Functional Medicine for Endurance Athletes

More than performance enhancement—

Together, we’ll balance your hormones, improve energy production, and restore gut health.

You don’t have to keep telling yourself that feeling this way is normal, nor wasting money on endless supplements that have no effect on your health and performance.

You just have to find the root cause of your symptoms so you can fix them - for good

Let me guess...

You are a motivated, high-achieving athlete who trains hard, eats well, takes your supplements, yet you rarely feel 100%.

Look familiar?

  • It takes longer than it should to recover from hard training sessions and races, or you’re bonking in races, despite following your dietician’s advice.

  • You struggle to fall or stay asleep no matter how much melatonin or magnesium you take.

  • You feel on edge, easily emotional, like you no longer have resilience to stress.

  • You suspect you have gut issues that result in frequent bloating, gas, burping, indigestion, heartburn, constipation, or diarrhea.

  • You feel there is more you could be doing to optimize your training.

  • You just DON’T FEEL LIKE YOURSELF.


But your doctor runs tests and they all come back “normal” so you’re told, “you're fine.

How do I know?

BECAUSE THIS IS EXACTLY HOW MY DISTANCE RUNNER PATIENTS USED TO FEEL, TOO.

(And so did I.) 

I created this program because I have experienced the consequences of over-stressing my mind and body. Simultaneously, I began to see similar patterns in the symptoms and labs of my distance runner patients. They were depleted and it was affecting not only their running performance but their QUALITY OF LIFE.

We know running affects every system in the body, but when we continuously push our limits, we need different and better tools to remain healthy, resilient, and performing at our best.

Endurance training can create chronic energy and nutrient depletions that lead to impairments in gut health, which creates systemic inflammation that ultimately affects performance, sleep, mood, and energy levels. 

These symptoms aren’t unique to athletes, however, the underlying causes of these symptoms ARE unique, and this is where conventional medicine falls short.

This program goes beyond the conventional by utilizing advanced diagnostic tools to determine the unique factors that are contributing to your symptoms. Once we have the appropriate data, we implement the best tools available to resolve your underlying causes SUCCESSFULLY.  

Hormonal Change

Endurance training can exacerbate normal hormonal changes that occur in mid-life (30s-50s). This can compound nutrient deficiencies, gastrointestinal symptoms, energy, and mood changes.

Gut-Brain Axis

Gut-brain axis

Systemic immune activity is generated by gut inflammation during intense training. Over time, we may also see changes in neurotransmitters, which impact mood, energy, and stress.

Injury Risk

Microbe

Distance running (without the right program) can cause changes to our stress response and cortisol levels, decrease testosterone, and decrease bone density, which can increase risk of stress fracture or injury.

WHAT IF I TOLD YOU...

There is a better way!

No more guessing or Googling symptoms. No more gaslighting from your healthcare provider. 

You can feel energized, clear, and focused, ready to take on your training while reducing your risk of injury and inflammation.

Introducing Functional Medicine for Runners

A personalized program built just for endurance runners. Designed to help you see results in as little as one month. 

Created to support you during all stages of training, competition, and post-competition recovery.

ARE YOU READY?

This is NOT a cookie cutter program.

We approach testing based on YOUR symptoms and risk factors.

Personalized precision care is what defines functional medicine. This level of precision is necessary when diagnosing and treating the complex, multi-system symptoms that can result from prolonged, strenuous, endurance training.

But when you identify the real causes and treat them with the right tools, not only are performance and recovery enhanced, but so are mood, energy, and quality of life.

Functional Medicine Testing for Runners

Get answers with advanced labwork

Optimize your Training with Functional Medicine Today

Interested in becoming a patient? Here’s how...

STRATEGY SESSION

$100 / 30min

This virtual consult will answer questions, review symptoms, determine if we are a good fit to work together, and provide you with a suggested plan for next steps for your symptoms, whether or not we decide to collaborate. You will learn the optimal approach to assessing and improving athletic wellness.

ELEMENTAL ASSESSMENT

$425 / 60-90min

This 1:1 appointment is a deep dive functional medicine consultation. We review lab results, discuss your symptoms, & identify underlying imbalances. You will walk away with a plan to optimize both your training & health.

CONTINUED CARE

$200-325/visit

After the Elemental Assessment, you have the option to receive continuous support from me through follow-ups, advanced testing, and collaboration with your team. Discounted visits are available through a Membership (see information below). This is where the evolution occurs.

RISE EMPOWER

A Foundational Functional Membership for Endurance Athletes

$100/mo

  • Unlimited direct text & email messaging

  • Discounted follow up visits ($200/visit)

  • Includes collaboration with your dietician/nutritionist

  • Access to functional lab testing and personalized lab interpretation 

  • Personalized diet, lifestyle, and supplement recommendations

  • Personalized prescriptions or bioidentical hormone replacement / optimization therapy if necessary (needs quarterly labs and follow up)

  • Functional medicine resources

  • Collaboration with primary care provider if necessary

  • Minimum 6 month commitment

Transform your Training with Rise


Fatigued, loss of endurance, burned out

Energized, strong, vibrant, resilient

Clarity, resilience, rested, refreshed

Anxiety, insomnia, brain fog, memory loss

Regular, smooth, & effective digestion

Bloated, unpredictable bowel movements

Strategic & personalized supplement plan

Confused, taking random supplements

Ashley Shrader IFMCP, DNP, RYT practicing yoga

who am I, anyway?

Hi! I’m Ashley Shrader, DNP, IFMCP

Many of my clients are a lot like me- high achieving athletes.

I’m also a certified functional medicine practitioner with a passion for gut and hormone health. I believe we all have an innate, natural power to heal- partly because I’ve been in your shoes.

With a history of autoimmune disease, I spent years suffering from odd symptoms like fatigue and brain fog, despite training hard and doing all of the “right things.” It wasn’t until I found the root cause that I was able to finally heal.

What to expect when working with an IFM-certified practitioner?

Feel seen and heard

A large part of functional medicine involves understanding who you are as an individual, your detailed personal and family history, the circumstances around your first symptoms, and the experiences you have had with other healthcare providers.

Test, don't guess

No more hours wasted on Google trying to understand your symptoms. Based on your story, I choose only the necessary testing that will help us create your own unique treatment plan based on genetic, environmental, and lifestyle influences.

A comprehensive approach

From chronic illness to disease prevention, functional medicine systematically addresses the unique physical, mental, and emotional needs of all patients. I have a deep understanding of biology, physiology, genetics, social and environmental determinants of health, and the vital connection between mental and physical well-being.

YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL.

YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL.

Stop guessing.

Discover sustainable endurance training and optimal health.

 FAQs

What Rise Clients are Saying…