Fueling the Cohutta 100 MTB Race The Cohutta 100 is a bit of a misnomer. It’s marketed as a 100-mile mountain bike race, but in reality, it rides more like a ~25-mile singletrack race followed by ~70 miles of gravel. That’s part of what makes it unique—and challenging. You get fast, punchy trail efforts early, then settle into a long day of climbing, with ~13,000 feet of elevation gain. Last year was my first attempt at Cohutta and my first ultra-endurance MTB race. It didn’t go to plan. I...

This may sound like blasphemy to some and clickbait to others, but it’s a captivating title — and the focus of a recent 2024 paper. If that question has you thinking, “Of course it exists — what the heck is this paper talking about?” Let's hear the authors out. The premise of the article is this: are we overfocused on energy, and are there other causes behind what many athletes experience under the umbrella of RED-S? My answer? Sometimes — and absolutely. So What Overlap Does RED-S Share...

From my post on PEZ Cycling News Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) is, simply put, a mismatch between energy intake and energy output. When the gap between energy needs and actual intake persists, the body is left short of what it needs to support normal biological processes after exercise. Over time, the body begins to make “budget cuts.” This phenomenon was originally described as the Female Athlete Triad , after clinicians noticed a recurring pattern in female athletes:...