Episode 20: Mindful Movement, Sports Nutrition & Compulsive Exercise with Amy Gardner, MS, RD, CEDS-C, RYT

What happens when athletes become so disconnected from their bodies that they learn to override hunger, fatigue, pain, and the need for rest? In Episode 20 of **Eat Kale & Cupcakes**, Laura Cipullo and Shannon Herbert sit down with **Amy Gardner,** MS, RD, CEDS-C, RYT, a registered dietitian and certified eating disorder specialist with more than 20 years of experience in the eating disorder field. Together, they explore the intersection of **sports nutrition, mindfulness, exercise, eating disorders, and the mind-body connection**—with a particular focus on adolescents and athletes. Amy shares how her own experience as a former athlete, along with her work with eating disorders, shaped her approach to helping athletes reconnect with their bodies and develop a healthier relationship with movement and food. **In this episode, we discuss:** **Compulsive exercise vs. beneficial movement:** How can you tell when exercise has shifted from something that supports health and performance to something driven by obligation, guilt, or compulsion? **Fueling adolescent athletes:** Why adequate nutrition matters for growth, development, training, performance, and recovery—and what can happen when athletes consistently underfuel. **The mind-body connection in sport:** Why athletes can become disconnected from hunger, fatigue, pain, and other body signals, and how mindfulness can help rebuild body awareness. **Using mindfulness to enhance athletic performance:** Amy shares practical ways athletes can use breath, body awareness, and present-moment attention during strength training, walking, and other forms of movement. **Signs of training too hard and underfueling:** What athletes, parents, coaches, and healthcare professionals should watch for when training demands begin to exceed recovery and nutritional support. **Hunger cues and structured fueling:** Why athletes in recovery may need both mindful eating and intentional meal and snack planning—and why waiting for hunger isn't always enough. **When athletic identity changes:** How injury, retirement, transition out of sport, or changes in athletic identity can affect food, exercise, body image, and eating-disorder risk. **Movement as connection—not disconnection:** How we can shift the purpose of exercise from controlling or changing the body toward connection, enjoyment, strength, performance, and well-being. **A key takeaway** For athletes, especially adolescents, **more exercise is not always better**. Training requires adequate fuel, recovery, rest, and attention to the body's signals. Mindfulness can be a powerful tool for helping athletes notice those signals rather than automatically overriding them. As Amy explains, beneficial movement should be **additive rather than depleting**—supporting energy, mood, connection, and performance rather than consistently leaving the body exhausted. Whether you're an athlete, parent, coach, dietitian, therapist, or healthcare professional, this episode offers practical strategies for recognizing the difference between **healthy training and compulsive exercise** and for supporting a more sustainable relationship with movement and nourishment. 🎧 **Listen to Episode 20 of Eat Kale & Cupcakes** for the full conversation with Amy Gardner. *This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical, nutrition, or mental health care.*