https://rowenavisagiedietitian.co.za/

Rowena Visagie Dietitian, 15 Cowrie Crescent, Sunset Beach, Cape Town (2026)

21/04/2026

For the last 6 years I have had the privilege of presenting a lecture on REDs to medical doctors who are studying Sports & Exercise Medicine (via UCT). Most of them are already working with athletes. At the beginning of these I always ask “who has heard of REDs or the female athlete triad”, and usually only one or 2 hands go up.

The results from my MSc study (still unpublished unfortunately!) showed a similar story.

60% of healthcare professionals working with athletes were not familiar with REDs.
45% had not heard of either REDs or the female athlete triad.
75% thought that menstrual dysfunction is a normal consequence of heavy training (this is definitely not true!!).

These lectures are always a highlight for me, as I get to share my insights, and they learn how to recognise symptoms, how to screen, some common myths, and what treatment involves, as well as the power of working as part of a multidisciplinary team.

Educating and creating awareness among healthcare professionals is essential. Because lack of awareness and knowledge is how athletes with REDs get missed or symptoms get overlooked. Which can lead to serious health consequences, or the end of a sports career.

And, as I always say: You don’t know, until you do.

And if you are a healthcare professional that would like to learn more, please get in touch. I am always happy to answer any questions as best I can. ❤️

07/04/2026

Tuesday thoughts: Your body is capable of incredible things. It is your home. Even if there are times when you don’t like your body, it still deserves respect and adequate nourishment in order to do its magic.

03/04/2026

Happy Easter!

30/03/2026

Are you finding nutrition information online confusing?

We know that social media is a popular source of nutrition information for athletes.

However we also know that social media contains a plethora of misinformation, which does so much harm and make things super confusing (I see and hear this every day!).

In order to protect yourself:

🍓 Don’t believe everything you read and hear. Be curious. Be critical.

🍓 Be cautious with who you are taking information or advice from.

🍓 Always remember that nutrition is nuanced and should be taken within context for your individual situation.

🍓 Sensational headlines and claims are designed to get your attention and likes and follows, and are not necessarily true or fact or appropriate for YOU.

🍓 And very importantly, generic nutrition advice is NOT appropriate for athletes!!!

11/03/2026

WOMEN IN SPORT

I watched the beautiful movie (and true story) “Young woman and the sea” last week. It was the second time I have watched it (it’s so worth it, if you haven’t yet). It’s crazy to think that until fairly recently, women weren’t permitted to take part in many sports or to compete.

This story was also a reminder of how the female athletes before us have inspired future generations of women to take up their place in sports. That we do belong. And it’s beautiful to see women showing up and smashing ceilings while they are it.

I am so grateful to the women in sport who inspired me as a young girl. And I hope that I have also inspired others.

This photo is of my sister and myself, at our very first World Triathlon Championships in Cancun, Mexico. It was the first year that South Africa sent a junior team. It was an incredible privilege to represent our new rainbow nation for the first time. And it was the first of many World Championships and international races for us (and 3 Olympics for Gill 🤩). We had to race Olympic distance that day (it was only a few years later this was changed), and it was the first year that the Elites had a draft legal race in preparation to be an Olympic sport.

I hope you enjoyed some of my (self-indulgent) history lesson! ❤️

02/03/2026

Recovery nutrition plays an important role in restoring energy stores for your next training session, assists with muscle repair, and enhances training adaptations.

Including recovery fuel soon after training can also help to ensure adequate energy availability and the prevention of underfuelling.

Ingesting carbohydrates immediately after endurance training also improves next day training capacity.

Protein AND carbs are important for recovery; and a balanced meal does the job just fine. But if you prefer to shower, wash your bike, or chat with your teammates, (or it’s a long drive home, or any other reason there is a delay) before eating your next meal, then it may be a good idea to also include a recovery snack immediately after training.

A few quick recovery snack ideas:

Fruit & yoghurt smoothie
Flavoured milk or drinking yoghurt
Fruit & biltong
Crackers & hummus
Rice cakes with peanut butter
Yoghurt & fruit bowl
Cheese sandwich
Banana bread & milk
Chicken wrap
Egg bun
Pretzels & cheese stick
Recovery shake
Custard or yoghurt tub

What are your favourite recovery snacks?

