IVF and Triathlon Training: How Professional Athletes Navigate Fertility Treatments
Medical Disclaimer: This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with qualified medical professionals regarding your individual fertility treatment plan and exercise guidelines.
Professional triathlete Alice Alberts, known for her two Ironman wins and numerous top-10 finishes, made headlines when she stepped away from competition at the peak of her career. The reason wasn't injury or burnout; it was something deeply personal and surprisingly common — IVF, or in vitro fertilization.
"It just felt like I was hiding something," Alberts shares. "People kept asking about my next race, my training. I was tired of dodging the truth. Now it feels really good to say, 'I'm focusing on something else.'"
That "something else" is IVF, and Alberts isn't alone in this journey.
Swedish pro Lisa Norden, the 2012 Olympic silver medalist, recently announced she hadn't signed up for a single race for the first time in 20 years, choosing to focus on starting a family. Similarly, former pro Kelly Fillnow, who welcomed her daughter Eliana Grace after a three-year fertility journey, has been open about the physical, emotional, and professional toll of IVF.
With fertility treatments becoming more common — over 100,000 babies were born through IVF in the United States in 2024 alone — the question arises: How does a lifestyle built on high-volume training intersect with IVF, and what needs to change?
Here's what athletes and medical experts have to say.
When Fitness Meets Fertility: Understanding the Science
To grasp why IVF poses a unique challenge for endurance athletes, it's essential to understand the demands it places on the body.
IVF is a hormone-driven process where medication stimulates the ovaries to produce multiple eggs, which are then retrieved for fertilization in a lab. Every step relies on precise hormonal conditions, which can be disrupted by the physiological stress of endurance training.
"Due to chronic exposure to the physiologic stress of endurance training, athletes may experience shifts in reproductive hormones like cortisol, estrogen, and progesterone that can negatively affect the likelihood of pregnancy," explains Bryan Henry, a family nurse practitioner and president of PeterMD. Even if an athlete appears fit externally, the ovarian response to IVF stimulation can become less predictable due to these hormonal changes.
High training volumes can lead to low energy availability, where the body lacks enough fuel for normal physiological functions, including reproduction. Elevated cortisol levels can suppress reproductive hormones, undermining fertility.
Dr. Shefali Shastri, a reproductive endocrinologist, notes, "Athletes often believe if they are fit, that means they are fertile. Intense exercise can trigger hormonal imbalances and energy deficiency, resulting in irregularities."
The solution isn't to stop exercising but to exercise with precision. "You don't need to stop exercising to conceive," Dr. Shastri clarifies, "but extreme, high-volume, or very high-intensity training can hurt fertility, while moderate exercise can be beneficial."
Real Stories: When Pro Athletes Choose Family Over Racing
Understanding the science is one thing; living it as a professional athlete is another.
Alice Alberts: Redefining What Her Body Is For
For Alberts, pausing her pro career for IVF was a tough but clear decision.
"My body is my tool," she says. "It's what I use to race. And now I also need my body to hopefully get pregnant."
An Achilles injury had already begun softening her athletic identity before IVF. Months of forced rest during injury overlapped with early struggles to conceive, bringing unexpected clarity.
"I kind of felt like a failure, both at my sport and in my dream of becoming a mom. But it really gave me perspective," Alberts reflects. "I couldn't train as usual, so when my husband and I decided to pursue IVF, I felt more prepared to navigate that identity shift."
Lisa Norden: The No-Brainer
For Lisa Norden, the decision was straightforward. After 20 years of structured racing, the demands of professional Ironman competition and IVF couldn't coexist.
In a candid Instagram post, Norden described her choice to step away from racing as "a no-brainer," giving her body a break to give fertility treatment its best chance. She is due in July.
Kelly Fillnow: Three Years, Six Miscarriages, One Ironman Mindset
Kelly Fillnow's journey was longer and harder. Her openness has made her a beacon for other athletes navigating similar paths.
Fillnow began IVF at 40 after two miscarriages. What she thought would be a temporary pause turned into a three-year journey through six pregnancy losses and multiple IVF rounds before her daughter's birth.
"I started when I was 40 and delivered at 43," she says. "It's just an extended period of time. I didn't want to take breaks because every month matters."
Her experience underscores a critical reality: for many women, IVF is not a one-and-done process. The live birth rate per embryo transfer cycle for women aged 35 is approximately 39% in the U.S., and that figure decreases with age.
The Physical Protocols: What Actually Changes During IVF
So what does "scaling back" look like for an athlete who regularly trains 20+ hours per week? The answer varies by individual and by IVF phase.
During Ovarian Stimulation
The stimulation phase, when medications encourage the ovaries to produce multiple eggs, is a period of heightened physical sensitivity. The ovaries enlarge significantly, increasing the risk of ovarian torsion during high-impact activity. Intensity and impact should be reduced.
After Egg Retrieval
Following retrieval, the body needs genuine recovery time. The procedure is minimally invasive, but the ovaries remain enlarged and tender, and resuming normal training too quickly can delay healing.
