Session Preview: Science-Led Formulation for the Female Athlete

As a preview of our upcoming one-day conference, The Outlook on Active Wellness, Nutritional Outlook interviewed Maura MacDonald MS, RD, CSSD, LDN, sports dietician at Thorne. At the event, MacDonald will present Empowering the Female Athlete: Science-Led Formulation and the Power of Authentic Partnership.

Here, MacDonald highlights the need for female-specific, evidence-based formulations in sports nutrition, and shares her excitement about emerging research on lactate as a fuel source to enhance athletic performance.

Learn more and register for the conference here.

Transcript

Nutritional Outlook: Can you tell us about your role at Thorne and your approach to educating consumers?

Maura MacDonald: I am a sports dietitian and medical education specialist for sports nutrition at Thorne, and what that really means is, in my role, I am developing educational content for both consumers and practitioners, helping translate science into practical and evidence-based guidance.

And when it comes to consumer education, my goal is to really take complex nutrition and supplement science and make it accessible without oversimplifying it, focusing on breaking down the evidence into clear, actionable information so individuals can better understand the science, our products, and feel empowered to make their informed decisions that align with health and performance goals.

Nutritional Outlook: What are some of the key takeaways or lessons you want attendees to get from your presentation?

MacDonald: A few key takeaways I'd love for attendees to get from my presentation is that a one-size-fits-all approach doesn't necessarily work for female athletes, and we can't really just extrapolate male data to fit the female demographic. For those developing products in this space, it's essential to consider unique physiological needs of female athletes, both in ingredient selection and formulation, and these ingredients and formulas should be supported by research that meaningfully includes female participants. Our understanding of women's physiology continues to evolve, but really the momentum is still building, and there's so much more out there that we don't know yet.

Nutritional Outlook: What currently excites you about the active nutrition category?

MacDonald: Something that's really exciting me in the active nutrition category right now, it definitely feels timely with the Tour de France happening right now, but it's lactate as a fuel source. There's emerging fueling strategies that are beginning to combine carbohydrates with lactate to support energy production during exercise, and beyond just serving as an additional fuel source, supplemental lactate is also being researched and looked into for its potential to support buffering capacity within the body during these high-intensity outputs, which could translate to enhanced performance.