#120 - Dr. Megan Hellner on RED-S & Eating Disorders in Female Athletes

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: [e-mail]

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:

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