S3 Ep 24 Running On Empty: Understanding REDs with Dr. Renee McGregor

Send us Fan MailWhat if your body isn’t underperforming… it’s protecting you? We sit down with Renee McGregor, renowned sports and clinical dietitian, to unpack Relative Energy Deficiency in sport and why so many runners and active people feel flat, injured, or anxious despite training harder than ever. Renee explains how the body prioritizes movement when fuel is low and quietly turns down hormones, bone health, digestion, and immunity to keep you going—until it can’t. We walk through real-world signs to watch for, why weight often doesn’t change, and how stress from life and training compounds when recovery and nutrition timing fall short.Together we trace the messy intersection of REDs, overtraining, and personality traits like perfectionism and control. Renee shares how assessment actually works—history, labs, behaviors—and why recovery takes time: often 18 months for the body and longer for the brain to fully recalibrate. We also address a frequent blind spot for women in their 40s and beyond: perimenopause symptoms can mimic REDs. When to consider HRT, when fueling and rest are the missing pieces, and how both can coexist. The goal is clarity, not fear, and a practical path back to stable energy, resilient bones, and consistent performance.We challenge popular fasting trends with emerging research linking narrow eating windows to higher cardiovascular risk and explain how chronic cortisol undermines adaptation. You’ll leave with simple, athlete-proven strategies: eat before and after hard work, fuel long sessions, protect sleep, and replace rigid control with flexible choices. Share this with a training partner who needs to hear it. If the conversation helped, subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: what’s the first change you’ll make this week?@r_mcgregor - Instagramreneemcrgregor.comBooks by Renee McGregor:Fuel for ThoughtMore Fuel YouTraining FoodOrthorexiaFast Fuel -Food  for Triathlon Success coaching highlights You can reach out to us at:https://coffeycrewcoaching.comemail: [email protected] FB @ Over the Next Hill Fitness GroupIG  @coffeycrewcoaching.comand Buy Me a Coffeehttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/Carlauhttps://hydra-patch.com/discount/OTNH20https://hydra-patch.com/discount/OTNHBOGO?redirect=%2Fproducts%2Fhydrapatch%C2%AE https://rnwy.life code: OTNH15 https://jambar.com code: CARLA20