Feisty Women's Performance

Creatine is having a moment and, as today’s guest, Shannon O’Grady says, “Creatine has been waiting for its moment for decades.”Shannon has her PhD in Nutritional Physiology and is the COO and Chief Product Officer of Gnarly Nutrition, where she leads product research and innovation across their entire line of products.Today, she and Sara focus their conversation on creatine. Creatine is the most studied ergogenic aid and, early on, was pigeonholed as mostly a bodybuilding supplement. Research is now clear that the benefits of creatine are far greater than just increased muscle mass (although that’s a great benefit). It has been shown to help in:RecoveryInjury preventionCognitive function and brain healthHeat toleranceTreatment in psychiatric disordersAging athletes and female athletesIncreased power for endurance athletesSara and Shannon discuss what creative is, how it’s produced and synthesized, how it could possibly provide all of these benefits, the best types, dosages, and the importance of being NSF Certified for safety and efficacy in a “wild west” industry. The advantages of creatine supplementation are clear and the question has gone from, "Why would I take that?" to "Why wouldn't I?"

From The Wall Street Journal to Runners World, People Magazine, and Women's Running Magazine...From Lululemon to Ford Motor Co...Mirna Valerio is proving that you can be an athlete in whatever body you have.What started as a blog, FatGirlRunning, about her experiences as a larger woman in a world of thinner athletes, has turned into a movement that inspires people everywhere to be whoever they want and to do whatever makes them happy. Her training, racing, and advocacy work allow others to see what is possible because no one should determine what you can or can't do.So, as she says in her keynote from the Feisty Women's Performance Summit, "Stick your ass in all the spaces because you belong!"Follow The Mirnavator: https://themirnavator.com/Instagram: @themirnavatorJoin us at Feisty Fest - September 18-20th, 2026: https://feisty.co/events/feisty-fest/Sign up to Receive The Feisty Women's Performance Newsletter:https://feisty.co/newsletters/feisty-womens-performance/Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performanceVisit the Feisty website at https://feisty.co/ for info on all of our events and podcastsSupport our Partners:Eternal: Get 15% off services with code FEISTY15 at https://eternal.co/ Hettas: Use code STAYFEISTY for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Momentous: Head to https://www.livemomentous.com/ and use promo code PERFORMANCE for up to 35% off your first orderWahoo: Learn more about Wahoo Fitness Products at: Wahoo: Learn more at https://shorturl.at/WVhdr

Since Title IX passed in 1972, there has been extraordinary growth in women’s sports and performance. However, for decades, athletic research primarily conducted on males has simply been applied to women, and as we’ve discovered, when the standard of performance is based on that one type of person, it skews our understanding of what is considered “normal physiology.”Christine Yu, author of the new book Up to Speed - The Groundbreaking Science of Women Athletics speaks with Sara Gross about the future of research on women athletes. As Yu says, “Women and female athletes need specific research that reflects their personal experience to provide appropriate and specific guidance from nutrition and injury prevention, to customized training, and even clothing and gear.”So, what reputable science and research is out there for performance-minded women? And, how can we apply good science to our lives in order to boost performance and remain healthy for years to come?  Sara and Christine discuss this and more, including:Why females have often been considered “messy” and “poor subjects” when it comes to research studies on athletics The impact good (and bad) research can have on female athletes, especially when it comes to longevity in sports and overall healthHow more female scientists and researchers are asking the right questions and leading the way to close the gender gap in researchWhat surprised Christine the most when researching and writing the book?What angered her, and what has she applied any of the good research in her own daily life?Maya Angelou once said, “When you know better, you do better.” Yu’s book provides an understanding of how we go to this point and, thanks to the vigilance of others, how we are starting to do better.Order Up to Speed - The Groundbreaking Science of Women Athletics Follow Christine on Instagram: @cyu888Join us at Feisty Fest - September 18-20th, 2026: https://feisty.co/events/feisty-fest/Sign up to Receive The Feisty Women's Performance Newsletter:https://feisty.co/newsletters/feisty-womens-performance/Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performanceVisit the Feisty website at https://feisty.co/ for info on all of our events and podcastsSupport our Partners:Eternal: Get 15% off services with code FEISTY15 at https://eternal.co/ Hettas: Use code STAYFEISTY for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Momentous: Head to https://www.livemomentous.com/ and use promo code PERFORMANCE for up to 35% off your first orderWahoo: Learn more about Wahoo Fitness Products at: Wahoo: Learn more at https://shorturl.at/WVhdr

