THE RUNNING EFFECT PODCAST Your Training Isn’t Broken—Your Fueling Is: RD Cortney Berling on Solving RED-S and Getting Faster
Sep 21, 2025
Cortney Berling, a Registered Dietitian and sub-3 marathoner, shares her insights on under-fueling and its impact on running performance. She explains RED-S, emphasizing the importance of adequate nutrition over training volume. Cortney offers practical fueling strategies, like matching carbs to mileage and improving pre-bed protein intake. She addresses mental health, the effects of social media on eating habits, and shares her personal journey with under-fueling. This conversation is a crucial wake-up call for athletes seeking to optimize their performance through proper nutrition.
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Underfueling Harms Outweigh Overeating
- The harms of underfueling often outweigh the risks of occasional overeating for runners.
- Chronic underfeeding can slow metabolism, reduce muscle mass, and cause weight gain from metabolic damage.
Train Your Gut And Hunger Cues
- Train your stomach by gradually increasing pre-run food and practicing fueling on the run.
- Restore hunger cues by eating consistently throughout the day to retrain appetite signals.
Stopping Running To Recover
- Cortney stopped running while addressing RED‑S to restore fertility, and that break worked.
- She emphasizes pausing training as the fastest path to recovery when in caloric debt.
