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Sports RDpro, LLC, 2101 Rexford Road, Charlotte, NC (2026)

10/10/2026

💚 WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY | THE ATHLETE VERSION

The person matters more than the athlete. Always.

We spend so much time teaching athletes how to become faster, stronger, more disciplined, and more successful. But how much time do we spend teaching them how to be happy, emotionally healthy, confident, and secure in who they are outside of their sport?

An athlete can win championships, break records, earn scholarships, and receive endless recognition—and still be struggling.

Mental toughness isn’t emotional silence. Asking for help isn’t weakness. Rest isn’t failure. And struggling doesn’t mean you don’t love your sport.

As parents, coaches, teammates, and professionals supporting athletes, we have a responsibility to create environments where:

💚 Athletes feel valued for who they are, not what they achieve.

💚 Failure is an experience, not an identity.

💚 Mental health matters as much as physical health.

💚 Athletes can express emotions without being labeled weak.

💚 Food, rest, and recovery are forms of care, not rewards or punishments.

💚 Comparison doesn’t determine someone’s potential or worth.

💚 Love, acceptance, and belonging are never conditional on performance.

💚 Success includes healthy relationships, joy, purpose, and a life beyond sport.

The goal should be to help them develop the skills to navigate pressure, build confidence, manage setbacks, and maintain a healthy sense of identity. Because one day, the races will end. The games will stop. The uniforms will come off**. And the person who remains deserves to be healthy, happy, loved, and fulfilled.**

On World Mental Health Day, remember that the greatest success isn’t just what an athlete accomplishes in sport. It’s the life they build through it—and the person they become along the way.

💚 Protect the person. Support the athlete. Redefine success.

10/06/2026

It’s Amazon Prime Day! Here are a few finds for making meal prep a little easier 🍽️

A little meal prep can make it easier for athletes to get enough fuel around busy school, work, and training schedules. Having a few meals or snacks ready can help make pre-practice fueling, post-workout recovery, and everyday eating more manageable.

Here are a few kitchen helpers I’d recommend checking out if they fit your routine and budget. Prices were checked October 6 and can change, so tap through to confirm the current deal.

1️⃣ Ninja Air Fryer XL — $100 (was $180)
Roast vegetables, potatoes, and proteins with less hands-on cooking: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QKTXT1N

2️⃣ Crock-Pot 7-Quart Slow Cooker — $35.99 (was $59.99)
Great for batch cooking chili, soups, shredded chicken, or beans: https://www.amazon.com/Crock-Pot-SCV700SS-Stainless-7-Quart-Manual/dp/B003OAJGJO

3️⃣ Mueller Vegetable Chopper — $20 (was $35)
A time-saver for chopping vegetables for lunches and weeknight meals: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DCKCK326

4️⃣ Hamilton Beach Food Processor — $51 (was $70)
Useful for bigger prep jobs like shredding, chopping, and puréeing: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008J8MJIQ

5️⃣ Ninja CREAMi — $169.99 (was $219.99)
A fun option for making customizable frozen snacks at home: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09QV24FFZ

6️⃣ Vitamix Propel Series 510 Blender — $295 (was $500)
A higher-priced pick for frequent smoothie makers and home cooks: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C8PGGFV8

No special equipment is required to eat well—but the right tool can make planning and preparing meals feel more manageable. Choose what you’ll actually use, and what works for your household.

1️⃣ Ninja Air Fryer XL — $100 (was $180)
Roast vegetables, potatoes, and proteins with less hands-on cooking: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QKTXT1N

2️⃣ Crock-Pot 7-Quart Slow Cooker — $35.99 (was $59.99)
Great for batch cooking chili, soups, shredded chicken, or beans: https://www.amazon.com/Crock-Pot-SCV700SS-Stainless-7-Quart-Manual/dp/B003OAJGJO

3️⃣ Mueller Vegetable Chopper — $20 (was $35)
A time-saver for chopping vegetables for lunches and w

10/01/2026

It’s been a while since I’ve introduced myself to so many new teammates—so here goes! 👋

I’m Jennifer Brunelli, MS, RD, LDN, founder of RDpro. I’m a former seven-time All-American swimmer, USC Athletics Hall of Famer, and U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier. I know firsthand how much thoughtful nutrition can shape the way you feel, train, recover, and compete.

