This is part one of a series of posts on how athletes can prepare their bodies for conception. Special thanks to Registered Dietician Rebecca Jaspan for sharing her knowledge and expertise! To learn about the East Asian Medicine Perspective, you can check out my article here.
A Guest Post by Rebecca Jaspan, MPH, RD, CEDS, CDCES
For athletes, peak performance is a way of life. But when it’s time to shift focus from podiums to parenthood, the same dedication to training can be a powerful asset—especially when it comes to fertility. Preparing your body for conception isn’t just about tracking cycles; it starts long before that with what’s on your plate.
Whether you’re a competitive runner, a HYROX enthusiast, or a recreational athlete, your nutritional needs are unique—and so are the steps you should take to support reproductive health. In this post, we’ll explore steps athletes, both female and male, can take to optimize their fertility, ensuring that their bodies are not just strong and fit, but also ready to support a healthy pregnancy.
Why Athletes May Struggle with Infertility
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 10% of women ages 25-34 and 17% of women ages 35-44 experience infertility. While there isn’t a conclusive statistic for female athletes struggling with infertility, there is a higher rate of menstrual irregularities and reproductive dysfunction in athletes. Eating disorders don’t only affect females, and therefore, they equally affect male fertility. For men, calorie restriction and eating disorders can contribute to lower sperm count, reduced sperm motility, hormone imbalances, and erectile dysfunction.
Athletes with low body fat or restrictive eating habits may disrupt the delicate hormonal systems that support ovulation and reproductive health. Inadequate calorie intake, low levels of essential fats, and nutrient deficiencies can signal to the body that it’s not a safe time to conceive, leading to irregular or absent menstrual cycles (amenorrhea), poor egg quality, or even suppressed ovulation.
Malnutrition doesn’t just mean not eating enough—it also refers to not getting the right types of nutrients. Deficiencies in vitamins like B12, D, folate, and minerals like iron and zinc can directly impact fertility in both women and men. Here are a few changes you can make right now to help prepare your body for conception.
1. Eat whole milk yogurt
Fats are essential to fertility because they play a crucial role in hormone production, including estrogen and progesterone and testosterone in men. Without enough fat in the diet, the body may struggle to produce these hormones, leading to irregular periods, missed cycles, and low sperm count and quality.
In addition, fats are essential for absorbing fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K—nutrients that support everything from egg quality and uterine health to early fetal development. Omega-3 fatty acids, in particular, have been shown to improve blood flow to reproductive organs and reduce inflammation, both of which are important for conception.
For athletes who have high muscle mass or very low body fat levels, ensuring enough high-quality fat intake, such as from full fat yogurt, avocado, nuts, and fatty fish, is a key step in supporting fertility.
2. Eat every 3-4 hours
When it comes to fertility, timing your meals can be just as important as what’s on your plate. For athletes and active individuals, long gaps between meals and snacks can trigger a state of low energy availability, where the body doesn’t have enough fuel to support both physical performance and essential functions like reproduction. In this state, the body may down-regulate fertility as a protective mechanism, sensing that conditions aren’t ideal for pregnancy. Eating every 3-4 hours helps ensure your body has enough energy on board to support basic functions along with physical performance and signals to your body that it’s in a safe environment with regular nourishment.
Eating every 3–4 hours also helps stabilize blood sugar levels, which plays a critical role in hormone balance—a key factor in reproductive health. When blood sugar spikes and crashes due to long gaps between meals or under-eating, it can lead to elevated cortisol, which may interfere with the balance of reproductive hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and luteinizing hormone (LH). Be sure to factor in a pre-workout snack when you’re thinking about timing. Eating before exercise decreases cortisol levels, especially if you’re a morning exerciser, and stabilizes blood sugar, which is essential for hormone balance in both women and men.
3. Increase intake of iron, folate, and B12
Iron, folate, and vitamin B12 are essential nutrients that play critical roles in fertility, fetal development, and early pregnancy health. Many athletes are deficient in these nutrients, so it is helpful to get these levels checked as well as focus on foods with these nutrients prior to conception.
Iron is essential for the production of red blood cells and low levels of iron can contribute to anemia, fatigue, and even irregular ovulation. During pregnancy, iron demands increase significantly to support the growing fetus and placenta, making it important to build up these stores beforehand. Foods like red meat, eggs, legumes, lentils, and dried apricots are good sources of iron.
Folate is best known for its role in preventing neural tube defects, which affect the brain and spine of the developing baby. However, folate is also essential before conception to ensure that your body is ready for the rapid cell growth that occurs immediately after fertilization. Folate may also play a role in promoting healthy ovulation and egg quality. Foods high in folate include dark leafy greens, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, eggs, avocado, and fortified cereals. Vitamin B12 works closely with folate to help produce DNA and red blood cells. A deficiency in B12 can mimic the effects of folate deficiency and increase the risk of neural tube defects and
miscarriage. B12 is particularly important for vegans, vegetarians, and those with absorption issues, as the best sources of B12 are meat and dairy.
4. Ensure enough carbohydrates
As an athlete, you are probably familiar with the importance carbohydrates play in performance, but they also play a crucial role in supporting fertility. Carbohydrates help regulate the body’s stress hormone and reproductive hormones like estrogen and luteinizing hormone (LH), which are essential for a regular menstrual cycle and ovulation. With so much emphasis on protein these days, many athletes neglect adequate carbohydrates. Not enough carbohydrates can result in hormonal disruption, which directly impairs fertility. If you’re not eating enough, especially carbs, to match your training load, your body can shift into a “protective” state and suppress reproductive function. Eating enough carbohydrates also allows protein to do its job of recovery and repair, rather than burning it for energy. Carbohydrates provide the quick, accessible energy your body needs to prevent a state of low energy availability.
5. Find the right balance between activity and rest
For athletes trying to conceive, one of the most important, and often most challenging, shifts is learning to balance intense physical activity with adequate rest and recovery. While regular exercise supports overall health and can even enhance fertility, too much training without enough rest can place stress on the body, disrupt hormonal balance, and interfere with ovulation. The body needs to feel safe and nourished in order to prioritize reproduction. This means making space for restorative practices, rest days, and adequate sleep alongside your
training. Listening to your body, adjusting workouts based on your energy levels, and honoring signs of fatigue are just as important as maintaining strength and endurance. In this season, rest is not a setback—it’s a strategic part of the process that supports both fertility and long-term performance for both females and males.
As an athlete, you’re already in tune with your body, your routines, and your goals and that awareness can be a powerful tool on your fertility journey. If you have questions or need individualized nutrition support, be sure to reach out to a registered dietitian who specializes in working with athletes. By shifting your mindset from peak performance to optimal well-being, you’re laying a strong foundation not just for conception, but for a healthy pregnancy and beyond.
If you’re interested in learning more from Rebecca, check out her website here and Instagram here!