Jill Moffatt and Jenny Casson didn’t dream of becoming Canadian Olympic rowers. In fact, neither actually started the sport until they were a little older, but discovered quickly they both had an innate talent for the sport. This talent, coupled with their chemistry and work ethic, landed them a spot at the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games and they’re currently in the process of trying to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. It all seems like a fairy tale, right? Start a sport later in life and still land at the Olympics?! Amazing? Yes. Fairy tale? Not always.Today, Sara, Jenny, and Jill have a wide-reaching and powerful conversation about the pros and cons of being a high-level athlete, including:How they complement each other as a pair Dealing with the pressure that their spot in the boat is never guaranteedApproaching mandatory weigh-ins during race season Tracking their cycles for performanceHandling their inevitable personality differences on and off the waterJenny and Jill also candidly address the toxic culture and predatory behavior that existed just a few years ago on their team, along with the organization that was complicit in this behavior. The personal damage and erosion of trust were and are devastating for both, but Jenny and Jill remain vocal advocates for providing support, education, and advice on spotting, addressing, and changing predatory behavior. No doubt, this is a duo we look forward to watching in Paris. Best of luck to Jenny and Jill! IG: @jillmoffatt (jillmoffatt8@gmail.com)IG: @jenny_joan_casson (jjcasson@gmail.com)Join us at Feisty Fest - September 18-20th, 2026: https://feisty.co/events/feisty-fest/Sign up to Receive The Feisty Women's Performance Newsletter:https://feisty.co/newsletters/feisty-womens-performance/Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performanceVisit the Feisty website at https://feisty.co/ for info on all of our events and podcastsSupport our Partners:Eternal: Get 15% off services with code FEISTY15 at https://eternal.co/ Hettas: Use code STAYFEISTY for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Momentous: Head to https://www.livemomentous.com/ and use promo code PERFORMANCE for up to 35% off your first orderWahoo: Learn more about Wahoo Fitness Products at: Wahoo: Learn more at https://shorturl.at/WVhdr

This episode first aired on the Women's Performance Podcast on April 4, 2022. Sara talks to Emily Kraus and Megan Roche. Emily is the FASTR program coordinator, MD, a clinical assistant professor at Stanford children's orthopedic and sports medicine center, a seven-time marathoner, and a two-time Boston finisher. Megan is the FASTR lead researcher, an MD, a Ph.D. candidate in epidemiology, AND a five-time national trail running champion.So what is FASTR? It is a program designed to conduct research and provide information for female athletes. Sara talks to Emily and Megan about the moments they first realized there was a gender gap in sports science research, and how they are working to close that gap. Further, they discuss how women have certain advantages built into their physiology to help them perform, and what Emily and Megan would do if they could conduct ANY research on female performance broadly.Follow the FASTR program on Instagram @stanfordfastrFASTR WebsiteFollow Emily @emilykrausmd_sportscienceFollow Megan @meg_runs_happyJoin us at Feisty Fest - September 18-20th, 2026: https://feisty.co/events/feisty-fest/Sign up to Receive The Feisty Women's Performance Newsletter:https://feisty.co/newsletters/feisty-womens-performance/Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performanceVisit the Feisty website at https://feisty.co/ for info on all of our events and podcastsSupport our Partners:Eternal: Get 15% off services with code FEISTY15 at https://eternal.co/ Hettas: Use code STAYFEISTY for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Momentous: Head to https://www.livemomentous.com/ and use promo code PERFORMANCE for up to 35% off your first orderWahoo: Learn more about Wahoo Fitness Products at: Wahoo: Learn more at https://shorturl.at/WVhdr