Over the years, I’ve supported athletes and teams at different levels—from youth and club sports like SwimMAC Carolina, to collegiate with NC State University, to professional settings including 7 years with the Carolina Panthers and over a decade in NASCAR with RFK Racing and others. My work has included endurance athletes, power athletes, corporate executives; I am so grateful to have experienced and supported the lives of a variety of athletes with a variety of goals.

Today, I help athletes use practical, individualized sports nutrition to support performance, recovery, healthy habits, and confidence around food. My goal is to make nutrition work for the athlete and their life, with science-based guidance they can actually use.

I hope this video motivates you, gives you a feel for what I stand for, and gets you excited to fuel your success with us. I’m glad you’re here!

05/24/2026

Athletes are spending hundreds (sometimes thousands 😳) on supplements… while missing the basics that actually improve performance.

Before you buy another powder, pill, or pre-workout, make sure you’re not making these common mistakes👇

🔟 Using supplements before fixing nutritionIf you’re under-fueled, under-hydrated, low on carbs, or sleeping poorly—supplements are not the answer.

9️⃣ Not checking for third-party testingIf it’s not third-party tested, you may be taking hidden stimulants, hormones, or banned ingredients without realizing it.

Look for:✔ NSF Certified for Sport✔ Informed Sport

8️⃣ Too much protein, not enough carbsProtein matters—but carbs fuel speed, power, reaction time, and training quality.

7️⃣ Taking supplements with little evidence“Fat burners,” detoxes, testosterone boosters, and proprietary blends are often heavy on marketing and light on science.

6️⃣ Thinking “natural” means safeNatural ≠ safe, effective, or sport-approved.

5️⃣ Taking the right supplement at the wrong timeTiming matters. Caffeine, protein, hydration, sodium, and iron all work differently.

4️⃣ Copying what another athlete or influencer takesYour sport, sweat rate, body size, training load, bloodwork, and GI tolerance matter.

3️⃣ Overdoing stimulants & pre-workoutMore caffeine isn’t always better. Poor sleep = poor recovery = poorer performance.

2️⃣ Supplementing without bloodworkLow iron? Vitamin D deficiency? B12 issues? Guessing can waste money and miss the real problem.

1️⃣ Thinking MORE = BETTERMore supplements ≠ better performance.

Sometimes the best “supplement” is:🍽 More food💧 Better hydration🍚 More carbs😴 Better sleep

🏁 The best athlete performance stack:

Fuel enough → Hydrate → Carbs → Protein → Recovery → THEN supplement.

What supplement mistake do you see athletes make the most? 👇 save this post or send to a teammate to keep you safe in sport!

05/18/2026

🚨 Joint pain? Tendons always tight? Nagging injuries not calming down? Your soft tissue may need more support.

When athletes think recovery, they think muscle. But tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and connective tissue are what help your body tolerate training, transfer force, and stay durable.

Here’s what they do 👇

🔹 Tendons = connect muscle → bone
Help produce speed, power, jumping, sprinting, and force transfer.

🔹 Ligaments = connect bone → bone
Provide joint stability and help protect knees, shoulders, ankles, and elbows.

🔹 Cartilage = joint cushioning
Helps absorb force and reduce friction for smoother movement.

🔹 Connective tissue = your support system
Provides structure and resilience under training stress.

Think of it like this:

Muscle = the engine
Soft tissue = the suspension system

So how do you nutritionally support it?

🧠 1. Prioritize protein (especially leucine-rich protein)

Emerging research suggests leucine-rich proteins (like whey) may support tendon adaptation and collagen remodeling pathways.

Practical goal:
✅ 25–40g protein per meal
✅ Prioritize protein after training

Examples:
• Whey isolate
• Greek yogurt
• Milk
• Lean meats
• Eggs

⸻

🧠 2. Collagen + Vitamin C before loading

One of the most promising strategies for connective tissue support.

Research showed:

✅ 15g collagen/gelatin

* vitamin C
⏰ ~1 hour before exercise

⬆️ Increased collagen synthesis.

Practical application:
Try collagen + a vitamin C source before:
✔️ Rehab
✔️ Lifting
✔️ Running
✔️ Jumping
✔️ Tendon loading sessions

Easy vitamin C pairings:
🍓 Strawberries
🥝 Kiwi
🍊 Orange juice

⸻

🧠 3. Don’t underfuel

Low energy availability may impair tissue remodeling and recovery.

Athletes who underfuel often struggle more with:
❌ Tendon pain
❌ Slow healing
❌ Recurrent injuries

Bottom line:

Current best evidence supports:
✔️ Eating enough
✔️ Consistent protein
✔️ Collagen + vitamin C pre-training/loading

Because strong muscles matter…

…but durable tissue keeps you competing.

