Mind Your Fitness Lexi Moriarty, RD, CSSD & Shira Evans, RD, CSSD, LD

Victoria Lambert, is a seasoned sports and eating disorder dietitian, who shares her extensive experience and insights on body composition in athletes in our latest episode! We discuss her career journey, her focus on eating disorders in athletes, and her work in division one collegiate athletics. From hospital based clinical exercise and wellness programming to DI collegiate athletics to private practice, Victoria has specialties in eating disorders and weight class sports.
As three Sports & Eating Disorder Dietitians, we delve into the challenges and misconceptions surrounding body composition, the importance of individualized care, and the potential harm of using body composition as a data metric for performance. Lambert emphasizes the importance of clinical skills, early intervention, and a holistic approach to athlete health, beyond just numbers. She also critiques the widespread reliance on body composition data, advocating for a more nuanced understanding of athlete health that prioritizes well-being over appearance. 
There is so much to cover on this conversation, but we hope you can take away some nuggets of knowledge related to the complexities of body composition testing in athletic and fitness settings.
 
00:00 Welcome and Guest Introduction
00:14 Victoria Lambert's Journey: From Sports Nutrition to Eating Disorders Specialist
00:26 The Importance of Body Composition in Sports Nutrition
04:52 Challenges and Misconceptions Around Body Composition Testing
07:43 The Role of Body Composition in Athlete Health and Performance
12:49 Navigating Body Composition with Athletes: Strategies and Insights
31:16 Redefining Fitness and Wellness in Sports
 
Resources:
Athlete perspectives on the enablers and barriers to nutritional adherence in high-performance sport (Oct 2020). 
Come Back Skinfolds, All Is Forgiven: A Narrative Review of the Efficacy of Common Body Composition Methods in Applied Sports Practice Kasper et al. (2021) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8065383/
 
Swimming Australia Guide Environment & Language Guide for Discussing and Evaluating Physique
 
www.theembodiedathlete.com
 
https://www.isak.global/
 

Molly Huddle is a long distance runner and two-time Olympian for Team USA in the 5000 and 10000m, and American Record holder in various distances. She has won 28 x National championships. She is a professional runner for Saucony and new mom. She is an author and co-wrote How She Did It: Stories, Advice, and Secrets to Success from Fifty Legendary Distance Runners.
In this episode, we discuss Molly's career, the impact of motherhood on her body and training, and her approach to fitness and running post-pregnancy. Huddle shares insights into managing body changes during and after pregnancy, emphasizing the importance of listening to one's body and adjusting training accordingly. She also reflects on the evolution of her goals and motivations throughout her career, offering advice for new mothers and developing athletes on navigating body image and performance.
00:00 Introduction to Mind Your Fitness Podcast
00:51 Special Guest: Molly Huddle's Journey
01:27 Molly Huddle on Professional Running and Motherhood
04:55 The Evolution of Goals and Motivations in Running
10:16 Running Through Pregnancy: Molly's Experience
13:31 Navigating Postpartum Fitness and Body Image
20:58 Advice for Developing Athletes and Embracing Changes
25:55 Defining Fitness with Molly Huddle

In this episode Sport Scientist, Melissa Lodge, helps us explore research gaps in sports science, common misconceptions in sports nutrition, and the impact of low energy availability and REDS (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport) on athletes. The discussion focuses on advocating for inclusive research, the importance of  individualized treatment plans, recent research on low carbohydrate availability, and promoting healthier relationships with food, body, and performance in athletics.
Melissa Lodge, MS is a health sciences doctoral student, REDs researcher, and elite runner. Her research focuses on female athlete physiology, particularly under conditions of low energy availability (LEA), such as Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs), and its associated impact on health and performance across the lifespan. Melissa runs an educational platform  @FED_collaborative where she provides translational research on female athlete physiology, LEA, REDs, and eating disorders/disordered eating. She continues to run competitively in track & field and road racing and competed in the 2023 USATF Indoor Championship (1500m).

Sports dietitian Nancy Clark debunks common nutrition myths and emphasizes the importance of a healthy relationship with food. She discusses topics such as carb loading, processed foods, protein metabolism, sugar consumption, and youth athletes' approach to weight and body composition. Our discussion also highlights the evolution of sports nutrition, the impact of food culture, and the finding fitness through daily activities.
Nancy Clark, MS, RD, CSSD is an internationally respected sports nutritionist, weight coach, nutrition author, and workshop leader. She is a registered dietitian (RD) who specializes in nutrition for performance, health, and the nutritional management of eating disorders. She is board certified as a specialist in sports dietietics (CSSD) and a certified WellCoach. Nancy is the author of the best selling sports nutrition reference Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook. Over 750,000 copies of this classic book have been enjoyed by health professionals and exercise enthusiasts alike.

Carrie is a sport dietitian with the United States Olympic Committee and shares insights into the challenges and strategies of managing nutrition while traveling for athletes and active individuals. Carrie discusses her journey from a figure skater to a dietitian for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee. She highlights the importance of planning and flexibility in athletes' diet, the role of supplements, and the importance of coaches in impacting travel nutrition. We also discuss the psychological aspects of eating, how athletes can optimally fuel in any environment, and on-the-go snack options that maximize space and provide necessary nutrition.
Carrie Aprik, MS, RD, CSSD is the winter sport dietitian for the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee. Prior to serving in this role, she was a Team USA contract dietitian for US Figure Skating and USA Hockey, and served as a team dietitian at the 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympic Games. Additionally, she spent 5 years as the sport dietitian for the Detroit Pistons, and 10 years with Oakland University Athletics. 
The views discussed in this podcast episode do not represent that of the United States Olympic Committee. 

In this episode, we dive deep into common digestive issues faced by athletes. We cover various topics that can relate to both active individuals and athletes who struggle with gut issues. Meg Steffey-Schrier is a Certified Sports Dietitian and Digestive Health Expert with her own private practice. Prior to that, she was the Lead Dietitian at Harvard University having worked within both athletics and health services.