Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) is what happens when an athlete's energy intake doesn't match the demands of their training and life. It's not just about missing periods or being "too lean." Chronic low energy availability can suppress hormones, reduce bone mineral density, alter thyroid function, impair recovery, and decrease performance. What was once labeled the Female Athlete Triad was expanded in 2014 to reflect what research made clear: this affects all genders and multiple physiological systems.

In this post we unpack how RED-S develops over time, why it's easy to normalize in competitive environments, and the patterns coaches and athletes should be paying attention to. They discuss weight-class and aesthetic sports, repeated fat loss phases, carbohydrate availability, stress load, and how to align nutrition with training cycles without compromising long-term health. If you care about performance that lasts, this conversation is foundational.

It’s Open season!! The most WONDERFUL time of the year. Three weeks. Three workouts. No idea what’s coming! Isn’t that so fun? 

That unpredictability is part of the fun, but it’s also where people start overthinking their nutrition. Let’s not do that this year! We are here to help! 

Wearable data is everywhere, but what do those numbers actually mean? This post breaks down heart rate variability, sleep metrics, and recovery scores: what they're measuring (and what they're not), why trends matter more than single-day numbers, and how lifestyle factors like stress, sleep, and alcohol can shift your data. Learn how to use wearable data to train smarter and recover better without letting it run your life or create more anxiety than insight.

Thinking about competing in Hyrox or CrossFit for the first time? Both sports have become increasingly popular because you don't need to be elite to compete, and the communities are incredibly welcoming. We're breaking down the key differences between these sports, the mindset shifts you need when going from working out to training to compete, and the most common first-timer mistake. We're also covering nutrition strategy, including how fueling differs between the two sports, why your best competition physique is the one you perform best in, and the importance of practicing game day nutrition. The goal of your first competition is simple: learn, finish proud, and walk away feeling more confident than when you started.

Is intermittent fasting a metabolic loophole? A biohack that tricks your body into burning fat faster? Spoiler: no. Fasting isn't magic, and it doesn't change the basic rules of fat loss. But that doesn't mean it's useless. We're breaking down what fasting actually does in your body, why people think it works, when it might be helpful, and when it's likely to backfire. Plus, we'll tell you exactly who should avoid fasting altogether (hint: if you're training for performance, this probably isn't for you).

Active recovery is wildly misunderstood. Most people either skip it entirely or accidentally turn it into another training day, thinking a "chill" 11-mile run counts as recovery. We're breaking down what active recovery actually means, why it's critical even for everyday gym-goers, and the biggest mistakes people make (like undereating on recovery days or joining group fitness classes when you should be resting). From understanding what low intensity actually feels like to recognizing when life stress means you need to back off training, we're covering how to structure recovery that supports your progress. Because your body doesn't get stronger during training, it happens during recovery. If you're always tired, sore, and burnt out, proper active recovery might be the missing piece.

Training through the holidays doesn’t have to be chaos or a calorie burn-fest. In this post, we talk about staying consistent when travel, family, and festivities try to derail you. Learn how to plan ahead, flex your routine, and hold boundaries without being that person at dinner. Because December doesn’t have to be a detour from your goals—it can be a test of adaptability.

Hydration is more than “just drink more water.” In this post we break down how fluid balance impacts digestion, energy, performance, recovery, and even mood. Learn the real science behind electrolytes, why dehydration often disguises itself as hunger or fatigue, and practical ways to make hydration a habit without obsessing over supplements.

Why tying your self-worth to race results is a fast track to burnout. We break down healthy vs. unhealthy athlete identity, how to stop spiraling after bad performances, and why sport should add to your life—not take it over.

In this blog post, we’re breaking down the latest episode of Black Iron Radio, where Krissy, Amanda, and Ryann dive into the strategy behind event day nutrition as a follow up on last week’s fueling around training episode. If you’ve ever wondered what to eat before and during a big race, event, meet, or objective, this episode covers it all. We’ve taken the key points from the conversation and turned them into a clear, practical guide to help you fuel smarter to compete harder and stronger.

In this blog post, we’re breaking down the latest episode of Black Iron Radio, where Krissy, Amanda, and Ryann dive into the science and strategy behind pre-, intra-, and post-training nutrition. If you’ve ever wondered what to eat before a tough lift, how to fuel a long run, or why your recovery isn’t where it should be—this episode covers it all. We’ve taken the key points from the conversation and turned them into a clear, practical guide to help you fuel smarter and train stronger.

It’s here! The final week of the 2025 CrossFit Open. This workout has the longest time cap of all 3 open workouts- which means, for the majority of us, it will be the longest workout of the Open. Which means, pacing will be extremely important if you are looking to finish under the time cap. 

Week 2 of the 2025 CrossFit Open is here, and the Black Iron Nutrition Performance Team is back with another nutrition strategy to help you fuel, recover, and perform at your best. Dialing in your nutrition can make all the difference in how you feel and execute this workout. Whether you’re adjusting your schedule, redoing the workout, or just looking to optimize your energy levels, we’ve got you covered.

This is a fun workout to kick off the 2025 CrossFit Games Open, even though the pain is going to BE THERE. Pacing, grip management, and not coming out too hot will be BIG here. And the BIN Performance coaches are here to help you this week with your own Black Iron Nutrition strategy.

How many times have you looked at pictures of CrossFit athletes, weightlifters, etc. and thought “I would kill to look like that” ?

But if we knew what it actually took to get there, we might reconsider.

This also brings up one of the biggest misconceptions in fitness - the idea that looking shredded is equivalent to better performance in the gym or in sport.

Did you know that the average adult needs 7-9 hours of sleep per night?

Did you know athletes may need even more?

Lack of sleep or sleep deprivation can cause slow reaction times, can alter pain reception and can even decrease accuracy. All things every athlete needs to stay in tip-top shape.

We have fully embraced the notion that each individual client needs to be educated and coached in a very specific way. Not only are your goals and knowledge about nutrition unique and specific to you, but they will most likely change during your time with us.

It’s beach season! For some people that means bikini’s, white sand, and those fruity drinks with the umbrellas! But what if you have fat loss goals? Can you still drink? How does it impact your body and what are the “best” ways we can fit drinking into our macros?! We’re not here to tell you what to do, we just want you to understand the physiology of what happens when you drink and let you make the best decision for you!