RecoveryNutrition InjuryP

05/15/2026

Pregnant athlete? Your body changed. Your fueling should too.

For years, pregnancy was treated like the end of athletic performance. The science says otherwise.

Research continues to show that exercise during pregnancy is encouraged in most pregnancies and may reduce the risk of:

✔ Gestational diabetes
✔ Pregnancy-related hypertension
✔ Prenatal depression

But here’s what many active women miss:

You can’t train like an athlete… and fuel like you’re not pregnant.

Pregnancy creates MAJOR physiological demands:

⬆️ Blood volume (~50%)
⬆️ Cardiac output (~30%)
⬆️ Hydration needs
⬆️ Recovery demands
⬆️ Nutrient needs

In fact, the energy cost of pregnancy has been estimated to equal the metabolic load of running ~30 marathons over the course of pregnancy.

So what should actually change?

✅ Eat enough
2nd + 3rd trimester energy needs rise — and athletes often need even more to support training + recovery.

✅ Prioritize protein + carbs around training
Skipping fuel and trying to “push through” often backfires.

Think:
🥯 Bagel + eggs
🥣 Oatmeal + fruit + protein
🥤 Smoothie + toast before training

✅ Watch iron closely
Female athletes are already at higher risk for iron deficiency — pregnancy increases that demand.

Signs to watch for:
• Fatigue
• Poor recovery
• Breathlessness
• Lower endurance

✅ Hydrate more intentionally
Pregnancy increases fluid needs before you even factor in sweat losses.

And postpartum?

🚨 Your comeback starts with fuel.

Underfueling after birth (especially while breastfeeding) can impact recovery, energy, healing, and return to performance.

The goal isn’t to “bounce back.”

The goal is to support your body so you can come back strong.

Because pregnancy is not retirement from sport.

It’s adaptation. 💙

👇 Are you currently training through pregnancy or returning postpartum?

05/03/2026

HYDRATION = SKILL. NOT JUST SWEAT.

Most athletes think dehydration just affects conditioning…

But this study showed something way more important 👇

🧠 In a crossover study on basketball players:
As dehydration increased from 1% → 4% body weight loss,
basketball skill performance declined step-by-step

🏀 That included:
• Fewer shots made
• Reduced shooting accuracy
• Slower movement + reaction time

👉 Translation for your game:

💧 1% dehydrated → already missing more shots
💧 2% dehydrated → clear drop in performance
💧 3–4% dehydrated → breakdown in skill ex*****on

This isn’t about fitness…

👉 This is about precision, coordination, and decision-making

And those are the first things to go when hydration drops.

⸻

Bottom line:

The more dehydrated you are →
the more shots you miss

⸻

Athlete takeaway:
✔ Start hydrated (don’t chase it mid-game)
✔ Track sweat loss (weigh in/out)
✔ Replace fluids + sodium during play

⸻

📊 Based on:
Baker LB et al. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2007
(Progressive dehydration crossover study in basketball athletes)

⸻

04/30/2026

🧠 If you think certain foods are causing your headaches… look deeper.

Histamine isn’t the problem.
👉 Your ability to clear it is.

When histamine builds up faster than your body can break it down, symptoms show up:

* Headaches
* Bloating
* Flushing
* Congestion

⚠️ What reduces histamine tolerance?

This is where most athletes + clients get missed:

1. Low energy availability

* Underfueling → ↓ DAO activity
* ↑ cortisol → ↑ inflammatory signaling
* Common in high-training athletes trying to lean out

2. Gut dysfunction (IBS, dysbiosis)

* Damaged gut lining → ↓ DAO production
* Certain bacteria → ↑ histamine production

3. Dehydration + low sodium

* ↓ plasma volume → ↑ vascular instability
* Amplifies headache susceptibility

4. Alcohol

* Directly inhibits DAO
* Increases histamine release

5. Sleep disruption / stress

* Alters nervous system + immune signaling
* Lowers overall threshold

⸻

🍽️What actually works:

✔ Reduce high-histamine foods short-term (2–4 weeks)
✔ Prioritize fresh proteins + limit leftovers
✔ Eat every 3–4 hours (don’t underfuel)
✔ Hydrate + include sodium
✔ Support gut health

⸻

Then reintroduce foods to find YOUR triggers.

⸻

👉 This isn’t about restriction—
it’s about lowering the load and rebuilding tolerance.

