122: Eating Disorder Recovery as a Pro Athlete

In this episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast, I talk with professional runner, YouTuber, and eating disorder advocate, Allie Ostrander. Allie is a middle distance runner specializing in the steeplechase, and she shares her journey in sport growing up in Alaska to becoming a 3x NCAA Division I champion in college. Allie opens up about her nutrition struggles, starting early in middle school and continuing through high school, college, and beyond into her professional running career. She discusses the physical and mental impacts of her eating disorder on her health, running, and social life. We highlight the importance of raising awareness of eating disorders and early intervention by parents, coaches, and medical professionals to support young athletes. We speak to why athletes are at increased risk of disordered eating, as well as the nuances of fueling for athletes. Allie shares about her recovery and experience in an intensive treatment program, as well as how she learned to fuel independent of running. She speaks about the importance of stepping back from running during recovery and how she learned about her own unique nutrition needs. Allie answers a few listener questions, including handling setbacks and challenges during eating disorder recovery, relapse prevention, dealing with injuries and getting out of injury cycles. We leave listeners with advice for navigating eating disorders and injury recovery, and Allie touches on what’s next for her running career. She’s certainly not done yet! Follow Allie on Instagram and YouTube @allie_ostrander and me, your host Lindsey Cortes, on Instagram @female.athlete.nutrition  We have a huge announcement! We are launching patreon! Female Athlete Nutrition podcast patreon is now LIVE and we are excited to offer our community unique perks. Join today and receive bonus episodes, merch, monthly recipes, access to an exclusive community message board, and have the chance to ask Lindsey your questions and get a podcast shoutout, and more! Head to patreon today patreon.com/femaleathletenutrition  Need help with your fueling? Want to get in touch with Lindsey? Interested in the Female Athlete System of Transformation?  Head to www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com to learn more & book a call! THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: Previnex: https://www.previnex.com/ use code RISEUP for 15% off at checkout InsideTracker: www.insidetracker.com/riseup for 20% off the entire store for a limited time only! THIS PODCAST IS ALSO SUPPORTED BY: Orgain, head to www.orgain.com and use the code RISEUP30 for 30% off your first order. Repeat customers can use the code OA2203 for 25% off future orders. Practice Better Click the link below to view plans and get a 14-day free trial. Then use the code RISEUP20 for 20% off your first 4 months: https://practicebetter.grsm.io/runp  Jen & Keri: https://jenandkeri.com/ use code RISEUP10 for $10 off your order In this episode we talk about: 3:00 Allie’s introduction to running and college transition  7:30 Early nutrition struggles during puberty 11:00 When healthy eating becomes unhealthy; physical and mental signs of disordered eating 17:00 The importance of nutrition education and eating disorder awareness among parents, coaches, and medical professionals  21:00 Disordered eating team culture in college; the impact of Allie’s eating disorder on her college experience, social life, and relationships  24:00 Eating disorder risk in competitive, high achieving athletes  26:00 Committing to eating disorder recovery and the realities of treatment programs 30:45 Athlete fueling needs 37:30 Eating disorder recovery is an ongoing process; combining recovery with elite athletics  42:30 Stepping back from pro running and breaking free from injury cycles; tips for dealing with injuries  48:30 Relapse prevention and ongoing recovery challenges  54:00 Allie’s future running plans  55:15 End of the podcast questions