Cortisol, Carbs & No Periods: What Female Athletes Need to Know

In today’s episode, Cynthia Donovan, MS RD & Lindsey Cortes MS RD CSSD, dive into the overlooked connection between nutrition, cortisol, and period recovery—especially for active women and female athletes. If you’ve ever wondered why your workouts feel harder, your period is missing, or your sleep is off, this episode is for you.

Cynthia & Lindsey explore:

• Why female athletes have unique nutritional and hormonal needs
• The impact of body image and restrictive eating on menstrual health
• How high cortisol disrupts hormone balance and period regulation
• The role of carbohydrates in lowering cortisol and promoting recovery
• Why pre- and post-workout fueling matters more than you think
• The power of nighttime snacks in supporting hormone health
• How to approach intentional eating post-recovery
• The real difference between a rest day and active recovery
• Why hydration, sleep, and fun with food are hormone boosters
• What exercise periodization really means for female bodies
• Tips to shorten fasting windows and optimize morning workouts
• How to tune into your cycle and adjust training accordingly

Plus: Why caffeine may be sabotaging your hormones, and how resting more is often the missing piece in your healing journey.

This episode is packed with real talk, clinical insights, and mindset shifts to help you recover your period, manage hypothalamic amenorrhea, and feel strong, nourished, and hormonally healthy again.

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Apply for coaching w/Cynthia:  https://0u8h3wddwmr.typeform.com/StrategyCall

Discover the truth about HA:  click the link to download Cynthia's fact sheet that debunks common myths and misinformation! 

Website: https://www.periodnutritionist.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/period.nutritionist

Lindsey Elizabeth Cortes is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics with over 12 years of experience consulting competitive, collegiate, high school, recreational, elite, military, and Olympic athletes. She specifically helps female athletes use food as fuel to perform at their highest level addressing overcoming disordered eating and Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDS). As a former Division 1 Track and Field athlete herself, and later obtaining a Master’s degree specializing in Sports Nutrition, using nutrition to optimize performance was always Lindsey’s specialty. As a Sports Dietitian, she worked at 3 different NCAA universities: University of Georgia, Florida State University, and University of Texas San Antonio prior to establishing her own business. She is the host of the popular Female Athlete Nutrition podcast available on all major listening platforms and YouTube.

Connect w/Lindsey: 

IG: @female.athlete.nutrition
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@femaleatheltenutrition
FB: Female Athlete Nutrition facebook group
LinkedIN: Lindsey Cortes MS RD CSSD
Podcast: The Female Athlete Nutrition Podcast

For the full show notes - please visit my website: periodnutritionist.com