Fueling Performance, Building Confidence: A New Perspective for Female Athletes

Have you ever felt like you’re doing everything ‘right,’ yet the results just don’t match the effort you’re putting in? Maybe your nutrition and training feel out of sync with your body, or the advice that seems to work for others leaves you feeling stuck, frustrated, and second-guessing yourself. You’re not alone. We see this all the time when clients first come to us—they’re committed, driven, and working hard, but their approach isn’t yielding the results they deserve.

The problem often isn’t a lack of effort, but rather an approach that’s either unrealistic, not grounded in evidence, or misaligned with the actual goals you’re trying to achieve. For female athletes in particular, these challenges can be compounded by conflicting advice, societal pressures, and the unique physiological factors that influence performance.

Research has shown that female athletes are at particular risk for RED-S, a condition that arises when energy intake does not meet energy expenditure, leading to detrimental effects on health and performance. This often stems from restrictive eating patterns, overtraining, and following nutrition strategies not tailored to their needs. RED-S can result in menstrual disturbances, poor bone health, impaired recovery, and decreased performance (Mountjoy et al., 2014)

Take Emma, for example—a competitive runner in her mid-30s who came to us feeling drained, frustrated, and confused…

Emma is a serious runner who has been training consistently for several years. She follows a structured plan, meticulously tracks her macros, and sticks to what she believes are the “right” guidelines for her sport. Despite her dedication, she’s recently hit a plateau in both her performance and body composition goals. Instead of getting faster or feeling stronger, she’s finding herself fatigued, sore, and increasingly frustrated.

Here is an outline of Emma’s approach and experience before working with us:

1. Low-Carb, High-Protein Diet: Emma adopted a low-carb, high-protein diet because she read that it’s great for fat loss and lean muscle retention. However, she often feels drained during intense training sessions and struggles to maintain energy levels, especially in the second half of her runs.
2. Overtraining with No Periodisation: She’s pushing herself hard with extra training sessions because she believes that doing more will eventually lead to better results. However, she’s not incorporating enough recovery days or adjusting her training load according to her menstrual cycle.
3. Following Generic Advice: Emma follows advice from popular fitness influencers and articles that are often generalised and not specific to female athletes. She’s trying to apply one-size-fits-all strategies that don’t account for her unique hormonal fluctuations, energy needs, or recovery patterns.
4. Restrictive Eating Patterns: Emma has tried cutting calories further when she didn’t see results, thinking that she just needs to “eat cleaner” or reduce portion sizes even more. But this has led to feelings of deprivation, low mood, and intense cravings, which further derail her progress.

Why Emma is Feeling Frustrated:

• Despite being disciplined and following “best practices,” her energy levels are erratic, and she feels constantly fatigued.
• Her performance hasn’t improved, and she’s even noticed a decline in her endurance and speed.
• She feels like she’s doing everything right—training hard, eating clean—but her body doesn’t seem to be responding the way she expects.
• The conflicting advice she encounters online leaves her second-guessing whether she’s on the right track or if she’s missing something crucial.

Emma’s frustration is likely rooted in an approach that isn’t aligned with her physiological needs as a female athlete. She’s under-fueling relative to her training load, particularly around high-intensity sessions, which is leading to poor recovery, hormonal imbalances, and decreased performance. 

This is a common scenario, where well-intentioned athletes end up following advice that isn’t truly evidence-based or tailored to their personal needs. Emma needs a more personalised approach that considers her body’s requirements, incorporates proper fueling strategies, and aligns her training with her own lifestyle and experiences. By making these adjustments, Emma can finally start to see progress that matches her effort, feel more in tune with her body, and regain confidence in her strategy.

Connecting The Dots – The Value Of Connection & Reflection

As you can see, nutrition isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach—it’s complex and deeply individual. As performance nutritionists, we use the best available evidence to create a solid framework that guides our clients toward good health and performance. Yet, science alone isn’t enough. The real impact happens in the coaching—the conversations, the connection, and the understanding of each individual’s personal journey.

Information is everywhere. Anyone can access nutrition advice or ‘read research’, but what truly drives change is how that information is understood and applied on a personal level. Our role isn’t just to deliver knowledge—it’s to guide clients in unfolding the information for themselves, helping them connect the dots between the evidence and their own unique experiences.

We work alongside our clients to create a space where they can question, reflect, and ultimately reframe the beliefs that might be holding them back. Through thoughtful conversations, we help them recognise the patterns in their behaviors and mindsets that influence their decisions. It’s not about telling them what to do—it’s about helping them discover what’s right for them.

By fostering this deeper understanding, our clients begin to shift their own perspectives. They move away from rigid “shoulds” and “musts” and start building confidence in their own ability to make informed choices. This approach empowers them to take ownership of their strategy, helping them align their actions with their goals in a way that feels sustainable and authentic.

Over the years within daveynutrition, we have dedicated our work to refining this approach. We’ve learned that delivering information is only the first step; the real challenge lies in how it’s received and put into practice. Not only is this an area we are passionate about helping others in, this work is deeply personal to us, we live this ourselves and our own experiences have shaped the strategies we share with our clients. 

We’re constantly exchanging ideas, reflecting on what works for us, and refining our methods. We want to represent our message in how we live. It’s important to us that we lead by example.

