Melissa Lodge, MS

Melissa Lodge is an Interdisciplinary Health Sciences PhD candidate and graduate assistant at the University of Rhode Island. Her research focusses on female athlete physiology, particularly under conditions of low energy availability (LEA), such as Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs) and its associated impact on health and performance across thelifespan. She has presented her work at several regional, national and international conferences featuring work in female athletes on LEA outcomes. Melissa is interested in exploring intervention-based models, such as education, to improve outcomes for female athletes and girls in sports in the future. She is passionate about translating research to the athletic population and also runs the social media account @FED_collaborative on female athlete physiology, LEA/REDs, and eating disorders/disordered eating.

What we talked about:    

• FED collaborative – purpose, successes.
• Work forWiSEAN overview; personal usefulness.
• Publication,“Where are the girls, women, and female athletes in relative energy deficiencyin sport research?” Explanation of content.
• Publication(Risk of Low Energy Availability, Disordered Eating, Eating Disorders, and BoneStress Injuries in United States Female Track and Field: Original Research) keyfindings.
• Currentintervention programmes – knowledge and physiology.
• Dreamjob/goals following PhD success.