Sports Dietitian, Performance Nutritionist & Specialist in RED-S, Female Athlete Health & Endurance Nutrition.
I’m Rachel Howarth, a HCPC Registered Dietitian, SENr Accredited Sports Nutritionist, specialist NHS dietitian, researcher, and endurance athlete based in Newcastle.
About Rachel Howarth
I work with athletes and active individuals across endurance, strength, hybrid and team sports, helping them improve performance, recovery, health and confidence in how they fuel.
I specialise in RED-S and low energy availability, female athlete health across the lifespan (including fertility, perimenopause and menopause), and endurance sport nutrition. I also support athletes experiencing gastrointestinal issues, injury recovery, hormonal concerns and other complex health challenges that can affect performance and wellbeing.
My approach combines evidence-based sports nutrition with specialist clinical expertise, recognising that sustainable performance is built on a foundation of health.
Why I Do What I Do
Sport has shaped much of my life.
Having competed as a swimmer and remaining actively involved in endurance sport through running, trail running, strength training, and personal challenges, I understand the realities of balancing training with work, family, recovery, and everyday life.
I also recognise that performance is only part of the picture. Injury, illness, burnout, hormonal changes, and time away from sport can impact confidence, wellbeing, identity, and motivation.
Whether you’re pursuing a personal best, recovering from RED-S, returning from injury, or rebuilding confidence around food and fuelling, my focus is always on supporting the person behind the athlete.
My Philosophy
I believe performance and health should never be competing priorities.
Many athletes are encouraged to under-fuel in pursuit of short-term results. The evidence tells a different story: adequate fuelling and recovery support better training, reduced injury risk, and improved long-term performance.
I help athletes cut through conflicting advice and develop practical nutrition strategies that work with their goals, training demands, lifestyle, and health needs.
With additional training in behaviour change, counselling skills, menopause health, and fertility nutrition, my focus is on creating sustainable habits that support lasting results — not restrictive plans or quick fixes.
Specialist Expertise
Female Athlete Health
I support female athletes and active women through every stage of life.
From menstrual health and fertility to perimenopause, menopause, RED-S, and bone health, I provide evidence-based nutrition support tailored to your individual needs. Helping you stay healthy, perform well, and thrive through every stage of life.
Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) & Low Energy Availability
I specialise in supporting athletes affected by low energy availability and RED-S.
Whether you’re experiencing fatigue, poor recovery, injury, hormonal changes, digestive issues, or reduced performance, I can help you restore energy availability, rebuild confidence in fuelling, and support long-term health and performance.
Endurance Sport Nutrition
As an ultra runner and triathlete myself – I’m passionate about nutrition for endurance athletes, runners, cyclists, and triathletes of all levels.
From everyday fuelling and recovery to hydration and race-day nutrition, I help athletes build practical strategies that support performance, recovery, and long-term progress.
Clinical Expertise Beyond Sport
Alongside private practice, I continue to work as a Specialist Dietitian within the NHS.
My clinical background includes specialist roles in gastrointestinal health, intestinal failure, hepatology, surgical nutrition, and complex nutrition support.
This experience provides a strong clinical foundation when supporting athletes with digestive issues, hormonal concerns, injury recovery, fatigue, and other health challenges.
Above all, I believe athletes are people first, and performance nutrition should always support long-term health as well as performance.
Research & Evidence-Based Practice
I am passionate about evidence-based practice and ongoing professional development.
Alongside my clinical and sports nutrition work, I actively engage with research, education, and continuing professional learning to ensure my advice reflects current evidence and best practice.
Having presented and published research, I enjoy translating complex science into practical nutrition strategies that athletes can confidently apply to training, recovery, performance, and long-term health.
Qualifications & Professional Registration
- HCPC Registered Dietitian
- SENr Accredited Sports Nutritionist
- MSc Dietetics (Distinction)
- PGCert Sports and Exercise Nutrition (Distinction)
- Qualified in Menopause Health
- Qualified in Fertility Nutrition
- Training in Motivational Interviewing and Behaviour Change
- Level 2 Counselling Skills
- ISAK Accredited Anthropometrist
- Member of the British Dietetic Association (BDA)
- Member of the Sports and Exercise Nutrition Register (SENr)
Working Together
Whether you’re looking to improve performance, recover from RED-S, navigate hormonal changes, return from injury, optimise endurance nutrition, or simply feel more confident in how you fuel, my aim is always the same:
- To provide evidence-based nutrition support that is practical, personalised, and sustainable.
- Because nutrition is rarely just about fuelling performance.
- It's about supporting the person behind the athlete.
- Because long-term performance starts with long-term health.
Performance nutrition that
Start your journey to better health and performance. If you’re looking for specialist support that understands both performance and the realities of being an athlete, I’d love to hear more about your goals.