Hi Reader,
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As athletes and families start to ramp up for the fall sports season, we’ve seen a lot of parents buckling up for another season of logistics: gear, equipment, travel accommodations for events on the road, meal prep, snacks, and more snacks.
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A number of thought leaders in the teen mental health space have been raising understandable concerns about how over-scheduled some of our teen athletes are these days (which is a topic for another day). With their incredibly busy schedules comes another question: “How do I know if my teen athlete is eating enough?”​
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It’s a fair question. Teen athletes are growing, training hard, and navigating a lot of mixed messages about food and their bodies. Maybe you’ve noticed they’re more tired than usual, or recovery seems to be taking longer, or they’re getting sick more often.
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Or maybe you’re the teen athlete reading this, wondering if what you’re experiencing is normal.
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Many teen athletes aren’t eating enough to support what their bodies are doing. Not because they’re trying to restrict, but because they genuinely don’t realize how much energy they actually need. 🍽️
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​So here are a few reminders about fueling as a teen athlete:

1. You probably need WAY more food than you think 🍽️

Population-level estimates put adolescent athletes’ daily energy expenditure at roughly 3,640 ± 830 kcal/day for males and 3,100 ± 720 kcal/day for females. Some training at high volumes need even more. That’s not a typo. Your body isn’t trying to trick you, it’s trying to fuel everything it’s building and repairing.

2. “Not hungry” after practice is a red flag 🚨

When you consistently burn more energy than you take in, your body enters what we call Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S). The tricky part? You might see short-term performance gains before problems show up, so under-fueling can accidentally feel like it’s working… until it’s not. Research shows athletes who sleep less than 8 hours and don’t eat enough have significantly higher injury rates.

3. Diet culture in sports is lying to you 💪

You’ve probably absorbed messages that equate being leaner with performing better. Messages that certain foods are “bad” or that your worth is tied to how your body looks. Here’s what research actually shows: the leanest athletes aren’t necessarily the fastest or most successful. Athletes who eat enough to support their training consistently outperform those who under-fuel.
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Want to know what your body actually needs to perform? I break down the specific nutrients, strategies, and how to navigate the mental side of fueling in the full guide. Read the complete Teen Fueling Guide here →​

You’ll learn:

• The exact breakdown of carbs, protein, and fats your body needs
• Why most sports nutrition research wasn’t designed with you in mind
• How to build a sustainable relationship with food (not just rules)
• What parents can do to support teen athletes

If you’re constantly exhausted, getting injured frequently, or food feels stressful and confusing, it’s okay to say something. Talk to a parent, coach, or trusted adult. Asking for help isn’t weak, it’s one of the smartest things you can do.

🎙️ This week on the Feisty Women’s Performance Podcast…

Discover why the “creatine‑bloat” myth is holding a lot of women back and how a simple dosing tweak can help. Dr. Susan Kleiner also talks about the dangers of chronic under‑fueling in high‑performing women. She has a nice cycling analogy of spokes on a wheel, which we know is always appreciated in the Skadi community!
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​🎧Listen now on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.​

Struggling with the mental side of fueling or performance?

👉If you’re a teen athlete, Laurie works a lot with teens navigating these exact concerns: fueling anxiety, performance pressure, all of it. She gets it.
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👉If you’re a parent or guardian trying to figure out how to support your athlete, Avery can help you work through this together in a way that actually sticks.
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Til next time,
Dr. A

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