When to use this
When a female athlete, parent, or teammate group asks which supplements she should be taking.
- The athlete's supplement list came from social media instead of symptoms or labs.
- Iron, vitamin D, or calcium came up at a physical and the family wants next steps.
- A supplement stack is growing while the meals are still inconsistent.
Advanced lab
A supplement decision framework
The gated layer here is not a supplement chart. It is the order of questions that keeps a young athlete's list short and safe.
Iron, vitamin D, and every lab-based decision run through the athlete's physician, and a sports dietitian turns results into a food-first plan. No supplement decisions from the sidelines.
Evidence sources
These references support the handout’s general education. Individual medical, supplement, laboratory, or injury questions should be handled by the appropriate qualified clinician.
- ISSN Position Stand (2023) Nutritional considerations for female athletes. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 20(1):2204066.
- Maughan RJ, Burke LM, Dvorak J, et al.(2018) IOC consensus statement: Dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete.
Where to go next
