186. Olympian Elise Cranny's Journey with RED-S + Amenorrhea Female Athlete Nutrition

This Female Athlete Nutrition podcast episode is with Tokyo 2020 Olympian Elise Cranny. Currently a Nike-sponsored professional runner, Elise found success early on in high school and college, before going on to compete in the Olympics and set multiple American records. These highs have not been without lows, and Elise shares about her struggles with relative energy deficiency in sports (RED-S) that led her down a path of injuries, fatigue, and underperformance. We discuss the steps she took to recover her period, overcome injuries, and restore her mental and physical health through proper fueling and reduced training. Elise is an incredible role model to all athletes, speaking candidly about how embracing body changes, weight gain, and eating more has made her a better, faster, less injured runner. She uses her story to help others avoid the pitfalls of RED-S and underfueling through her social media and the Voice In Sport (VIS) platform. We talk about how the menstrual cycle can be a superpower: Finally, we get an inside look at what fuels this Olympian, and leaves Elise feeling strong and energized.

In this episode we talk about:

4:20 Elise’s diverse athletic background: early running success

8:00 The impact of becoming an Olympian and American recorded holder 

10:20 Mentoring athletes through Voice In Sport (VIS)

13:30 Elise’s RED-S struggles

17:00 Overcoming amenorrhea: adding fats and snacks, adjusting training, nutrient timing

21:00 Dealing with body changes and disordered thoughts

23:50 The importance of periods and hormones for performance, recovery from training, avoiding injuries and longevity in sports 

29:00 Nutrition after RED-S and period recovery

32:50 Elise’s passion for baking with her sisters; the social side of food

35:40 Fueling tips for great training and performance: bone broth, oatmeal, protein smoothies, ice cream!

41:50 End of the podcast questions

Check out Voice In Sport (VIS) where both Elise and I support female athletes.

Follow Elise on Instagram @elise.cranny and me, your host Lindsey Cortes, on Instagram @female.athlete.nutrition 

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