The Core Diet Blog

The following content was provided by Registered Dietitian, Rachel Gargano.

Exercise in general is very beneficial. It helps improve cardiovascular health, reduces stress, helps with weight maintenance as well as overall quality of life. And yet it can play a role, or be a trigger, for a combination of health issues called the Female Athlete Triad.

This syndrome, which includes disordered eating, menstrual dysfunction, and reduced bone mineral density, can be present in female athletes of all levels; from high school girls just joining a team to elite adult athletes. Whether intentional or not, it occurs when there is a lower calorie intake than what the body needs to support increased activity, needs for recovery, as well as necessary nutrients for everyday functioning.

The following content was provided by Registered Dietitian, Amanda Cassell.

We've all been there. Ah, the first year into the sport we love so much called triathlon. Can you recall all the clumsy things you did as a newbie when just getting into the sport? Please tell me you've done some not-so-intelligent things like myself!

Perhaps we are all behind because of a LONG winter, and as we emerge into spring, I find myself surrounded with tales of increasing stressors. Seemingly, no one has enough time to perform the necessary tasks of the day in an appropriate amount of time. (We wasted our spring cleanup time shoveling!) We've probably all hoped for more hours in the day, but realistically, how do we handle increasing workloads and commitments while our culture demands everything be done yesterday…and perfectly? Some may say we are losing out on valuable developmental coping mechanisms by moving too quickly in our goals for ultimate achievement. What to do so as to not fall behind? Some of us exercise. We compete to feel fulfilled, for a sense of accomplishment or to feel the simple pleasure of sport, but then we have training goals that may increase the very stress they were designed to eliminate.

With the holidays now behind us, and the reality of a new season beginning to set in, consider thinking about your body composition as one of the primary areas where improvement can be made during the New Year. Athletes typically think about body composition in a very one-dimensional way. Most do not get too far beyond considering only their body weight and/or the percentage of their body weight that comes from fat. Outlined below is a more effective, sport-specific approach to looking at body composition, using traditional metrics in a more synergistic way.

Some of you know me by now, but to most I am likely a new face. I have recently started with QT2 as a dietitian after years of working with runners and other athletes specific to the New York market. During my recent relocation process, one that was a bit bumpy, I continued to run. However, my training and fueling were not well thought out as I had given them the back burner to other more pressing priorities.