The Unique Needs of Female Athletes: Navigating the Emotional and Psychological Layers of Nutrition

One insight we’ve gained through these ongoing conversations is the distinct difference in how male and female athletes engage with nutrition advice. While simplifying information, making it practical and having performance-focused guidance is our key focus in our message, we noticed something deeper at play when working with females. For many women, nutrition is intertwined with complex narratives around body image, societal pressures, and self-worth. This adds layers of emotional and psychological complexity that require more than just practical advice; it requires empathy, connection, and an understanding of the factors influencing daily choices.

This is where our coaching really stands out. We bridge the gap between knowledge and real-life application by blending evidence-based strategies with compassionate support that meets each client where they are. By helping you tune into your body, we empower you to make informed decisions that align with your goals—not just in your sport, but in your overall well-being. This approach builds trust—not just in the guidance, but in yourself—so that you feel confident applying the strategies in a way that feels sustainable and aligned with your values.

This insight has driven us to create this article series and the exciting project that we’re currently working on for our female clients. We’re here to explore not only the science behind female fueling but also the “why” behind the common struggles. Our goal is to help you break free from limiting beliefs, find confidence in your nutrition strategies, and ultimately, empower you to perform at your best—on your own terms.

This isn’t just based on our experiences with clients—it’s a reflection of a broader issue. Despite advances in sports nutrition, much of the available guidance is still rooted in research focused predominantly on male athletes. The problem? Female athletes have distinct physiological differences—from hormonal fluctuations to variations in energy metabolism—that significantly affect how our bodies respond to nutrition and training. Emma’s experience is a classic example of what many female athletes face—She’s under-fueling relative to her training load, which can lead to symptoms of RED-S like hormonal imbalances, chronic fatigue, and declining performance.

Some of the distinct differences when it comes to nutrition for females include:

• The Impact of Hormones: Research has shown that fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone throughout the menstrual cycle can influence everything from energy metabolism to mood and recovery. For example, during the luteal phase, increased energy demands require more precise fueling strategies (Sims & Heather, 2017; McNulty et al., 2020). This is a critical area that’s often overlooked in generic training plans.
• The Pressure of Body Image: Many female athletes navigate the dual pressures of performing well and maintaining a certain physique, often leading to restrictive eating patterns. This internalized pressure, driven by societal standards and social media influence, has been linked to disordered eating behaviors and suboptimal performance (Coppola et al., 2017; Slater & Tiggemann, 2016).
• Mindset and Confidence: Studies suggest that female athletes often seek a deeper understanding of the “why” behind nutrition strategies, and without this understanding, they’re less likely to apply the advice effectively (Devries, 2016; Coutinho et al., 2020). Building trust in the information—and in themselves—is crucial. Without this trust, even the best advice can fall flat.

Something Big Is Brewing

That’s exactly where our new programme comes in. We recognise that the typical one-size-fits-all approach to training and nutrition doesn’t address the unique needs of female athletes. This programme is designed to fill that gap—not just with evidence-based strategies, but with a focus on aligning your goals, mindset, and actions to deliver real, sustainable results.

We have seen time and time again that when we focus on creating this connection, our clients don’t just follow advice—they own it. The strategies become part of who they are, shaping how they approach both their sport and life. They begin trusting their bodies, fueling themselves with confidence, and achieving results they never thought possible.

Before we launch this new programme we have decided to create this free article series where we’ll cover how you can fuel your performance as an active female. We’ll include everything from better understanding your menstrual cycle and how to manage challenges around that, to avoiding common pitfalls like under-fueling and over-restriction.

But more importantly, we’ll focus on the mindset shifts needed to make this knowledge truly work for you. Because, as we’ve learned, it’s not just about having the right information—it’s about applying it in a way that feels authentic and sustainable.

Ready to embrace a new approach and unlock your full potential? 

Stay tuned for article 2 of our Female Athlete Series coming soon.

References

Coppola, A.M., Ward, R.M., and Quinn, R.L., 2017. The influence of social media and body image concerns on disordered eating among female athletes. Eating Disorders, 25(1), pp.1-16.

McNulty, K.L., Elliott-Sale, K.J., Dolan, E., Swinton, P.A., Ansdell, P., Goodall, S., Thomas, K., and Hicks, K.M., 2020. The effects of menstrual cycle phase on exercise performance in eumenorrheic women: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 50(10), pp.1813-1827.

Mountjoy, M., Sundgot-Borgen, J., Burke, L., Carter, S., Constantini, N., Lebrun, C., Meyer, N., Sherman, R., Steffen, K., and Budgett, R., 2014. The IOC consensus statement: beyond the Female Athlete Triad—Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S). British Journal of Sports Medicine, 48(7), pp.491-497.

Sims, S.T., and Heather, M.A., 2017. Menstrual cycle and training: Physiological effects on female athletes and implications for nutrition support. Sports Medicine, 47(9), pp.1737-1750.

Slater, A. and Tiggemann, M., 2016. The contribution of thin-ideal internalization and social comparison to body dissatisfaction in female athletes. Body Image, 19, pp.59-64.

Stellingwerff, T., Minton, D.M., Metcalfe, R.S., and Vassos, E., 2021. Case studies in RED-S: The influence of nutrition and energy availability on athletic performance. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 31(2), pp.129-143.