Kristen Arnold and Team

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Columbus, OH
Kristen Arnold and Team

Empowering Women Athletes through Evidence-Based Sports Nutrition Coaching

I am passionate about inspiring and guiding individuals and teams to cultivate their personal bests through nutrition and coaching

-Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
-Master's of Science in Human Nutrition
-Category 1 Road Racer
-racer for domestic elite women's racing team: VeloClassic p/b Stan's NoTubes
-coach with Red Kite Coaching

For my coaching services: visit http://redkite.cc/

For my nutrition services: visit arnoldrdn.com

04/07/2026

Throughout Elisabeth’s time working through the SNFW E-Course, she asked a handful of great questions to me. I always love answering questions and engaging with athletes who are excited to learn and apply sports nutrition knowledge for their sport and life. We have a private Facebook group where SNFW E-Course students can ask questions and learn from each other!

It is a privilege to have the opportunity to educate athletes all over the world about the what/how/when/why of sports nutrition.

Have any questions about the Sports Nutrition for Women E-Course before you get started? Ask them in the comments!

04/06/2026

Hi there! If you’re new here, thanks for stopping by! Swipe to see my abbreviated story (updated April 2026 with a few exciting changes 😃).

Why I’m passionate about providing sports nutrition services to active folks (recreational to Olympians):

I strive to understand the intersection between food, athleticism, body image, and self-worth.

I believe when we cultivate balanced and healthy relationships with our bodies and food, we are liberated. We are liberated to be active, we are understanding of what our bodies and minds need, and we are drawn to support one another.

Through food and exploring both evidence-based performance nutrition strategies and how we think about food and our bodies we can begin to better ourselves and our communities. We better ourselves physically through physical performance and being in tune with our bodies and minds. We better our communities through empathetic and empowered communication.

When I started college to become a Registered Dietitian, I originally wanted to go into public health and women’s health. I wanted to help moms, kids, pregnant women, and low-income populations through food and nutrition education and programming.

4 years into a 5 year undergraduate degree I picked up cycling. With rapid speed bike racing became a way of life for me. My community, my income, my time, and my passion centered around racing my bike. With this came a passion for sports nutrition.

Not only do I love the nitty gritty of the research, I love working with athletes and active individuals to find creative and practical ways to integrate all of the knowledge the sports nutrition research is constantly teaching us.

I am passionate about helping individuals and teams enhance their performance and showing them that through food they can do more than they ever thought was possible of themselves.

04/02/2026

Dietary nitrates might not be as trendy as they once were—but the research supporting their performance and health benefits has only grown stronger over time.

If you’re new to ergogenic aids, this is a great place to start. Dietary nitrates (from juice) are closer to a food than a supplement, making them a simple, effective addition to your routine.

My go-to recommendation: fresh-pressed beetroot juice. You can usually find it in the shelf-stable juice aisle (glass bottles) or in the refrigerated section with fresh juices.

Around 16oz of beetroot juice typically provides the ~6–8 mmol of nitrates needed to see a performance benefit. Plus, you’re getting beneficial carbs, antioxidants, potassium, iron, manganese, and folate.

Use it before training or racing to support performance—or after, to aid recovery.

03/31/2026

You are not just fueling for your sport now, you are fueling for the longterm health and function of your one-and-only body.

We know that reproductive function is often one of the first things to go when athletes aren’t eating enough calories. Their body’s need to reduce the number of functions in order to survive on less calories. What this study is telling us, is that it may not just be short-term consequences with sub-optimal fertility, but that there’s the potential for long-term consequences with pregnancy complications.

Another important note is that low energy availability (not eating enough calories relative to training energy expenditure) exists on a spectrum. It’s not as simple as having RED-S one day and not the next—there are varying degrees, timelines, and individual impacts that look different for everyone with regards to complications and also recovery.

What we do know: properly fueling with enough energy supports performance, daily function, and long-term health. Your body needs adequate fuel—not just to compete, but to thrive in whatever longterm plans you have in life.

03/26/2026

And remember….always make sure your supplements are third party certified.

We typically recommend NSF Certified for Sport and Informed Sport products and brands.

