Episode
Stanford Doctor: Why Active Women & Female Athletes Are Damaging Their Bone Health
- Podcast
- Proof of Practice Podcast
- Published
- May 11, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2567
- Processing state
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Summary
Bone health for female athletes is one of the most under-discussed topics in women's health, and what you don't know right now could follow you all the way into perimenopause. Dr. Emily Kraus, Sports Medicine Physician and Director of the FASTR (Female Athlete Science and Translational Research) program at Stanford University, joins us to dig into one of the most overlooked areas of women's health: bone density, bone stress injuries, and the hidden epidemic of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S). Dr. Kraus breaks down exactly why female athletes are at disproportionately high risk for bone stress injuries and how under-fueling, even when unintentional, can trigger hormonal suppression, menstrual cycle dysfunction, and long-term skeletal consequences. The conversation spans everything from iron deficiency and foot strike hemolysis to the surprising relationship between estrogen, strength training, and bone building across the lifespan. If you think bone health is only a concern after menopause, this episode will completely reframe how you think about your body at every age. What we explore: - What RED-S is and why it affects far more women than anyone is diagnosing - Why female athletes are at higher risk for stress fractures than male athletes - The silent signs of under-fueling that appear long before you lose your period - Fasted training and young female athletes: why skipping breakfast is not neutral - Iron deficiency in active women: how to test it, which form to take, and why runners are especially vulnerable - Jumping vs. running for bone health, and how to ease into plyometrics safely - How perimenopause accelerates bone loss and what you can actually do about it - Why hormonal contraception can mask RED-S and complicate the clinical picture - Estrogen…