happiest and healthiest version of you. By providing knowledge to help optimize your energy levels, you can work toward your best physical and mental state, in order to reach your optimal performance.  Nutrition is not only a vital offensive tool to maximize your active lifestyle, but also a defense mechanism in preventing poor health conditions, such as The Female and Male Athlete Triad. By understanding the benefits of food, our hope is that you can decide your food intake more purposefully and truly come to see that food is fuel. After all, you have to nourish to flourish!!!!

Each macronutrient plays a key role in physically active individuals’ exercise performance and health. Details regarding the specific role of each macronutrient and example food sources are described below.

The basic macronutrients include:

Carbohydrates = Energy

Let’s begin with the bottom line and build our way up: carbohydrates supply us with our most important tool – energy and fuel to power our exercise. Carbohydrates can be readily available for use when carbohydrate-rich foods are broken down into glucose or stored in our muscles and liver as glycogen.

What’s so important about energy?

Your body needs fuel to function, even at rest. This helps your organs to operate, body to regulate, and brain to function. Athletes and individuals with active lifestyles require more carbohydrates to make the most out of exercise sessions and optimize performance.

Athletes cannot train or perform well without having enough carbohydrates to fuel exercise. This is because carbohydrates provide about 50% of the energy an individual needs for moderate-intensity activity and up to 100% of the energy needed for high-intensity activity.

How many carbohydrates do physically active individuals need?

Experts in nutrition recommend that athletes, based on their level of exercise, consume 5 to 12 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight.   For a 65 kg athlete (about 143 lb), this equates to approximately 325 to 725 grams of carbohydrate per day!

What foods contain carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates should come from nutrient-rich foods, containing vitamins and minerals that support energy production, recovery, bone health, immunity, oxygen delivery, fluid balance among many other important roles.

3 Types of Dietary Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are fuel, however, not all carbohydrates are created equally. There are 3 different types of carbohydrates that offer different benefits to your body and, therefore, can be utilized at different times and places.

1. Sugar

  • Sugar can be naturally occurring in food, such as the sweetness of fruits, or added, like the sugar you’d use in your brownie recipe.
  • Benefit: Sugars are fast acting. They provide energy that can be enacted quickly but not for long durations of time.
  • It is best to choose foods with naturally occurring sugars such as fruits, vegetables, and plain low-fat milk or yogurt, which are also rich in vitamins and minerals.

2. Starch

  • Starchy carbohydrates include whole grain breads, cereal, rice, pasta, oats, barley, whole grain rice, beans, lentils, and starchy vegetables such as potatoes, peas, and corn.
  • Benefits: Starchy carbohydrates provide us with longer-lasting energy.
  • According to the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, at least half of all grains consumed should come from whole grain products. This is because whole grains include the outer layer of the grain (the bran), that provides fiber, B vitamins, and minerals, and the next layer (the germ), which includes fatty acids and vitamin E. These nutrients are removed when eating a refined grain.

3. Fiber

  • Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans and legumes contain an indigestible component called fiber.
  • Benefits: Fiber is crucial for digestive health and also contributes to satiation (feelings of fullness).

Proteins are made up of long chains of amino acids.  Our body can make some amino acids, but we must get other amino acids from our food.

Protein is responsible for building and maintaining your body. Consuming protein provides the amino acids necessary for constructing and maintaining bones, muscles, cartilage, and skin. Protein also functions in transporting oxygen, supporting healthy digestion, metabolism, immunity, fluid balance, and regulating hormones.

How does protein help active individuals?

Protein allows active individuals to maximize workouts by building muscle and boosting recovery, thereby preventing potential injuries due to breakdown. Protein also promotes feelings of fullness after and between meals.

How much protein do active individuals need?

Sedentary individuals need only 0.8 g/kg of body weight, however, physically active individuals need about twice that amount. Based on the nutrition experts, athletes should consume about 1.2 to 2.0g/kg of body weight. For a 65 kg athlete, this equates to 78 g to 130 g of protein per day.

What foods contain protein?

It is important to eat a variety of protein rich foods to get a range of the essential amino acids and vitamins and minerals.

