Dieting and cutting calories too low has severe mental and physical consequences‼️ ⬇️Strength & loss of lean mass ⬆️Appetite & time to fatigue ⬆️Risk of injury, illness, and risk of poor body image ⬆️Bloating, digestive issues, and preoccupation with food ⬇️Metabolic rate, tolerance to cold, and poor recovery Something I can't stress enough during my presentations is eating for health and fueling sufficiently for the work required!

Athletes competing at the next level don’t leave recovery or performance to chance. Nutrition and smart supplementation can give you an edge in addition to proper sleep. I sat down with @JoseAntonioPhD (co-founder of the International Society of Sports Nutrition @IntSocietySN and one of the most cited researchers in the field). We discussed the protocols his wife Karla Antonio, a UCI Gran Fondo World Championship medalist cyclist utilized to gain the competitive advantage and more! Full episode drops this week.

Males have multiple physiological advantages over females in sport and it isn’t just one variable. At puberty, multiple systems change simultaneously: • Greater lean muscle mass, especially upper body • Larger bones and greater skeletal dimensions • Longer limbs and greater leverage • Higher hemoglobin and oxygen-carrying capacity • Larger heart and lungs • Significant differences in strength, speed and power • Higher ACL injury risk in female athletes These differences compound, which is why the performance gap can be roughly 10% in some events and dramatically larger in others.

Most student-athletes aren't under-training. They're under-fueling. And it shows in the second half. In elite female soccer players, muscle glycogen dropped 39% after one intense period in the second half. By full time, 69–80% of muscle fibers were nearly or completely empty. An empty tank means slower repeat sprints, lower jumps, less force output. It may also be part of why injuries cluster late — one high school surveillance study found 53–66% of lower-extremity injuries happened in the second half. And late-game cramping? Rarely just an electrolyte problem. Cramps are multifactorial, and fatigue is one contributor. That's why the answer is a system: calories + carbs + fluids + electrolytes + recovery. Not one quick fix. 🔖 Save this — simple game-day carb timing: → 30-69 min pre: quick-hitting carbs → Halftime: fluid + fast carbs (don't skip this one) → Within 60 min post: carbs + protein I've built 100+ menus at 3,000 / 4,000 / 5,000+ calories around the demands of football, soccer, and volleyball — game-day fueling, recovery, carb timing, hydration, and muscle gain. Male and female athletes, adjusted for body size, training volume, and sport demands. Start HERE: nutritionwithwendi.com/membe…