This week, Han is joined by Cerian Harries - a former elite swimmer and passionate voice for raising awareness around RED-S, amenorrhea, and fuelling properly in sport. After struggling with amenorrhea and an eating disorder during her swimming career, Cerian now shares her story to help other female athletes understand that health and performance can go hand in hand.

This week, we discuss:

• What is RED-S and how it relates to amenorrhea
• Cerian's experience of RED-S and support from her GP and gynaecologist
• Normalisation of period loss in female athletes
• Symptoms of RED-S: fatigue, injury, poor recovery
• The impact of disordered eating in sport
• Role of supportive coaching in addressing body image and food concerns
• Prioritising long-term health over short-term performance
• Fuelling correctly to improve athletic performance
• The role of elite athletes in modelling healthy habits
• Perfectionism, obsessionality & rigidity in competitive athletes
• Letting go of athlete identity and rewriting your story post-sport
• Using exercise for recovery vs. navigating exercise compulsion

Timestamps:

• [01:56 ] What is RED-S?
• [03:14 ] Amenorrhea & early dismissal in sport
• [06:48 ] Cerian's RED-S experience
• [13:36 ] The slippery slope of food rules and "bad foods"
• [20:09 ] Getting a diagnosis & seeking medical help
• [23:36 ] Identity loss after sport
• [27:36 ] Rediscovering joyful movement through CrossFit
• [30:20 ] Breaking the reliance on exercise for emotion regulation

Resources & Links:

• Cerian's Instagram (@female_athletetriad_awareness)

Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussions of eating disorders, amenorrhea, and RED-S.

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Sending positive beans your way, Han 💛