03/24/2026

Ultra sports are becoming more popular every day. This study included 531 ultra endurance athlete participants. Our team works with as many as 30 ultra athletes a month, competing in events ranging from 100mile trail running races to 25 day ultra endurance cycling events.

We help athletes to make sure they are meeting their body’s energy and nutrient needs across the training week, not just the day. Fueling during training is important, but meeting the body’s daily energy needs should be the highest priority.

Many of the athletes we work with come to us unintentionally underfueling by thousands of calories per week. While training underfueled may feel okay in the moment, or skipping lunch is a regular habit because work is so busy, over time these habits can develop into unhealthy long-term consequences and thought patterns.

As ultra endurance sports become more popular, educating athletes, parents, and coaches on the risks associated with high volume training and the best methods to stay healthy and strong while executing them are imperative.

FuelDontPunish

03/18/2026

Good news, there’s likely nothing wrong with your gut or your body. Bad news, having to use the porta potty mid-run is a common phenomenon that might not always be avoided. But more good news, there are things you can do to prevent mid-run sh*ts.

In a perfect world, our bodies would know exactly when we’re about to run—and take care of business before we even start warming up. Unfortunately… that’s not always how it works.

Sometimes there’s a predictable chain of events that leads to an urgent mid-run bathroom stop. For example, if you wake up at 5:00am and start running at 5:45am, you might find yourself needing to go right when intensity picks up and adrenaline kicks in.

One simple strategy: as soon as you wake up, take in some caffeine, water, and a small carb-rich snack. This can help stimulate digestion and encourage your body to empty the bowels before you head out.

Another common scenario is switching up your training time. If you usually run in the morning but suddenly go in the afternoon, your body’s routine gets thrown off—and those pre-run signals may not show up on time.

In that case, try to replicate your usual pre-run routine as closely as possible, even at a different time of day. While it’s not an exact science, thinking like one—experimenting and observing what works for you—can make a big difference.

02/03/2026

Unlike creatine, I recommend beta alanine in very specific circumstances.

It needs to be taken during specific training/racing blocks, with a personalized dosage, and consistently. As far as we know there are no ‘additional benefits’ to beta alanine, unlike how creatine may have some cognitive benefits and support aspects of health such as lean body mass retention and growth. That being said, the evidence to support its use is quite strong. Beta alanine is a true ergogenic aid.

As with any supplement integration, beta alanine will only really be relevant for that last few % performance gain. Proper daily nutrition, fueling around training/racing, hydration, sleep, recovery, stress-management, always will produce bigger gains than a supplement will. Make sure to dial in these factors first and then consider integrating supplements.

01/27/2026

Track cycling pursuits, the kilo, rowing/crew, and middle- to long-distance track running are the events where sodium bicarbonate has traditionally been most effective. Today, its use has expanded—marathon runners, Tour de France cyclists, and even Ironman athletes are now experimenting with sodium bicarb as a performance aid.

That said, a personalized approach is essential. Timing, dosage, and how it’s taken can vary widely between athletes. Some peak within an hour, while others may take up to four. Take it too early and it may have no impact on race performance; too late and the effect may already be gone. Dialing in these details is critical to seeing any real benefit.

The high sodium content also needs careful consideration. Some athletes experience significant water retention, and there can be added strain on the kidneys when supplementing with sodium bicarb.

For these reasons, sodium bicarbonate can be a powerful ergogenic aid—but one that’s best implemented with professional guidance.

Have questions? Drop them in the comments 👇

01/20/2026

Every week, we get questions about new supplements—and lately, HMB has been a popular topic.

While HMB isn’t part of our standard practice, there is some preliminary research showing potential benefits for certain populations (as outlined in this post). That said, it’s not something we recommend on a regular basis.

As registered dietitians and sports nutritionists, we take a food-first approach. Meeting your protein and amino acid needs through whole foods will always be more effective and valuable than relying on individual supplements. Dial in the basics first—supplements can come later as a bonus, not the foundation.

Address

Columbus, OH

Telephone

+16142184702

Website

https://sportsnutritionforwomen.com/

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