Fuel for Performance: Why Female Athletes Need to Prioritise Nutrition First

SENr Performance Nutritionist @committednutritionltd

Let’s get real.

For far too long, female athletes have been praised for pushing hard — training harder, eating “cleaner,” sleeping less, grinding more. But in the background, many are unknowingly under-fuelling, overtraining, and placing their bodies under chronic stress.

The truth? Long-term restriction and poor recovery don’t just impact your energy or performance — they can disrupt hormonal balance, damage your gut, and, in extreme cases, even lead to infertility.

This blog is here to help you press pause, simplify what matters, and prioritise your health first — because real performance is built on balance.

Health Now, Fertility Later: Why This Matters

Whether you’re currently trying to conceive, recovering from pregnancy, or not even thinking about babies yet — your nutrition habits today affect your hormonal health and fertility later. The female body is resilient but finely tuned. When it senses energy stress, reproduction is one of the first systems it down-regulates.

So if you're constantly under-eating, under-recovering, or dealing with poor gut or sleep health — it's not just about missing a period. You're potentially affecting egg quality, ovulation, implantation, and how well your body supports pregnancy down the line.

The Hidden Risks of Disrupted Balance — Backed by Science

1. Under-eating, Fasting & Long-Term Dieting
Even unintentional low energy availability (LEA) — where energy intake doesn't meet training demands — can trigger functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (FHA), stopping ovulation altogether.

• A 2023 study found just 5 days of LEA reduced key reproductive hormones in active women

• Up to 69% of lean-sport athletes show signs of LEA

• It can take 6–12+ months to restore normal ovulation after chronic restriction

2. Macro & Micronutrient Deficiencies
Iron, vitamin D, calcium, B12, iodine, and omega-3s are all vital for hormone production, egg quality, thyroid health, and supporting pregnancy.

• Iron deficiency is linked to anovulation and infertility

• Low vitamin D is associated with poor IVF success

• Calcium & B vitamins can delay menstrual return post-FHA

  A 2022 review showed over 60% of female athletes have inadequate iron levels

3. Lack of Sleep & Under-Recovery
Sleep regulates cortisol, growth hormone, LH, and FSH. Poor sleep or overtraining stress reduces melatonin — a key antioxidant protecting egg cells.

• Just one disrupted night of sleep can reduce immune cells by 70%

• Poor sleep suppresses immunity and delays training recovery — which affects reproduction

4. Chronic Gut Inflammation
Overtraining, under-fuelling, and stress inflame the gut lining. This means poorer absorption of key nutrients and disrupted ovulation and implantation.

5. Environmental Toxins & EDCs
BPA (plastics), phthalates (beauty), and pesticides interfere with hormone signalling.

• A 2021 study linked BPA to delayed ovulation and disrupted reproductive timing

• EDCs increase miscarriage risk and PCOS-like symptoms

6. Hormonal Contraceptives
The pill can mask symptoms of under-fuelling. Regular bleeds ≠ regular ovulation.

• A 2020 study warned withdrawal bleeds may give a false sense of hormonal balance in under-fuelled athletes

Nutrition, Immunity & Hormones — All Connected

Your immune system is your foundation — and it suffers when you’re under-recovered or under-fuelled. Inflammation, sickness, poor gut health, and disrupted sleep all affect your hormones and fertility.

Neil Walsh’s research makes it clear:

• Good energy and nutrients = better immune function

• Low intake + overtraining = suppressed immunity + disrupted reproduction

What You Can Do Today

Bring it back to the real world. Here’s how to take action:

1. Fuel consistently — even on rest days

2. Eat protein daily (e.g. 65kg = 130g protein)

3. Get 7–9 hours of quality sleep

4. Eat the rainbow — 5–7 colours/day

5. Build balanced meals: carbs, protein, fats, colour

6. Track energy, mood, cycle, and sleep — not just weight

7. Use hormonal contraception mindfully — understand what it may mask

8. Support your gut: eat diverse fibre, fermented foods, and rest

9. Reduce plastic and use low-toxin products where possible

Final Words

To every female athlete reading this — you deserve to feel energised, strong, and healthy. Prioritising your health isn’t just about how you perform today. It’s about safeguarding your future — your hormones, your fertility, your recovery, and how you show up for yourself in every area of life.

If you’ve fallen into the “less is more” mindset, this is your reminder:

Health is the foundation. Performance builds on top of that.

What’s Next?

• Follow along on Instagram: @committednutritionltd

• Watch Hatch Athletic socials for upcoming launches and collabs

• Part 2 is coming soon — we’ll explore fuelling, tracking, and optimising nutrition for menopause

Reference List

Ackerman, K.E., Misra, M. and Miller, K.K., 2018. Functional hypothalamic amenorrhea: An update. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1135(1), pp.87-94. https://doi.org/10.1196/annals.1429.013

Areta, J.L., Taylor, H.L., Koehler, K., Thomas, D.T., and Tipton, K.D., 2023. Low energy availability: history, physiology, consequences, and future directions. Sports Medicine, 53, pp.217–240. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-022-01762-5

De Souza, M.J., Nattiv, A., Joy, E., Misra, M., Williams, N.I., Mallinson, R.J., Gibbs, J.C., Olmsted, M. and Goolsby, M., 2014. 2014 Female Athlete Triad Coalition Consensus Statement on Treatment and Return to Play of the Female Athlete Triad. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 48(4), pp.289. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2013-093218

Gaskins, A.J. and Chavarro, J.E., 2018. Diet and fertility: a review. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 218(4), pp.379–389. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2017.08.010

Javed, A., Tebben, P.J. and Fischer, P.R., 2022. Vitamin D deficiency and reproductive health in women: An overview. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 97(1), pp.61-70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2021.04.015

Meczekalski, B., Katulski, K., Czyzyk, A., Podfigurna-Stopa, A. and Maciejewska-Jeske, M., 2014. Functional hypothalamic amenorrhea and its influence on women's health. Journal of Endocrinological Investigation, 37(11), pp.1049–1056. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40618-014-0136-1

Neil Walsh Research Group, 2022. Immune function and exercise in elite athletes. [online] Bangor University. Available at: https://neilwalshresearchgroup.bangor.ac.uk/ [Accessed 30 Jul. 2025].

Panagiotakos, D.B., et al., 2021. Micronutrient intake inadequacy among female athletes and the role of supplementation. Nutrients, 13(5), pp.1564. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13051564

Practice Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, 2017. Optimizing natural fertility: a committee opinion. Fertility and Sterility, 107(1), pp.52-58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2016.09.029

Sun, Y., Irie, M., Honma, H., et al., 2021. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals and female reproductive health. Environmental Health Perspectives, 129(4), 045001. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP8172

Vitzthum, V.J., 2023. Menstrual cycle disturbances and reproductive suppression in physically active women. Annual Review of Anthropology, 52, pp.167–185. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-anthro-052422-123059