Feisty Women's Performance

We're welcoming registered dietitian Alex Larson to help us dive deep into the critical (and less critical) nutrition trends of coming in 2026. Alex and your host, Dr. Erin Ayala, discuss the realities of the supplement industry, bust myths surrounding women's sports nutrition, and explore evidence-based nutrition strategies to enhance your performance. Key Takeaways What supplements should you re...

In this episode, Feisty Women’s Performance host Dr. Erin Ayala discusses the crucial but often avoided conversations that can significantly impact athletes' performance and wellbeing. In a live talk from USA Triathlon's Endurance Exchange conference, she shares strategies for coaches to effectively engage with female athletes on sensitive topics like menstrual health, body image, and mental healt...

Dr. Emily Kraus, sports medicine physician and director of Stanford's FASTR female athlete research program, addresses the critical gap in sports science that continues to affects all female athletes: from Olympians to college students to everyday women who just want to do their best. She discusses the physiological differences that lead to unique health challenges and emphasizes the urgent need f...

The Feisty Women’s Performance Podcast is back—bigger, bolder, and built for active women who want real answers, not recycled hype. We're handing the mic off to our new host : Dr. Erin Ayala , a Sport Psychologist and Certified Mental Performance Consultant, who works almost exclusively with female athletes across the lifespan. From protein needs and sleep disruptions to saddle sores, strength tra...

We're sharing this episode of Feisty's weekly women's sports show, called The Feist, because we thought you’d enjoy this preview of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. Even if you already know everything about cycling, we're sure you’ll find something you don’t know in today’s episode. And be sure to subscribe and follow The Feist wherever you listen, so you don't miss any future episodes of the...

Welcome to The Feist — your favorite sports, with your feistiest friends. Hosted by Sara Gross and Kelly O’Mara, Feisty's newest podcast is here to celebrate the unstoppable rise of women’s sports. Every week they'll cover what you need to know in women's sports: from running to basketball to everything in between. The Feist will bring you the untold stories of female athletes, interviews with tho...

Episode 3: The Fertility Journey as a Professional Athlete In this final episode of our series on IVF, guest host Jill Van Gyn sits down with six-time world champion mountain biker Annika Langvad to explore the unexpected intersection of pro racing and the IVF process. Her vulnerability offers insight into the quiet battles many athletes face behind the scenes. She discusses: The unique challenges...

Episode 2 - The Emotional Highs & Lows of IVF In this second episode of our series on IVF, co-host Jill Van Gyn explores the emotional complexities of fertility treatments, with a special focus on IVF and pregnancy loss. Joining her is Alexandra Stewart M.A., RCC, PMH-C , a seasoned fertility therapist with personal and deep expertise in reproductive mental health. They unpack the often unspok...

Over the past eight years, Feisty Media has grown into a go-to resource for women’s health and performance education. In this special episode, Feisty CEO Sara Gross and Hit Play Not Pause host Selene Yeager reflect on how Feisty’s content has evolved to meet the real-life needs of active women. From menopause and nutrition to strength training and brain health, Feisty is offering more than ever—in...

Episode 1: In Vitro Fertilization 101 In the first episode of this informative and deeply personal limited podcast series, guest host Jill Van Gyn is joined by Dr. Carla DiGirolamo , a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist, for an open and honest conversation about the physical, emotional, and medical complexities of in vitro fertilization (IVF). Drawing from Jill’s personal experience and...

Cognitive challenges can begin as early as your 20s. Yes, it’s a little-known fact. While we’re often told how to protect our skin, bones, and muscles as we age, brain health is rarely part of the conversation. So—what’s the best regime to support our aging minds? In the final episode of our Brain Health for Women series, Dr. Sara Gross and Dr. Erin Ayala sit down with Dr. Laura Best to explore ju...

If you’ve ever felt mentally foggy or struggled with decision-making during or after a long training session, this episode is for you. Dr. Sara Gross and Dr. Erin Ayala sit down with Katherine Boere, a Ph. D. candidate in Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Victoria, whose research explores how the brain recovers from cognitive depletion—especially under the demands of endurance sports. Wi...

