When to use this
When an athlete or parent asks whether fueling should change across the month, or a pattern keeps showing up in the training notes.
- An athlete notices certain weeks reliably feel harder and wants a practical adjustment, not internet rules.
- You are introducing cycle tracking to an athlete or a team and want it framed as useful data, not pressure.
- A parent saw phase-based fueling content online and wants to know what actually holds up.
Advanced lab
The tracking framework and the escalation line
The sheet covers the phases. How to log, how long before a pattern is trustworthy, and where normal variation ends are here. One honest caveat up front: the research on phase-based fueling is still developing, so the athlete's own data outranks any generic phase rule.
Cycle changes and missed periods need medical evaluation, not a fueling tweak. Route those to a physician, and use a sports dietitian to review whether total intake is supporting the training load.
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.
- McNulty KL, Elliott-Sale KJ, Dolan E, et al.
- Bruinvels G, Burden R, Brown N, et al. Sport, exercise and the menstrual cycle: where is the research? Br J Sports Med. 2017.
- Mountjoy M, Ackerman KE, Bailey DM, et al. IOC consensus statement on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S): 2023 update. Br J Sports Med. 2023.
Where to go next
