Fuel Like an Athlete: Nutritional Considerations for the Female Athlete

As female participation in youth and competitive sports continues to rise, so does the need for education around proper fueling. Nutrition plays a crucial role in performance, development, injury prevention, and long-term health yet, many female athletes are unknowingly under-fueled.

Whether it’s due to social pressures, misinformation, or simply not understanding their needs, too many girls are approaching food with fear instead of confidence. This post is here to shift that narrative.

Girls are athletes. And like all athletes, they need to eat like it.

Why Fueling Matters for Female Athletes

For young athletes, regardless of gender, nutrition is the foundation. Proper fueling supports:

• Muscle growth and strength gains

• Energy for training and competition

• Recovery and injury prevention

• Hormonal balance and menstrual health

• Focus, mood, and academic performance

The physical demands of practice, games, strength training, and tournaments require more calories, protein, carbs, and fluids, not less. When athletes don’t meet those needs, performance suffers. More importantly, long-term health is put at risk.

It’s Not That Different from Boys, But the Stakes Can Be Higher

Here’s a common misconception: “Girls don’t need to eat as much because they’re smaller.”

This is misleading and harmful. While total caloric needs may vary slightly based on size and lean mass, the relative needs of female athletes can be just as high, and in some cases, even greater due to factors like the menstrual cycle, bone development, and increased risk of underfueling.

Female athletes need:

• Carbohydrates for energy

• Protein to build and repair muscle

• Fats to support hormones and recovery

• Micronutrients like calcium, iron, and vitamin D

• Hydration for temperature regulation and performance

The difference isn’t in what girls need, it’s in how society talks to them about food. While boys are encouraged to eat for strength and size, girls are often taught to be cautious, clean, or restrictive. That double standard needs to end.

Under-fueling: The Silent Risk

Many female athletes are unintentionally under-fueling. They may not be “on a diet” or skipping meals on purpose, but due to busy schedules, food fears, or misunderstanding their needs, they’re not eating enough to support activity levels.

This can lead to a condition known as RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport), which affects metabolic rate, bone health, immunity, cardiovascular function, and menstrual health.

Common signs of underfueling include:

• Chronic fatigue

• Frequent injuries or slow recovery

• Missing or irregular periods

• Mood swings, irritability, or depression

• Plateaued or declining performance

• Feeling cold often

• Hair thinning or brittle nails

One of the earliest signs of RED-S in girls is menstrual dysfunction. While many think it’s “normal” for periods to stop during intense training, it’s actually a red flag that the body doesn’t have enough energy to function optimally.

The Danger of Disordered Eating Patterns

Disordered eating in female athletes doesn’t always look like an eating disorder, it can start subtly:

• Skipping meals to “stay lean”

• Labeling foods as “good” or “bad”

• Feeling guilty after eating

• Excessive focus on “clean eating”

• Avoiding carbs or fats

• Weighing food or bodies obsessively

This mindset can start in middle school and become deeply ingrained by high school, especially in aesthetic or weight-sensitive sports (like gymnastics, cheer, dance, running, and wrestling).

Even athletes in team sports are at risk when body image pressures, social media, or team culture encourage restrictive behaviors.

Fueling Properly: What Girls Actually Need

Let’s shift the conversation from restriction to performance.

🔹 Daily Fueling Basics

• Eat every 3–4 hours: Meals + snacks to keep energy up

• Include protein: At every meal and most snacks (eggs, yogurt, chicken, beef, tofu, whey protein, etc.)

• Don’t fear carbs: Whole grains, fruit, starchy vegetables, and simple carbs around training

• Healthy fats: Nut butters, avocado, olive oil, fatty fish

• Hydration: Water throughout the day + electrolytes if sweating heavily

🔹 Pre-Workout Fuel

• Eat 1–2 hours before training

• Prioritize carbs and a little protein (e.g., banana + peanut butter, toast + eggs, yogurt + granola)

🔹 Post-Workout Recovery

• Within 30–60 minutes after exercise

• Carbs + protein (e.g., chocolate milk, protein shake + fruit, sandwich + fruit)

Supporting Mental and Hormonal Health

Proper fueling doesn’t just help with sprints and squats, it affects emotional stability, sleep, academic focus, and menstrual health. Young women are particularly sensitive to:

• Low iron levels, especially if menstruating and under-eating

• Low fat intake, which can disrupt hormone production

• Caloric deficits, which impact mood, bone development, and metabolism

Girls who eat well feel better, think more clearly, and recover faster, all critical in the high-pressure world of school, sports, and social life.

Creating a Positive Environment Around Food

The way adults talk about food and bodies matters.

🚫 Avoid:

• Comments like “Are you sure you need seconds?”

• Praising weight loss or “eating clean”

• Comparing body types between teammates

• Encouraging fasting, detoxes, or calorie tracking too young

✅ Encourage:

• Eating for strength, recovery, and energy

• Celebrating what their bodies can do, not how they look

• Open conversations about hunger, fatigue and performance

• Making food enjoyable and social

The Role of Parents & Coaches

Parents and coaches are on the front lines of influence. Your words, even well-intended ones, can shape how a girl sees her body and her plate.

🧠 What You Can Do:

• Model balanced, flexible eating habits

• Normalize a healthy plate, snacks, and fueling before/after training

• Praise effort and performance, not size or shape

• Monitor signs of under-fueling or stress

• Encourage open dialogue around food, body image, and energy needs

If needed, connect the athlete with a sports dietitian or nutrition coach who understands the female athlete’s needs.

Let’s Redefine Strength

Strength isn’t shrinking. Strength isn’t skipping meals.
Strength is showing up, fueled and focused, ready to perform.

Let’s teach female athletes that their bodies are tools, not decorations. That eating is not a weakness or something to hide. That the path to peak performance is paved with enough, enough food, enough support, and enough self-respect to nourish themselves without guilt.

Final Takeaway: Strong Girls Fuel

Young female athletes don’t need to eat less, they need to fuel smarter.
They need knowledge, support, and a community that helps them understand their bodies, not fight against them.

Proper nutrition isn’t just about fueling the next game or workout, it’s about building a foundation for lifelong strength, confidence, and health.

Because when girls are taught to eat like athletes, they grow into women who stay strong, in every way.