Nutrient-rich sources of proteins include:
– lean beef, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy foods
– plant-based sources include tofu, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds and some vegetables

There are many types of fats that are not only good for you, but essential. The types of fats naturally found in foods are monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and saturated fats.

The “essential” unsaturated fatty acids that we must get from our food are linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid (found in walnuts, chia and flax seeds, oils, avocados, and fatty fish). Many food sources of healthy fats also contain a variety of vitamins and minerals.

 

How do dietary fats help active individuals?

Fat, like carbohydrate, is a major source of energy production during exercise. It is especially helpful in fueling long-duration exercise.

Fat is also important because it plays an important role in protecting key organs, absorbing fat-soluble nutrients (vitamins A, D, E, and K), supporting growth and brain development, synthesizing hormones, reducing inflammation, and aiding in immune system function.

What are nutrient-rich sources of dietary fat?

Choose a variety of foods rich in vitamins and minerals that contain dietary fat such as avocados, olives, nuts, nut butters, seeds (chia and flax seeds), and fatty fish (salmon, tuna, trout).

It is important to note that some foods contain types of fat that promote inflammation, heart disease, diabetes, and other health conditions if not consumed in moderation. Foods containing these sources of fats, that should be limited, include red meat, whole-fat dairy, lard, coconut/palm oil, baked pastries, prepackaged crackers and chips, fried foods, and hydrogenated/partially hydrogenated oils.

Take home points

A plant without fertile soil, water, or sunlight will not bloom colorful flowers or bear full fruit. Likewise, our bodies cannot reach its fullest functioning potential if we deprive it of energy or key nutrients from a variety of foods. Fuel your body to function optimally and remember, like plants, we must nourish to flourish.

Pre-Exercise and Post-Exercise Fueling


Nutrition is often overlooked when preparing for and recovering from workouts. This section will give you the knowledge and power to select the right fuel before, during, and after training.

GLUCOSE. Remember, carbohydrates get broken down into glucose to fuel your body- your body utilizes glucose from your brain to your toes. It is digested and metabolized quickly and can be used as an immediate source of fuel.

Therefore, as an active individual looking to maximize your efficiency during workouts, it is essential that you maximize your intake of GLUCOSE, your primary energy source during moderate to high-intensity exercise.

Glucose is utilized from food you eat or it can be broken down from the glycogen stored in your muscles and liver. The amount of carbohydrates required by your body will depend on the time of day and your workout intensity.

Consuming enough carbohydrate prior to workouts will help prevent fatigue and promote energy during workouts.

Alternatively, to avoid gastric distress, limit foods high in fat, protein, and fiber immediately before exercise

Timing:  30 minutes- 1 hour prior to workout

Sample foods:

  • Banana
  • Applesauce
  • Toast with nut butter or jam
  • Whole grain waffle

CARBOHYDRATES. Many believe that your body only requires protein to recover. However, to recover completely and get the most out of your body, you need to replenish the glucose that it used during exercise. Glucose is stored in your muscles in the form of glycogen. The best recovery meals and snacks have a combination of carbohydrates and protein.

 PROTEIN. Protein provides the building materials your body needs for growth and recovery. During high-intensity workouts, your body is actually breaking down. You put your muscles under stress so that they will adapt and grow stronger. While under stress, your muscles develop microscopic tears (not the same as a tear referring to injury). The amino acids found in protein foods help to repair damage to muscle post-exercise.

Protein-rich foods that contain the branched-chain amino acid, leucine, specifically, such as milk, yogurt, whey protein, tuna, chicken breast, or eggs, help to repair and rebuild muscle tissue is post-exercise.

Timing: Within 30 minutes of finishing workout

When to utilize: Post workout, if lunch/dinner is still longer than an hour away

 Sample foods: 

  • Greek yogurt with granola
  • Eggs with avocado on whole grain toast
  • Smoothie with low fat milk (or soymilk) and a banana
  • Tuna with whole grain crackers
  • Whole grain bagel with deli turkey

Pre-Exercise and Post-Exercise Fueling Takeaways:

Getting yourself ready and motivated to workout often takes time, energy, and planning. Proper preparation and recovery fueling can help ensure you are getting the most out of your workout while still being energized after. *Carbohydrate-rich foods before practice helps provide sustaining energy**Carbohydrate and protein-rich food after practice aids in replenishing muscle glycogen stores and promotes muscle recovery**Proper fueling before and after training optimizes exercise performance and muscle building*

E: Educate to Prevent

Ignorance may be bliss, but knowledge is power. What could be more important than learning about your health? Let’s connect the dots. By focusing on you and how you feel when training and performing, you can avoid potential temptations to manipulate your food intake in order to achieve an unhealthy body aesthetic.

