Katie Ledecky Exclusively Reveals Why She Kept Her POTS Diagnosis Private For 10+ Years
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Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky has postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS.
She tells Women's Health how she manages symptoms, including getting proper levels of nutrients, electrolytes, and more.
She learned to be easier on herself during training for the 2024 Olympic Games.
At the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, Katie Ledecky had a history-making run: She came home with four medals (including two golds), adding to her collection of 14. But it was also her first time competing on the world stage after revealing in June that she has postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS.
POTS is a disorder where a reduced volume of blood returns to the heart after you stand up from lying down, which can lead to lightheadedness or fainting, per the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Katie first discovered she had it in 2015 after feeling "extremely hot and lightheaded" at a team dinner.
Katie, who chatted on behalf of her partnership with Core Power, exclusively tells Women's Health that she decided to come clean about her diagnosis to fully "share all the ups and downs in my journey."
Luckily, Katie's symptoms have been "mild" since determining her required levels of electrolytes, protein, sleep, and more, adding that she "hasn't had any issues" since diagnosis.
"When I first received the diagnosis, I was very focused on the numbers—how much I was hydrating and what I was fueling my body with," she says. "But now I kind of have all these years of experience that I know how much I need to hydrate, how much protein I need after racing, how much sleep I'm getting."
"I'm very aware of my body," she adds. "I'm pretty good at listening to my body."
It's all part of her routine: Each Olympics cycle, Katie says she learns "more" about herself to improve her own form. During training for Paris, the swimmer said she learned how to "adapt and get through tough days."
"If I need to take it a little easier on a certain day, that's not the end of the world," she said. "I'm pretty tough on myself, but you have to respond to your body—respond to how you're feeling. Just being patient with myself."
To keep herself fueled throughout those workouts, Katie relied on Core Power shakes, which were also stocked in the Olympic Village (thanks to Team USA!). She typically drinks one after training or racing to replenish her protein and "jump start the recovery process." (Her favorite flavor? Chocolate.)
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Currently, Katie's taking a well-deserved "reset," hanging out with family in Bethesda, Maryland before heading back to the University of Florida for training. And she's already looking ahead to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, where she hopes to compete in her fifth Games.
"I'll be ready to give it my all again," she says.
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