❤️

25/02/2026

Eating disorders in athletes are much more common than most people think. Having worked with many athletes and performers who have struggled, these are few things I wish more people knew.

And if you are an athlete who is currently struggling, but are scared to speak up, please know that you are not alone and that recovery is really possible and so worth it. Maybe reaching out to a safe person is a good start.

And if you are someone who works with athletes - you WILL be working with humans with eating disorders (whether you are aware of it or not). You don’t need to become an expert, but you do need to be aware and be able to refer to those with expertise and experience in this area. It may be worth connecting with experts or exploring resources at

Please share with anyone who you think may benefit from hearing any of this. ❤️❤️❤️

11/02/2026

Only got 15 min before practice starts? Or in between back to back training sessions?

After my last post, many parents requested more tips for fuelling their teen athletes and dancers. So here you go! Although this isn’t just for teens.

If practice is straight after school, I usually recommend a quick pre-training snack, as lunch is usually not enough to get through. Teen athletes and performers also often have back to back training sessions, and a snack between these can be helpful (especially if there isn’t much opportunity to take on any fuel during those sessions). This is also a good chance to practice for competition day when gaps between events may be short.

The focus should be on ‘quick’ carbs for quick energy, and easily digestible to prevent gut distress.

A few ideas:
Dried fruit
Fruit roll or ruler or sticks
Apple purée pouch
Watermelon
Rice crispy bar
Fruit or sports gummies
Rice cakes or crackers
Dry cereal (lower fibre)
A few tbsp honey
Fruit juice
Date bar
Carb sports drink
Carb sports bar
Jelly

You can start with at least 15g carb if it is 15min before. But do a little experimenting to see what and how much works best for you and your type of sport or practice (or chat to a sports dietitian). If gut issues are not something you need to worry about, then including a bit more fibre and a little protein to this snack is an option. ❤️

05/02/2026

Teen athletes! Developing good fuelling habits can make a big difference to your sports (and brain!) performance.

These are just a few common themes that my teen athletes and I often chat about. ❤️

02/02/2026

Today felt like a good day to share this again.

Just another reminder that it is never okay to not have a period!!! Many female athletes that I see are still being told by people they trust that, “it is normal - it’s just because you are fit” or “it means you are training hard enough”.

And, alarmingly, 75% of healthcare professionals that participated in my MSc survey said that they thought that menstrual dysfunction is a normal consequence of heavy training. This is just not true!

In fact, a missing period is a signal that something isn’t okay.

The hormones produced during a normal menstrual cycle are essential for optimal bone health, heart function, and mood, as well as injury prevention, training adaptations, and sports performance.

One of the most common causes of missing periods, is insufficient fuelling to match training needs. If this is overlooked it can result in detrimental health and performance consequences.

❤️❤️❤️

27/01/2026

Symptoms of underfuelling and REDs aren’t always obvious, and can seem confusing and counterintuitive. Some of these signs may even feel normal to you as an athlete - but they aren’t. They are alarm signals.

Our bodies are always sending us messages to protect us. Trying to tell us what we need. That something is not okay. Are you listening to what your body is telling you or asking for? ❤️

07/01/2026

Hello 2026!! 💕 2025 felt like a whirlwind with so many awesome things and plenty of challenges. I am grateful for the little break over the festive season to rest and restore. Spending time with family and in nature is always the best way for me to refresh and recharge.

My sporting goals didn’t really go according to plan last year starting with a concussion (apparently trail running is a contact sport, and trees are not soft🌲), and not as many races as I hoped. 🚵‍♀️ was a big highlight, as was spending loads of time on the trails training for UTCT ex23 🏃🏼‍♀️(sadly but wisely not racing due to a last minute ni**le). Swimming with my masters squad is always epic (thank you coach! ). I have no idea what is in store this year yet….

I don’t always have a lot of time for social media, as I am usually too busy with my incredible clients, and living life. But I continue to get messages of appreciation for what I share, so I will carry on trying. Thank you for being here!

I am so excited to continue witnessing the beautiful changes I get to experience with the amazing humans I work with!

I hope it’s a wonderful year ❤️

📸 Southern Drakensburg

Rowena Visagie Dietitian

21/04/2026

07/04/2026

03/04/2026

30/03/2026

11/03/2026

02/03/2026

25/02/2026

11/02/2026

05/02/2026

02/02/2026

27/01/2026

07/01/2026

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