We hear it all the time—stay strong, keep your bones healthy, hit the weights. But what about your brain? For midlife women, keeping your mind sharp is just as important as keeping your body strong. In part two of this series on brain health co-hosted by Dr. Sara Gross and Dr. Erin Ayala, they are joined by Dr. Carla DiGirolamo, a Board Certified Obstetrician/Gynecologist, Reproductive Endocrinolo...

We spend so much time focusing on nutrition, strength training, and bone health as we age—but what about our brain? How can we build mental resilience and protect our brain health starting now? In this new Feisty series, co-hosted by Sara Gross and Dr. Erin Ayala, we’re diving into the intersection of brain health, stress, and performance. In this first episode, Dr. Erin Ayala, a Licensed Psycholo...

Recorded live at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, this special episode of The Think Tank from Essentially Esports dives into the booming growth of women’s sports. The Think Tank show is where industry leaders—CMOs, brand strategists, team executives, elite athletes, and coaches—break down the forces shaping the sports world. In this exclusive episode, Host Trey Holder teams up with co-host Ang...

In the final episode of our series on coaching young athletes, Sara Gross and co-host Jill Colangelo are joined by MD student, scientist, coach, and pro-runner Keely Henninger (@runwidkeel) to debunk myths about body weight, nutrition, and the often-overlooked role of mental health in sports—especially during the late-teen and early collegiate years. Through a true-or-false format, Jill and Keely...

In the second episode of our three-part series on coaching young athletes, Sara Gross and guest co-host Jill Colangelo turn the spotlight to the coaches who work with young female athletes through topics like body image, menstruation, and proper fueling. As awareness grows about the impact of body image on performance, coaches—both male and female coaches—must learn to navigate these conversations...

Frequent mirror checks, comments from teammates and parents, and feeling the need to “earn” food—these are common red flags of disordered eating in youth sports. In the first of a three-part series, Sara Gross and guest co-host Jill Colangelo explore eating disorders among young female athletes, a growing concern for parents and coaches. Colangelo, a researcher in Forensic and Sports Psychiatry, s...

As more people seek to "clean up" their diets, we’re seeing how rigid rules and an obsession with food purity can disrupt lives. In this episode, Kylee and Zoë dive into the evolving conversation around Orthorexia—a term for the unhealthy obsession with healthy eating. We explore the impact of societal norms, social media, and misinformation on people's relationship with food, particularly athlete...

So, are you in a diet cult?? In this second episode teaming up with the Your Diet Sucks podcast , Zoë and Kylee discuss the shocking parallels between diet fads and cult dynamics, emphasizing how these trends often create a false sense of community and manipulate individuals into restrictive eating patterns.  How do you know if your diet is just a little bit cult-y? There are plenty of red fl...

New year, same diet BS. It’s that time of year when the world is drowning in bad diet advice and unsustainable fitness trends. That's why we're teaming up with the Your Diet Sucks podcast to bring you a series of Your Diet Sucks episodes this January aimed at ditching diet culture and getting you ready to fuel your goals, Hosts Kylee Van Horn, RDN, ( @flynutrition3 ) and Zoë Rom ( @carrot_flowers_...

Here we go again with the bombardment of “New Year, New You” ads and messages to “eat this, not that,” or “do this specific workout for 30 days to get amazing abs.” You know the drill and they’re probably in your feed as we speak.  In this first-of-its kind episode, Feisty Media podcast hosts Kathryn Taylor (Girls Gone Gravel), Sara Gross (Women’s Performance Podcast), Kelly O’Mara (If We Wer...

Obviously, the best way to deal with a concussion is to not get a concussion. But that’s not always possible, and nearly 30% of adults report having a concussion in their lifetime. In this episode we cover the basics on how to prevent concussion and what to do if you do hit your head based on what we’ve learned during this series. We also take a deeper dive into who might be more susceptible to co...

A head injury like concussion can fundamentally change you–especially if you have prolonged post-concussive symptoms, which can upend your life and sense of self for months, and sometimes years. Head injuries are also traumatic and they can leave you vulnerable to reliving other past traumas that may have been long buried. That’s where therapy comes in. Therapy can help you deal with your past and...

What do you do when you hit your head? That can be a hard question to answer. Even when people go to the doctor or ER, the actual advice can be thin, amounting to: take it easy and let your brain heal. Sometimes that works. But for nearly half of concussion sufferers, symptoms like depression, headaches, fatigue, and cognitive impairment can linger for months. And for some, like Rebecca, they can...