No doubt, there is an emotional aspect to fueling and eating.Each of us comes strapped with experiences from our past, cultural and religious expectations, and emotional biases that may affect our relationship with food.As athletes, we also inherently understand that fueling and nutrition are vital to our success. Eating for the demands of our training can, in a word, be scary.Enter Elizabeth Inpyn.Coach Elizabeth has an undergraduate degree in Biochemistry from UCSB, an MS in Applied Exercise Science, and an MA in Education in Health Sciences, as well as a Masters in multicultural education and curriculum development. She is a certified sports nutritionist from the ISSN (International Society of Sports Nutrition) and holds a plant-based nutrition certification from the T Collin Campbell Institute. In addition to her academic accolades, Elizabeth is also an accomplished athlete - an NCAA Division 1 distance swimmer and water polo player. After college, she transitioned to triathlon where she sat atop many a podium in the Olympic and 70.3 distances. As a nutritionist, Elizabeth has worked with all types of athletes in multiple sports, ages, genders, and backgrounds. She knows intimately the delicate balance of working with people on improving their relationship with food. Today, she and Sara unpack:The surprising (and not surprising) reasons people seek out a nutritionistThe changes people want to make in their diet - and it’s not always about weight lossHow she provides emotional support to athletesTheir own biases about food and different culturesTheir personal stories and complicated relationships with food as high-level athletesRecommended supplements for active, performance-minded womenAthletes are often overburdened and overwhelmed with the amount of conflicting information and may need someone to help sift through the noise.This is where Feisty Media, Elizabeth Inpyn, and the Fueled course meet.Elizabeth provided much of the content on the nutrition modules and you can learn more at fueledcourse.com to empower yourself and help create a proper nutrition plan that meets the demands of your training.You can also reach out to Elizabeth at FuelIn.com or @inpynJoin us at Feisty Fest - September 18-20th, 2026: https://feisty.co/events/feisty-fest/Sign up to Receive The Feisty Women's Performance Newsletter:https://feisty.co/newsletters/feisty-womens-performance/Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performanceVisit the Feisty website at https://feisty.co/ for info on all of our events and podcastsSupport our Partners:Eternal: Get 15% off services with code FEISTY15 at https://eternal.co/ Hettas: Use code STAYFEISTY for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Momentous: Head to https://www.livemomentous.com/ and use promo code PERFORMANCE for up to 35% off your first orderWahoo: Learn more about Wahoo Fitness Products at: Wahoo: Learn more at https://shorturl.at/WVhdr

RED-S, LEA, The Female Athlete Triad, Overtraining, Overreaching, Underfueling…These words and acronyms are pervasive in endurance sports circles but, quite frankly, still cause much confusion and debate. Often, they are mistakenly used interchangeably when the definitions and symptoms do differ significantly.Today’s guest, Dr. Alex Coates, demystifies each of these concepts and explains them in a way that all active people can understand in order to remain healthy and active throughout their lives.Dr. Coates is a postdoctoral fellow at McMaster University where she studies systems-level integrative exercise physiology. As a former elite triathlete at the national level, Alex trained and raced on multiple world championship teams and saw first-hand the repercussions of what would eventually become her areas of primary focus - overtraining, underfueling, and insufficient recovery from training.In fact, she and her sister, Kyla, actually were one of the first to document the existence and definition of RED-S, or Relative Energy Deficiency Syndrome, which presents in both men and women.In this episode, she and Sara discuss:The differences in the terms Female Athlete Triad, RED-S, and Low Energy AvailabilityWhy the Female Athlete Triad needed an update to include RED-SThe multiple hormonal symptoms of RED-S and the personal impact it had on Alex’s sister, KylaThe nuances of LEA and RED-SThe differences between overtraining and overreaching and the ability to recover (or not)The impact of underfueling on recovery on all types of performanceAn outline of The FUELED course modules, including the body’s various energy systemsFemale Athlete Development from Puberty to AdulthoodDr. Coate’s work hopefully connects the dots for any athlete suffering from extreme fatigue, thermal regulation issues, performance plateaus, and other hormonal imbalances that may be brought on by extreme training.Alex is also the lead Exercise Physiologist on the Feisty FUELED course that is launching in April. To learn more visit fueledcourse.comJoin us at Feisty Fest - September 18-20th, 2026: https://feisty.co/events/feisty-fest/Sign up to Receive The Feisty Women's Performance Newsletter:https://feisty.co/newsletters/feisty-womens-performance/Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performanceVisit the Feisty website at https://feisty.co/ for info on all of our events and podcastsSupport our Partners:Eternal: Get 15% off services with code FEISTY15 at https://eternal.co/ Hettas: Use code STAYFEISTY for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Momentous: Head to https://www.livemomentous.com/ and use promo code PERFORMANCE for up to 35% off your first orderWahoo: Learn more about Wahoo Fitness Products at: Wahoo: Learn more at https://shorturl.at/WVhdr