Reply with MIGRAINE to get our full protocol. SHARE with your friends and BOOKMARK as a resource. 🔖

⸻

04/28/2026

💪🏼 Not all protein powders are created equal. And for athletes… that matters.

The goal isn’t just “getting protein in.”
It’s choosing the right type to actually support recovery, performance, and adaptation.

Here’s how to think about it 👇

⸻

🥇 Whey Isolate
Fast, clean, and highly effective.

* Rapid digestion → ideal post-training
* High leucine → triggers muscle protein synthesis
* Low lactose → better tolerated

👉 Best for: recovery, lean muscle, high-performance athletes

⸻

🥈 Whey Concentrate
Still effective — just less refined.

* Contains more carbs + fats
* Slightly higher lactose
* Slower digestion than isolate

👉 Best for: daily protein, budget-friendly option

⸻

🌱 Plant Proteins (Single Source)
Good option — but not equal to whey on their own.

* Lower in certain amino acids
* Slower digestion
* May not maximally stimulate muscle repair alone

👉 Best for: dairy-free athletes (with strategy)

⸻

🌱 Plant Protein Blends (Pea + Rice, etc.)
Smarter plant-based approach.

* Complete amino acid profile
* More sustained digestion
* Lower leucine → requires higher dose

👉 Best for: plant-based athletes who want performance support

⸻

⚖️ What actually matters for athletes:

* Leucine content (MPS trigger)
* Digestion speed (timing matters)
* GI tolerance (you have to absorb it)
* Total daily intake (consistency > perfection)

⸻

🎯 Practical takeaways:

✔️ Whey isolate = gold standard for recovery
✔️ Whey concentrate = still effective, just less refined
✔️ Plant blends > single plant sources
✔️ Plant protein requires higher dosing (25–35g)

⸻

🚫 Biggest mistake I see:
Athletes using plant protein… but under-dosing it and missing the recovery signal.

⸻

Bottom line:
The best protein is the one that
✔️ You tolerate
✔️ You take consistently
✔️ Actually supports your training demands

⸻

TheRDpro.com ⚽️🏀🏈⚾️🥎🎾🏐
| |

04/23/2026

🦠Your gut microbiome might be the most overlooked training tool you have.

1. Eat Enough to Support Training (Energy Availability)

Low energy availability = one of the fastest ways to disrupt gut health

Why it matters:
• Reduces beneficial bacteria
• Increases gut permeability (“leaky gut”)
• Impairs recovery + immune function

Target:
👉 Consistent meals + snacks
👉 Carbs periodized to training (don’t chronically underfuel)

⸻

2. Increase Microbiome Diversity (Variety of Plant Foods)

Diversity of bacteria = resilience under training stress

Why it matters:
• More bacterial species → better SCFA production (gut + recovery support)
• Stronger immune + anti-inflammatory response

Target:
👉 20–30+ different plant foods/week
(fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds)

⸻

3. Include Prebiotic Fiber Daily (Feed the Bacteria)

Prebiotics = fuel for beneficial gut bacteria

Why it matters:
• Increases butyrate production → supports gut lining
• Improves digestion + regularity

Key foods:
👉 Oats, bananas, onions, garlic, asparagus
👉 Beans, lentils, chia, flax

⚠️ Performance tip:
Keep higher fiber away from pre-training windows

⸻

4. Add Probiotic Foods Regularly (Introduce Good Bacteria)

Probiotics = live bacteria that support gut balance

Why it matters:
• May reduce GI symptoms in athletes
• Supports immune function during heavy training

Target:
👉 1–2 servings daily

Options:
• Yogurt (live cultures)
• Kefir
• Sauerkraut / kimchi
• Kombucha
• Miso / tempeh

⸻

5. Support the Gut During Training (Hydration + Gut Training)

Your gut is under stress during exercise—train it like your muscles

Why it matters:
• Dehydration ↓ gut blood flow → ↑ GI distress
• Poor fueling tolerance = performance limiter

Target:
👉 Practice fueling during training
👉 30–60g carbs/hour (or more depending on sport)
👉 16–24 oz fluid/hour
👉 500–1000 mg sodium/hour (more if heavy sweater)

⸻

Bottom Line for Athletes

A high-performing gut microbiome is built on:
✔ Adequate fueling
✔ High diet diversity
✔ Strategic fiber + probiotics
✔ Training your gut under load

👉 You don’t fix your gut withone supplement—
you build it with consistent nutrition habits.

Sports RDpro, LLC

10/10/2026

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