151. Cycling, Concussions, & Mental Illness with Ben Frederick

In this episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast, I talk with Ben Frederick, professional cyclist and advocate for brain injuries and mental health. Ben talks about his athletic background, dabbling in running before finding cycling during college, then progressing to the elite level. However, as Ben shares, his identity as a professional cyclist came crashing down following a life changing accident injuring his brain. Ben discusses the long-term impact this traumatic brain injury (TBI) had on his everyday life, and his mental and physical health, raising awareness of the signs and symptoms of concussions and post-concussion syndrome.  Ben opens up about his struggles with depression and anxiety post TBI, which took root in an eating disorder that hospitalized him. We touch on the nutrition culture within the weight-sensitive sport of elite cycling, and how losing his athletic identity affected his relationship to food and his body. Ben bravely shares how he was able to recover from rock bottom with the help of friends, family, and professionals. We discuss the importance of addressing the anxieties and disordered mindsets underlying eating disorders, in order to develop long-term effective coping strategies: eating disorders are not! Ben talks about how was able to look his “Monsters” in the face and learn to live with them, the inspiration behind his nonprofit “The Small Monsters Project”, providing community and advocacy for individuals affected by concussions, traumatic brain injuries, and mental illness.  We finish off with the usual end of the podcast questions, plus a bonus one! Find out more about “The Small Monsters Project”: https://www.thesmallmonstersproject.com/ Follow Ben on Instagram @benjamfred The Small Monsters Project @thesmallmonstersproject and me, your host Lindsey Cortes, on Instagram @female.athlete.nutrition  If you find value in this podcast and would like to support the show, join our patreon community! Become part of our Fiercely Fit and Fueled community today, and receive bonus episodes, merch, monthly recipes, access to an exclusive community message board, and have the chance to ask Lindsey your questions and get a podcast shoutout, and more! Head to patreon today patreon.com/femaleathletenutrition Your support means a lot! Need help with your fueling? Want to get in touch with Lindsey? Interested in the Female Athlete System of Transformation?  Head to www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com to learn more & book a call! THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: Previnex: https://www.previnex.com/ use code RISEUP for 15% off at checkout InsideTracker: www.insidetracker.com use code RISEUPNUTRITION for 20% off the entire store  THIS PODCAST IS ALSO SUPPORTED BY: Orgain, head to www.orgain.com and use the code RISEUP30 for 30% off your first order. Repeat customers can use the code OA2203 for 25% off future orders. Practice Better Click the link below to view plans and get a 14-day free trial. Then use the code RISEUP20 for 20% off your first 4 months: https://practicebetter.grsm.io/runp  Jen & Keri: https://jenandkeri.com/ use code RISEUP10 for $10 off your order In this episode we talk about: 2:20 Ben’s athletic journey to pro cycling 11:15 Ben’s life changing crash and concussion 15:55 Concussion symptoms and post-concussion syndrome  19:20 Injuries and mental health  23:20 Nutrition culture in cycling 25:25 Eating disorders as a coping mechanism  32:15 Ben’s rock bottom and eating disorder treatment  36:10 Eating disorder recovery and mental health healing 41:25 The Small Monsters Project: supporting individuals with concussions, brain injuries, and mental health  47:30 End of the podcast questions