Next, understanding that you must prioritize your nourishment through food to prevent energy deficiency, the trigger for The Female and Male Athlete Triad. Learning and spreading information about the Triad can help protect yourself and others from harming our bodies, and especially your reproductive system and bone health

What is the Triad?

The Triad is a medical condition characterized by three interrelated conditions including energy deficiency, reproductive suppression, and compromised bone health.

Energy Deficiency:

An energy deficiency occurs when the amount of food consumed by a person is LESS than the amount of energy being used in a given day.

Reproductive Suppression:

When your body goes into a state of chronic energy deficiency, it begins to shut down non-life-essential processes like reproduction. Reproductive suppression can take many forms, but is most commonly observed as irregular or complete loss of menstruation in women, and decreased testosterone or abnormal sperm in men.

Compromised Bone Health:

Both an energy deficiency AND reproductive suppression can affect bone health, and lead to poor bone health. Without enough energy, your body is unable to maintain bone health. Plus, when your reproductive system doesn’t get enough energy to maintain it, the low estrogen in women and low testosterone in men also causes poor bone health. Compromised bone health is the most serious health problem of the Triad, and can potentially lead to stress fractures and osteoporosis.

It is important to be aware of the warning signs for the Triad:

  • Preoccupation with weight, food, body image, and avoidance of meals

  • Excessive or compulsive exercise

  • History of depression, perfectionist and/or obsessive tendencies

  • Recurrent injuries and stress fractures

  • Extreme fatigue and/or mood changes

Clinical Eating Disorder:

Many people suffer from severe psychological illnesses, such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, which are related to an unhealthy relationship with food and can lead to energy deficiency. The people that often suffer from eating disorders tend to be perfectionists with low-self-esteem and are very critical of themselves. The pressure to fit a certain image, results in binging and purging habits that can lead to malnutrition, heart problems, and potentially fatal conditions further down the road, if left untreated. Eating disorders are very serious medical problems that require an intervention with a doctor.

*IMPORTANT: Up to 48% of athletes fall under this category as compared to 5-9% of the general population

Disordered Eating:

Abnormal eating patterns that affect your ability to maintain sufficient caloric intake encompass disordered eating and are very distinct from being classified, or diagnosed with an eating disorder. Common disordered eating behaviors include a preoccupation with being thin (high drive for thinness) and a conscious effort to restrict your food intake (high dietary cognitive restraint). Ultimately, these contribute to pathological weight control behaviors, but are not the same as being diagnosed with as eating disorders.

*IMPORTANT: 89% of lean-build athletes fall victim to dietary restriction, binge eating and/or purging behaviors

Inadvertent Undereating:

Simply put, this means you are not eating enough food to account for the amount of energy expended, and probably do not realize you are doing so. Sometimes, this might happen because you forgot to bring a lunch with you to school or practice, or maybe you don’t have enough money to pay for a snack after a workout. In these scenarios, you are not consciously trying to decrease your caloric intake.

Intentional Weight Loss (without disordered eating):

In this case, some people pursue healthy weight loss goals but lack the understanding of proper nutrition.

L: Learn About Resources

Knowledge is only powerful if applied. Put this perspective and knowledge into practice. You cannot reach our performance goals if you are not healthy enough or powerful enough to train for them. Instead of trying to fit the mold of how a champion should look, focus on the strength and power a champion should feel. Do not put yourself at risk for the Triad by under-fueling. ENERGY WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS. Initiate what you know and utilize your resources!

