You Can't Recover From Food You Didn't Eat
Training creates a demand for energy and nutrients. If you don't eat enough to cover training plus normal growth, your body cuts corners — and performance, bones, and hormones all suffer. Scientists call this low energy availability, and when it persists it becomes RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport). It is common in track, and it is serious.
Why This Matters So Much for Teens
You're not just an athlete — you're still growing. Low energy availability during these years can weaken bones right when you should be building them for life, disrupt hormones, and drive bone-stress injuries (stress fractures). Estimates suggest RED-S affects a large share of athletes — by some reviews up to 23–80% of female and 15–70% of male athletes across sports. This is a health issue first, a performance issue second.
The Warning Signs (Take Them Seriously)
- Always tired, getting sick often, frequent injuries — especially stress fractures
- Performance stalling or declining despite training hard
- In female athletes, missed or irregular periods — a major red flag, not a sign of "being in shape"
If any of these sound familiar, talk to a doctor or registered dietitian. Don't push through it.
The Basics of Fueling Well
- Eat enough, consistently — three meals plus snacks, especially around training.
- Carbs are fuel — they power hard sessions. Don't fear them.
- Protein for repair — spread it across the day.
- Refuel within ~30–60 minutes of hard sessions: carbs + protein + fluids.
- Hydrate all day, not just at practice.
The Mindset
Food is part of training. The strongest, most durable athletes are usually the ones who fuel well — not the ones who restrict.
Eating enough isn't indulgent. It's how the work you put in actually sticks.