Olympic Athlete: Period Loss & Recovery

She lost a given Olympic medal in 2022. The analysis showed that diet was one of the culprits.

For the Olympics in Italy, Ebba Andersson and the other skiers therefore have their own chef with them.

– We saw that in Beijing we were in the red in terms of energy. The food in the Olympic village was not really nutritious, says national team manager Anders Byström.

Ebba Andersson was on her way to bronze in the three-mile at the 2022 Olympics, but dropped to eighth place in the last kilometer.

When the skiing star analyzed the collapse, it became clear that the missed period and the loss of energy were about training and diet.

– It was a consequence of me eating too little for what I was training. When I then understood what effect it would have to get it more balanced, the results also came after that, she says during the SOK’s camp in Crete last year.

Andersson got help from a dietician and as time went on with a better balance between exercise and diet, the period also returned.

“A and O for success”

In recent years, the national ski team has brought chefs to championships. For the WC in Trondheim last year, they even had two chefs with them – which ended with eleven medals (Andersson three golds). And in the Olympics in Milan-Cortina, the national skiing team has booked its own hotel and has its own chef with it.

– We saw that in Beijing we were at a loss in energy because the food in the Olympic village was not really nutritious. We saw that in some races, that we didn’t have the right energy, says Anders Byström in Crete.

– We have prioritized the diet now. I would say that it is almost the A and O for us to succeed. In the Olympics, there is a competition almost every day, so we have real challenges all the time.

Ebba Andersson is happy that they have their own chef at the Olympics.

– It is desirable to have it as similar as at home and it is easier with your own chef, she says.

Same eating habits

Even the national biathlon team usually has its own chef with them to the WC. But not during the Olympics because the national team stayed in the same hotel for several years and had the hotel adapt the food to their wishes. In addition, they now share a hotel with Norway, which has similar eating habits.

– It is unusual for me as a German with all the snacks and evening coffee. But it is very common in Sweden and Norway has it too. So it’s easier now that we live together, says national team coach Johannes Lukas at the autumn’s kick-off meeting.

The Swedish Olympic Committee (SOC) has had chefs and dieticians assess the menus at all Olympic accommodation in Italy and will make additions if necessary during the Games, says sports director Fredrik Joulamo.