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Fueling Female Athletes

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Name:Date:

Fueling Female Athletes

Use the article and scenario on this page to answer the questions. People’s needs differ, and no single meal plan suits every athlete. You do not need to share personal health information.

Fuel is part of training

A class newspaper health feature

Athletes need energy for training, everyday life, growth and recovery. A useful routine often includes regular meals and snacks, with carbohydrate-rich foods for energy and protein-containing foods to support repair. Fruit and vegetables, calcium-rich foods, and fluids also contribute to overall wellbeing. Examples might include toast and fruit before training, or a meal with rice, eggs and vegetables afterwards. These are ideas, not rules: appetite, timing, culture, access, preferences and the session all matter. When an athlete regularly takes in less energy than their body needs, the body may have less available for important functions. This is called low energy availability. If it continues, it can contribute to Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S), which may affect health and performance, including bone health, recovery, mood and menstrual function. Possible warning signs include ongoing tiredness, repeated injuries or illness, declining performance, or periods becoming irregular or stopping. These signs can have other causes too; they are reasons to seek qualified support, not a diagnosis. Menstrual cycles vary between people and across life stages. Training, stress, health and food intake can be among many influences. A period stopping is not an expected cost of sport. Athletes with concerns can talk privately with a trusted adult, a GP, a school health professional, or a registered dietitian with sports experience. Support should be respectful and free from blame.

Newsroom tasks

Tevita and Harrison are preparing a class newspaper feature about supporting athletes. Use evidence from the article to help them.

1.Multiple choice: Which statement best describes why athletes need food?

Food provides energy for training, growth, daily life and recovery.
Athletes only need food immediately before competition.
All athletes need exactly the same foods and amounts.
Food is useful only for building muscle.

2.Select two examples of foods or drinks mentioned in the article that could contribute to an athlete’s eating routine.

Toast and fruit
Rice, eggs and vegetables
Skipping meals to save energy
A single food that replaces all meals

3.Match each term to its best description.

A. Low energy availability
B. RED-S
C. A warning sign

3. Ongoing tiredness or repeated injuries, which may have several possible causes
1. A possible health and performance impact when energy intake is insufficient over time
2. Taking in less energy than the body needs for its functions and activity

4.True or false: A period stopping is an expected and harmless part of being a serious athlete.

TrueFalse

5.Fill in the blank using the article: Athletes need energy for training, everyday life, growth and .

6.Fill in the blank using the article: Carbohydrate-rich foods are one source of .

7.Tevita wants to write, “Every female athlete should eat the same pre-training snack.” Explain why this advice is too absolute. Give one factor that could affect an athlete’s food choices or needs.

8.Harrison’s draft says, “An athlete with ongoing tiredness definitely has RED-S.” What is inaccurate about this claim? Rewrite it as a more responsible sentence.

9.A teammate mentions repeated injuries and feeling tired all the time. Write one supportive response that avoids diagnosing or blaming them.

10.Name two appropriate sources of support for an athlete with concerns about food, energy, injuries or menstrual changes.

11.Write a two-sentence newspaper tip for young athletes. Include one practical, flexible fueling idea and one message about getting help for ongoing concerns.