The Female and Male Athlete Triad Coalition has provided athletes and physically active individuals with the opportunity to find valuable answers to their personal inquiries in an approachable and accessible manner. The expert responses to your questions provided below are from knowledgeable and qualified Triad Coalition researchers. Click each heading to toggle through the FAQs.

Learn about all the reproductive dysfunction that may signify an energy deficit.

Click on the link to learn  the long-term effects that The Triad can have on your bones.

Unfortunately, there can be a lot of misconceptions and confusing information circling. Here, we help you debunk common myths so that you can protect your health.

Check out some educational videos that break down The Triad. Use these videos to expand your knowledge or share with others.

Use our organized pamphlets to learn more information on The Triad or to print and distribute to spread awareness.

Keep up with our weekly #TriadTuesday blogs that cover all things Triad! From breaking research and health facts to self-reflection guidance and nutrition help, this blog will help you become a healthier version of you, one Tuesday at a time.

Stay up to date on Triad-related content through Instagram, Twitter, Facebook: @theathletetriad

The best way to determine if you or teammate is suffering with The Triad is to be able to recognize the signs and symptoms and report them. A team or family physician can help you prevent further damage and provide you with steps toward recovery.

The Female and Male Athlete Triad is most often caused by an energy deficiency. A Registered Dietitian is certified to help you determine adequate fuel for recovery and future athletic performance.

Resource Disclaimer

Sources of information can be an area of major confusion for athletes and all active individuals. Be cautious of where you find facts about diet and exercise. For example, social media can be full of very educated people with a lot of knowledge, certifications, and degrees; however, nutrition and exercise can be a very personalized topic. Therefore, when these influencers, with or without titles, are broadcasting research or “facts” on their pages, be aware that you may not be their target audience. Nutrition and exercise prescription can look different for athletes, people with diabetes, obese individuals, children, those recovering from eating disorders, etc..

Moreover, just like we can hop on social media and assume posts are facts, it is easy to hear advice from parents, friends, teammates, and coaches and accept it as fact. Just because a diet or method of training works for one individual does not guarantee a similar result for another. We circle back to our first component of Fuel for Function, “Focus on you.”

If you think you may be suffering from under-fueling or The Female and Male Athlete Triad-related signs and symptoms, please contact a specialist to have a conversation about taking steps towards recovering a healthier version of you.

Bailey, & Bailey, K. (2018, November 15). 5 Powerful Health Benefits of Journaling. Retrieved from https://intermountainhealthcare.org/blogs/topics/live-well/2018/07/5-powerful-health-benefits-of-journaling/
 De Souza et al. 2014 Female Athlete Triad Coalition Consensus Statement on Treatment and Return to Play of the Female Athlete Triad. Br J Sports Med.
Gibbs J, Williams NI, De Souza MJ (2013). Prevalence of individual and combined components of the female athlete triad. Med Sci Sports Exerc.
Nattiv et al. (2007) American College of Sports Medicine position stand. The female athlete triad. Med Sci Sports Exerc.
Robinson, L., Segal, J., & Smith, M. (2020, February 16). The Mental Health Benefits of Exercise. Retrieved April 2, 2020, from https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-living/the-mental-health-benefits-of-exercise.htm
Saeed S., Cunningham K. , Bloch R. (2019). Depression and Anxiety Disorders: Benefits of Exercise, Yoga, and Meditation. Am Fam Physician.
Segal, R., & Robinson, L. (2020, February 16). Choosing Healthy Fats. Retrieved from https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/choosing-healthy-fats.htm
Types of Carbohydrates. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.diabetes.org/nutrition/understanding-carbs/types-carbohydrates
Why is Protein Important in your Diet. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.piedmont.org/living-better/why-is-protein-important-in-your-diet
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, & the American College of Sports Medicine. (2016). Nutrition and athletic performance. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 116(3), 501-528.
Institute of Medicine. (2005). Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10490
Rosenbloom, C. & Coleman, E. (2012). Sports Nutrition: A Practice Manual for Professionals, 5th Edition. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services & U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2015). 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 8th Edition. Retrieved from: http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/
Other resources
CPSDA Educational Resources https://www.sportsrd.org/downloadable-resources/
AND SCAN Fact Sheets https://www.scandpg.org/scan/educational-resources/fact-sheets