Dominique Kondo

And from here, we see the cascade of events.

Hormonal dysregulation, menstrual dysfunction, fatigue, bone loss, slower recovery.

The result?

Performance declines, strength plateaus, injuries mount.

And this isn't just specific to athletes.

Think about your own life.

When was the last time you skipped a meal, trained, exhausted or didn't sleep well?

Did you perform better?

Well, neither do they, except their livelihoods depend on it.

Prolonged low energy availability has been shown to reduce power output, endurance capability and decision making.

And that is why we cannot separate body image from performance.

So is this all doom and gloom, or how do we fix it?

Well, we build environments that are performance-focused and athlete-centred.

So what does that mean?

Well, it means education in fuelling, in energy availability, in menstrual health, and not just for athletes, for coaches as well.

It means individualisation because optimal body composition is specific to the individual athlete.

language protocols that are private, functional and constructive, and choice in testing, in uniform and in timing.

And here's the thing.

When we do these things, performance improves.

I've seen teams transform, confidence rises, engagement lifts, results follow.