Lindsey Elizabeth Cortes interviews returning guest Marina Paul, founder and CEO of Superhera, a data-driven sports apparel company addressing female athletes’ ill-fitting, male-centric gear and its links to body image and performance. Marina describes research conducted with 858 respondents (with researchers from Brooklyn College and Notre Dame) showing contradictions: 65% said sportswear is “fine,” yet 55% considered restricting food to fit better and 39% had done so; many also altered gear to make it work.

Most athletes prioritized fit over look, and while 80% said they look like an athlete, descriptions of the “ideal” athlete emphasized being leaner and more toned. Marina explains Superhera’s evolution into a sizing technology company using athlete measurements and photos to recommend uniform sizes and create custom gear for teams, now including men’s teams.

Marina Paul is the Founder and CEO of Superhera, a data-driven sports apparel company dedicated to closing the "gear gap" for female athletes. A former Division I soccer captain at Georgetown University, Marina transitioned from elite athletics to a career in consulting before launching Superhera to solve a systemic multi-billion dollar sizing error in the sportswear market. Her mission is deeply personal: after a successful career on the field was marred by a battle with body dysmorphia—driven by ill-fitting, male-centric uniforms—Marina set out to revolutionize the industry.

Episode Highlights:

• 01:22 Period Pain Sponsor
• 03:00 Meet Marina Paul
• 04:57 Why Fit Matters
• 08:23 Data Driven Sportswear
• 12:29 Sizing Psychology
• 16:52 Survey Setup
• 24:59 Key Study Findings
• 29:52 REDS Check In
• 30:40 REDS Recovery Options
• 32:24 Athlete Body Awareness
• 34:33 Do I Look Athletic
• 37:19 Toned Lean Ideal Trap
• 38:33 Healthy Body Goals
• 42:18 Superhera Tech Evolution
• 48:05 Fit Over Fashion Trends
• 51:39 Work With Superhera
• 55:14 Closing Resources

Resources and Links:

• Follow Marina Paul on Instagram
• Superhera Website
• For more information about the show, head to work with Lindsey on improving your nutrition, head to: http://www.lindseycortes.com/
• Join REDS Recovery Membership: http://www.lindseycortes.com/reds
• WaveBye Supplements – Menstrual cycle support code LindseyCortes for 15% off: http://wavebye.co
• Previnex Supplements – Joint Health Plus, Muscle Health Plus, plant-based protein, probiotics, and more; code CORTES15 for 15% off: previnex.com
• Female Athlete Nutrition Podcast Archive & Search Tool – Search by sport, condition, or topic: lindseycortes.com/podcast
• Female Athlete Nutrition Community – YouTube, Instagram @‌femaleathletenutrition, and private Facebook group

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Lindsey Elizabeth Cortes shares her take on the 2025–2030 USDA Dietary Guidelines released in 2026, explaining how the USDA updates them every five years and how they affect downstream food policy. She says the new inverted food pyramid and “eat real food” messaging feel more like marketing than a true 180, though she appreciates that the guidelines are shortened to 10 pages.

From a sports dietetics lens, she critiques the low grain/carbohydrate guidance as inadequate for athletes, recommends past episodes on carbs, sugar, and during-training fuel, and notes athletes may need some refined carbs to avoid excessive fiber and GI issues. She likes the increased protein target (1.2–1.6 g/kg), the more permissive tone on whole fats despite a still-low saturated fat cap, and the stronger “limit alcohol” message, and discusses potential implications for SNAP, school lunches, and ultra-processed foods.

Episode Highlights:

• 01:22 WaveBye Sponsor Break
• 03:00 USDA Guidelines Overview
• 04:21 What USDA Does
• 06:08 Food Pyramid to MyPlate
• 08:30 Inverted Pyramid Marketing
• 12:57 Eat Real Food Message
• 15:23 10 Page Guidelines Shift
• 16:24 Carb Limits for Athletes
• 19:31 Whole Grains vs Refined Fuel
• 19:57 Fiber and GI Reality Check
• 22:29 RED-S Check In and Resources
• 23:18 RED-S Recovery Options
• 24:18 Why Community Support Matters
• 25:02 Protein Targets Updated
• 27:15 Whole Fats And Saturated Fat
• 31:41 Alcohol Guidance Shift
• 35:58 Policy Ripple Effects
• 37:52 SNAP And Food Quality
• 40:50 Biggest Takeaways
• 42:02 Blame On Individuals
• 44:27 Final Thanks And Resources

• Dietary Guidelines For Americans
• FANP Episode 103: Stop Cutting The Carbs!
• FANP Episode 248: The Science of Sugar for Athlete Performance & Health: Clarifying Natural vs Artificial vs Added
• FANP Episode 195: Fast Fueling Facts: During Training Sports Nutrition
• For more information about the show, head to work with Lindsey on improving your nutrition, head to: http://www.lindseycortes.com/
• Join REDS Recovery Membership: http://www.lindseycortes.com/reds
• WaveBye Supplements – Menstrual cycle support code LindseyCortes for 15% off: http://wavebye.co
• Previnex Supplements – Joint Health Plus, Muscle Health Plus, plant-based protein, probiotics, and more; code CORTES15 for 15% off: previnex.com
• Female Athlete Nutrition Podcast Archive & Search Tool – Search by sport, condition, or topic: lindseycortes.com/podcast
• Female Athlete Nutrition Community – YouTube, Instagram @‌femaleathletenutrition, and private Facebook group

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Lindsey Elizabeth Cortes, host of the Female Athlete Nutrition Podcast, reflects on Super Bowl ads, praising Dove’s body confidence message but feeling disheartened by multiple GLP-1 weight loss commercials and what she sees as renewed cultural pressure to lose weight. She clarifies she is not anti–weight loss or anti-medication, but supports body acceptance, fueling and nourishing with real food, and case-by-case medical decisions, and she critiques the broad “lose weight to be healthier” message, including concern about Serena Williams promoting Ozempic.

Lindsey discusses REDs risk in female athletes and shares advice she gave an 11-year-old worried about being bigger than friends: bodies grow differently and she should keep fueling and training. She apologizes after a listener reported a GLP-1 ad ran on her podcast due to hosting-platform ad miscategorization, says it was fixed quickly, and invites listeners to email feedback.

Episode Highlights:

• 01:22 Period Pain Sponsor
• 03:00 Super Bowl Ad Reactions
• 05:03 GLP-1 Concerns
• 09:09 Serena Ozempic Critique
• 11:13 Body Acceptance Call
• 11:42 REDS Support Resources
• 14:14 Girl Athlete Q and A
• 17:23 Ad Platform Apology
• 22:43 Listener Feedback Invite
• 24:57 Final Wrap Up

• FANP EP237: Biggest Loser, Fit for TV, & Weight Loss from Sports Dietitian perspective
• For more information about the show, head to work with Lindsey on improving your nutrition, head to: http://www.lindseycortes.com/
• Join REDS Recovery Membership: http://www.lindseycortes.com/reds
• WaveBye Supplements – Menstrual cycle support code LindseyCortes for 15% off: http://wavebye.co
• Previnex Supplements – Joint Health Plus, Muscle Health Plus, plant-based protein, probiotics, and more; code CORTES15 for 15% off: previnex.com
• Female Athlete Nutrition Podcast Archive & Search Tool – Search by sport, condition, or topic: lindseycortes.com/podcast
• Female Athlete Nutrition Community – YouTube, Instagram @‌femaleathletenutrition, and private Facebook group

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.