Episode 17: Alexa Gusman on Under-Fueling, Body Image, and Redefining Performance
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LISTEN ON SPOTIFYAlexa Gusman (née Efraimson) spent eight years as a professional runner with Nike, signing at just 17 years old and competing against women a decade or more older than her for the whole of her career. Today she's a registered dietitian with a master's in nutrition and nutrigenomics, working at the intersection of performance nutrition, body image, and athlete mental health.
In this conversation, Alexa talks candidly about the body image and confidence struggles that shaped her entire athletic career, and why she believes those struggles never fully disappeared, even after she stopped competing. She and Ann Marie unpack the widespread belief that leaner automatically means faster or fitter, and why confidence built on a number on the scale will always be as unstable as the number itself. Alexa also breaks down what under-fueling actually does to the body, from brain fog and concentration issues to changes in hunger cues and hormone regulation, and why the fix is rarely as simple as "eat more."
The conversation moves beyond sport into something broader: the grind mentality that convinces high performers rest is earned rather than necessary, the outside comments about bodies and weight that stick for decades, and Alexa's own turning point, a workout in a friend's guest room that made her ask what she was actually optimizing for. She closes with a reminder that resonates well past the athletic world: you don't have to wait for the perfect circumstances, or someone else's permission, to believe you're capable of making an impact.
What we cover:
The body image and confidence pressures of being a professional athlete from age 17
Why "leaner is faster" is a myth, and where that belief actually comes from
What under-fueling does to the body and mind, and how it shows up in everyday life, not just athletes
Grind culture, rest, and why doing more isn't always doing better
How outside comments about bodies, even well-meant ones, shape us for years
Redefining confidence and success on your own terms
Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube
Guest: Alexa Gusman, Registered Dietitian, M.S. Nutrition and Nutrigenomics
Instagram: @alexagefraimson
Website: fuelingforward.com