Around Embryo Transfer
The transfer window often has the most conservative recommendations. While there's no definitive evidence that light exercise harms implantation, most physicians advise keeping activity low-key to reduce stress during this critical window.
Alberts' current approach: Up to two hours of activity per day, focused on swimming, walking, and strength work. "It really helps my mental health to feel fit and in shape," she says.
Fillnow's evolving approach: She continued running in earlier IVF rounds, adjusting intensity and stopping at certain points. But as losses mounted, she modified her approach for her final, successful pregnancy — choosing not to run for the first 10.5 weeks.
The key was finding a physician who understood endurance athletes. "He came to understand what's normal for me," Fillnow says of her doctor.
The Mental Game: When Your Coping Mechanism Becomes Limited
For endurance athletes, exercise isn't just physical training — it's a primary tool for mental regulation. Losing that outlet during IVF creates a specific kind of catch-22.
"The doctors are just like, 'Don't run,'" Alberts says. "But it's hard to hear because I know I can run at a very low heart rate and keep it there."
The emotional weight of IVF is compounded by the absence of a direct correlation between effort and outcome.
"We're used to hard work creating a result. We stick to the process, and we see improvements," Fillnow says. "But with infertility, the harder you work, it does not necessarily create the outcome that we desire."
Dr. Shastri emphasizes that navigating this psychological landscape is part of the medical protocol. "The goal is to feel calm and manage your stress when you are going through this very important part of the process that you have very little control over," she says.
Practical strategies athletes have found helpful:
- Reframing movement as mental maintenance, not performance training
- Identifying "non-negotiable" low-intensity activities that provide stress relief
- Finding medical providers who understand athletic baselines
- Leaning into community — connecting with other athletes navigating similar experiences
Practical Guidelines: How Much Training Is Too Much?
Given the individual variation involved, there's no universal prescription — but experts agree that complete cessation of exercise is rarely necessary.
"I encourage athletes to engage in forms of exercise that promote blood flow and general well-being without adding stress to the reproductive system," says Henry.
General framework by IVF phase:
| IVF Phase | Recommended Approach |
|---|---|
| Pre-cycle / baseline | Gradual reduction in volume and intensity |
| Ovarian stimulation | Low-impact activity; avoid high-intensity and high-impact |
| Post-egg retrieval | Rest and light movement; no running or vigorous exercise |
| Embryo transfer window | Light walking, gentle swimming; minimize stress |
| Two-week wait | Continue light activity; monitor for symptoms |
| Post-positive test | Resume moderate activity per OB guidance |
The most important variable is working with a medical team that understands your baseline. A fertility specialist unfamiliar with endurance athletes may apply sedentary-population defaults, leading to overcautious restrictions or blanket clearances.
For athletes looking to maintain fitness during modified training periods, consider investing in heart rate monitoring equipment to ensure you stay within safe zones during low-intensity workouts.
The Long Game: Treating Fertility Like an Endurance Event
Perhaps the most powerful reframe comes from Fillnow's experience:
"I think it helps to see the journey like an Ironman, not a sprint."
At first, she expected quick success. Instead, it came after more than three years, across highs and lows. Her endurance athlete's mind — practiced in patience, comfortable with discomfort — carried her through.
"In an Ironman, you're always cycling through good moments and really dark ones. But you learn how to get yourself out of those lows and keep going."
Alberts, still in the early stages of her journey, is leaning into the same framework. She knows there are no guarantees, but she also knows that the skills that made her a professional triathlete — tolerating uncertainty, trusting the process, showing up day after day — may be exactly what this season of her life requires.
Key Takeaways
- IVF requires temporary training modifications, not complete cessation. The goal is reducing physiological stress during specific treatment windows.
- Hormonal precision, not peak performance, drives IVF success. Chronic endurance training can disrupt reproductive hormones.
- Mental health considerations are as medically relevant as physical protocols. Maintaining low-intensity movement as a stress management tool is crucial.
- Individual variation is significant. Medical recommendations must be calibrated to the specific athlete, cycle phase, and health factors.
- Endurance athlete mental skills are genuine assets. Patience, resilience, and sustaining effort without immediate reward translate directly to the fertility journey.
Action Steps
If you're an endurance athlete navigating fertility treatments, here's where to start:
- Find a fertility specialist with experience treating athletes. Ask directly about their experience with endurance athletes.
- Develop a phase-specific training modification plan with your fertility physician and coach before treatment.
- Identify your non-negotiable mental health movement and discuss it with your medical team.
- Build your support network before you need it. Connect with other athletes who have navigated this path through triathlon community groups.
- Extend yourself the same patience you'd offer a training plan. Adaptation takes time, as does fertility treatment.
- Consider nutritional support. Proper magnesium supplementation and electrolyte balance can support overall health during modified training.
Have a story about navigating fertility treatments as an endurance athlete? The conversation is just beginning — and your experience may be exactly what another athlete needs to hear. Connect with your community, consult your medical team, and remember: you don't have to train for this alone.
Find the perfect training gear at TriLaunchpad — your triathlon journey starts here. Shop all collections →
