Maximizing Hormones, Physique & Running Through Perimenopause
Welcome to "Maximizing Hormones, Physique, and Running Through Perimenopause," the podcast that redefines your relationship with fitness, nutrition and hormonal changes.
Hosted by American College of Sports Medicine Practitioner of the Year 2023, women's integrative health, running and performance expert Louise Valentine, this show empowers you to mitigate impacts of hormone changes without overcomplicating it or needing endless supplements, diets or medications!
Get ready to break through misinformation, ditch outdated male-based methods and apply what you learn to feel your best, level up a fit toned physique and run strong, energized and injury-free at ANY age!
Louise and her clients share how they achieve previously thought "impossible" results, driven by Louise's multi award-winning science-backed nutrition, fitness, running and fat loss methods designed for ambitious everyday runners age 35 and beyond. Get inspired each week as they share how they've turned their own health, hormone and fitness breakdowns into breakthroughs and how they now lead the way in empowering women just like you do the same!
Whether you're looking to ditch hormone havoc, optimize natural hormone production, break through a setback, or you want to understand how to lift, train and fuel harmoniously with your changing female physiology, you'll find this podcast insightful and inspiring. No more fighting against your body – Louise is here to help you harness its fierce natural power to achieve a vibrantly energized, well, fit and active life!
If you're a wellness-minded active female who loves to run and wants it all, Welcome to "Maximizing Hormones, Physique, and Running Through Perimenopause" – Your go-to resource to break through to next-level health, hormones and fitness!
Maximizing Hormones, Physique & Running Through Perimenopause
#120 - Dr. Megan Hellner on RED-S & Eating Disorders in Female Athletes
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Often, the reason we feel tired, stuck, or frustrated in our training, fitness, and health as active women and runners has nothing to do with willpower and everything to do with under-fueling relative to our female body's energy and support needs.
In this powerful conversation, host Louise Valentine, one of the world's leading exercise physiologists and women's integrative health practitioners specializing in active women and recreational runners, sits down with Dr. Megan Hellner to unpack how active women, especially runners over 35, unknowingly fall into Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) and disordered eating patterns. They explain why always eating “clean” or following strict food rules that eliminate nourishing foods can disrupt hormones, damage health, and limit performance.
You will learn how fear of carbs, diet culture, misleading marketing, and social media trends quietly drain our energy and resilience. Dr. Hellner shares why RED-S can affect women of all body sizes, how to recognize early warning signs, and when mental health support matters. Together, they emphasize returning to simple, evidence-based fueling, honoring food preferences to keep a sense of joy and balance in life, and building flexibility around eating.
This episode reminds you that food is not the enemy. When you fuel well and in alignment with your female body's needs, it recovers better, performs stronger, and supports long-term vibrant health. If you want to run, train, and live with confidence through perimenopause and beyond, this conversation offers clarity, relief, and practical direction.
Find a Practical Early Risk RED-S Screening Checklist here: https://www.breakingthroughwellness.com/blog/a-practical-red-s-early-risk-self-screen-checklist
Learn more about Dr. Megan & colleagues virtual eating disorder clinic: www.AthleatMD.com
Dr. Megan Hellner’s Email: Megan@AthleatMD.com
Learn & level up with my free nutrition guide and award-winning Badass Breakthrough Academy to thrive through perimenopause with less stress: https://www.breakingthroughwellness.com/
Link to our FullScript where you can see curated best supplement picks & save 20%: https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/breakingthroughwellness/store-start
Take advantage of our podcast listener discount and save 20% off all of Kion’s science-backed clean products. Code "LOUISE" saves on all future orders: https://www.getkion.com/pages/maximizing
Episode Highlights:
(0:00) Intro
(3:07) Introducing Dr. Megan Hellner and AthleatMD
(8:17) Longevity over chasing PRs
(10:08) Why athletes struggle with food relationships
(18:17) Female-specific research and hormone changes
(21:13) Fear of carbs and missing the basics
(25:02) What RED-S really means
(27:46) Why endurance athletes are most at risk
(29:04) RED-S affects all body types
(32:23) RED-S vs. eating disorders
(34:20) Weight restoration and recovery
(41:50) Diet culture and macro traps
(45:
Tune in weekly to "Maximizing Hormones, Physique, and Running Through Perimenopause" for our simple female-specific science-based revolution. Let's unlock our best with less stress!
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