To my fellow women athletes: There are some really great discussions out there about training for maximal performance potential and balancing overall health. I’ve seen some posts about the double standard and questioning why the men aren’t scrutinized. I actually scrutinize some of the top male climbers in my own mind- wondering about the fine line they have to walk to maximize performance and maintain overall health. Not to cause an argument- but I think focusing on that disparity can distract from what is really important from my perspective as a sports dietitian. First, there is a necessary double standard in this consideration: Critically low body fat percentages land at 10-13% as essential for women and at 2-5% as essential for men. Below those levels respectively (and even hanging out there) presents risks such as weakened immune system, increased risk for infections, decrease in hormonal levels necessary to maintain health, loss of menstrual cycle for women impacting bone density, chronic fatigue, depression. My opinion is also coming from someone who personally lived with an eating disorder and is now recovered: I wouldn’t ever encourage anyone to try to dial in this level of performance sculpting without thorough medical guidance and with the support of properly licensed and credentialed Sports Nutritionists. And I’d recommend a stringent evaluation of the necessity of it. There is a cost benefit analysis in this- the risks are very high for an individual at who is at risk for an eating disorder, has an undiagnosed eating disorder, or already is experiencing disordered eating and a poor relationship with food. For example, someone with an eating disorder can justify avoiding necessary medical care by a narrative of trying to optimize performance. Please take careful note of the precautionary measures that were taken for this year’s Tour de France winner, Pauline Ferrand Prevot and the emphasis about the constant medical monitoring and the need now to recover to a healthier body composition. Please take note of Demi Vollering as an athlete at the highest level to state her priority is to ALWAYS put her health first. 📸 YouTube; Rouler