Relative Energy Deficiency- in Sport

RED-S is something i just briefly touched on in my Masterclass about Fueling for Growth During Puberty, it’s really more relevant in the context of fueling for performance than growth.

However, i seem to be having more and more conversations with parents whose younger and younger athletes are showing concerning signs towards this complex syndrome that occurs when they are chronically under-fueling for the amount and/or intensity of training they are performing.

This occurs when an athlete's calorie intake doesn’t consistently cover BOTH their exercise demands AND the energy needed to support their body's essential functions like growth, immune health, and reproductive function (this is when we might see menstrual cycles stop for female athletes - the most common sign I am hearing from parents).

When energy availability (calories in) drops below a critical threshold for too long - the body shuts down systems not essential for immediate survival, leading to the health consequences of RED-S.

These common signs + symptoms:

Bone health: increased risk of stress fractures or low bone mineral density

Immune Health: Recurrent illnesses and frequent infections

Gastrointestinal: chronic constipation, bloating, or other GI problems.

Psychological: Depression, irritability, anxiety, lack of focus.

Performance: decreased muscle strength & endurance, increased injury risk, poor training response

Metabolic Rate: Reduced Resting metabolic rate the body slows down its energy expenditure

Reproductive health: Changes in Menstruation, Decreased Testosterone or Estrogen

Hematology: Impaired protein synthesis + increased risk of iron deficiency can lead to anemia

Learn more in this downloadable PDF here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/17eSDZGR1oC5v5mwTprR7POIwI7La3U-L/view?usp=drivesdk

Because our youth athletes are in a high demand growth phase they need even more daily calories, and the right nutrients to support their growth + performance.

Remember, as I discussed in the Masterclass - their bodies FIRST PRIORITY IS TO FUEL THEIR GROWTH.

But if their exercise and training demands are ‘stealing’ all of those calories just to support the energy output - their body is going to have a hard time growing.

Don’t let their performance demands steal from their growth potential.

Fuel their growth & their goals.

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