When social media posts, conversations, and even shouting from the podiums about inequality in the outdoor industry is no longer an option, you take action and develop the change that you want to see. That is how Gina Lucrezi started Trail Sisters, an online community for female-identifying trail runners and hikers, that she started in 2016.As a professional runner who also worked in the outdoor industry, Lucrezi saw firsthand the lack of representation and resources for women on the trails. As she writes, “The path to expanding women’s representation and opportunity in the outdoors is not only accomplished by participation on the trails, but also by women speaking up for what they want and deserve.”Enter Trail Sisters. What started as an online journal has turned into a multi-faceted business complete with education resources, articles, gear reviews, merchandise, retreats, local trail sisters groups, races, and even an official “Trail-Sisters Approved” designation for races. Today, you'll hear:The birth of Trail Sisters as an online journalHow it went from side hustle to full-time jobs for her and her husbandWhy building and engaging a community is good for businessDetails on the many initiatives of Trail Sisters and the various ways they make moneyWhat it means to be a Trail Sisters certified eventAdvice for passion-driven entrepreneurs “If you want to make an impact,” she says, “you’ve got to serve a purpose that’s larger than the financial aspect. Create things that help the community.” That community will support you.And, that’s what being a trail sister is all about.Trail Sisters Website: https://trailsisters.netTrail Sisters Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trail_sisters/Join us at Feisty Fest - September 18-20th, 2026: https://feisty.co/events/feisty-fest/Sign up to Receive The Feisty Women's Performance Newsletter:https://feisty.co/newsletters/feisty-womens-performance/Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performanceVisit the Feisty website at https://feisty.co/ for info on all of our events and podcastsSupport our Partners:Eternal: Get 15% off services with code FEISTY15 at https://eternal.co/ Hettas: Use code STAYFEISTY for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Momentous: Head to https://www.livemomentous.com/ and use promo code PERFORMANCE for up to 35% off your first orderWahoo: Learn more about Wahoo Fitness Products at: Wahoo: Learn more at https://shorturl.at/WVhdr

Being the first to accomplish a historical feat usually comes with fanfare and recognition. Not so for today’s guest, Diane Maiese. Almost 25 years after the fact, Diane learned that she was the first, and as of yet, the only black female to win an NCAA National Championship in Diving and be named four-time All-American. She is also the first black female to coach diving at the division one level and the first to become a FINA-certified judge from the USA. Today, she and Sara discuss:Her unique upbringing as a person of color, adopted into an Italian-Catholic family living in a Jewish neighborhoodHer unconventional discovery and recruitment into the sport of divingThe moment she was told she wouldn’t go anywhere in the sportBody image, eating disorders, and the challenging stigma of “being on display” as a diverHer Diving Into Diversity initiatives throughout the USWhile it’s an honor to be acknowledged for her accomplishments, Diane admits it isn’t necessarily a celebration. What it has done is fuel her desire to change the landscape of the sport she loves and provide accessibility to diving for everyone so that she is no longer the “first” and “only.”Diverva.orgCompete Sports DiversityJoin us at Feisty Fest - September 18-20th, 2026: https://feisty.co/events/feisty-fest/Sign up to Receive The Feisty Women's Performance Newsletter:https://feisty.co/newsletters/feisty-womens-performance/Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performanceVisit the Feisty website at https://feisty.co/ for info on all of our events and podcastsSupport our Partners:Eternal: Get 15% off services with code FEISTY15 at https://eternal.co/ Hettas: Use code STAYFEISTY for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Momentous: Head to https://www.livemomentous.com/ and use promo code PERFORMANCE for up to 35% off your first orderWahoo: Learn more about Wahoo Fitness Products at: Wahoo: Learn more at https://shorturl.at/WVhdr

Lauren Fleshman has many titles - from being one of the most decorated American distance runners ever, to recently releasing her book, Good for a Girl - a New York Times best-seller. But all of this accomplishment doesn't come without difficulty. This week, Lauren gets real with us and shares her experience of disordered eating, motherhood, and mental health. Discussing the stereotypes placed upon female athletes, Lauren explains why an "ideal race weight" doesn't exist. Further, her and Sara share their experiences of depression, and what it means to find yourself again through movement. Finally, Lauren highlights the importance of confidence for performance and how she’s helping the next generation of women and girls excel. Follow Lauren on Instagram @fleshmanflyer Purchase her book at https://www.laurenfleshman.com/Join us at Feisty Fest - September 18-20th, 2026: https://feisty.co/events/feisty-fest/Sign up to Receive The Feisty Women's Performance Newsletter:https://feisty.co/newsletters/feisty-womens-performance/Follow us on Instagram:@feisty_womens_performanceVisit the Feisty website at https://feisty.co/ for info on all of our events and podcastsSupport our Partners:Eternal: Get 15% off services with code FEISTY15 at https://eternal.co/ Hettas: Use code STAYFEISTY for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Momentous: Head to https://www.livemomentous.com/ and use promo code PERFORMANCE for up to 35% off your first orderWahoo: Learn more about Wahoo Fitness Products at: Wahoo: Learn more at https://shorturl.at/WVhdr