By: Maddy Rodotz, SIUE Dietetics Student To be at peak performance, athletes train hard to reach their goals. Along with training hard, athletes must ensure that they are consuming enough energy. Many athletes may succumb to the phenomenon known as RED-S. According to Dave and Fischer (2022), RED-S is a complex syndrome that refers to ‘impaired physiological function’ including but not limited to, metabolic rate, menstrual function, bone health, immunity, protein synthesis, and cardiovascular health cause by relative deficiency. When competing in sports that deal with high intensity training, it can be helpful to identify symptoms of RED-S. This condition relies mainly on self-diagnosis, so understanding and identifying symptoms can be crucial. RED-S can occur when the athlete is experiencing low energy availability, this is due to the amount of energy they are using is more than the number of calories they are consuming. However, low energy availability could be seen with or without the presence of an eating disorder. Just because the athlete may not see their eating patterns as disordered, does not mean that they are not at risk of experiencing low energy availability. Energy availability can differ from athlete to athlete so keep that in mind when fueling your body for your personal levels of activity and lifestyle. In female athletes, menstrual dysfunction can be a key sign that you may be experiencing RED-S. This can come from being in sports that require the athlete to have a lean build to compete. For example, sports like gymnastics, running, or cycling. Disruption in the menstrual cycle can eventually lead to poor bone health or even cardiovascular issues. If you start to experience menstrual dysfunction, you may want to see a professional about RED-S. About 50% of female athletes may experience menstrual dysfunction and low energy availability. Keeping track of your menstrual cycle, will allow you to catch RED-S early on. Originally RED-S was believed to be a condition that only affected female athletes; however, this has been more recently disproven. Male athletes can also experience low energy availability, especially in sports that tend to require making weights or focus on leanness. Sports like cycling, horse racing, and swimming require the athlete to have a thinner build. This can lead to disordered eating habits to be a certain thinness to have an edge over the competition. However, for sports like boxing, wrestling, and judo the athletes are competing in different weight classes. Most athletes in these sports aim to be in the lowest weight class believing it will give them a competitive edge instead of competing within the weight category best suited for their body composition. If you are an athlete competing in these sports, ensuring that you are properly nourishing your body may lessen your chances of experiencing low energy availability. If you do feel the need to be a certain weight or build for your sport, consulting a dietitian or a medical professional for guidance through the process may help prevent you from developing RED-S. The pressure for thinness or body type for a sport may lead to the athlete unknowingly developing RED-S. Peak performance requires peak nutrition and not all college athletes may have the knowledge to meet their needs. This is where consulting either a sports dietitian, strength and conditioning coach, team coaches, healthcare providers, or even your parents can be helpful. Seeking help to understand the changes that are going on with your athletic performance may be difficult. You have a team of experts that are willing to help and lessen the fears you may have about sharing your concerns of fatigue or struggles with food. They want to see you succeed just as much as you do, and do not want you to be out due to illness or injury due to your nutritional status. If you are experiencing any concerns about your nutrition or athletic performance, reporting these symptoms may be helpful. There can be an underlying fear of not being able to compete stopping someone from reporting symptoms. However, not seeking help can cause consequences later down the road. Missing a few practices or a game is nothing in comparison to having irreversible damage to your body in the future. After learning some ways to identify the symptoms of RED-S, self-diagnosis or seeking professional help may be easier. Burke, L. M., Close, G. L., Lundy, B., Mooses, M., Morton, J. P., & Tenforde, A. S. (2018). Relative energy deficiency in sport in male athletes: A commentary on its presentation among selected groups of male athletes. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 28(4), 364–374. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2018-0182 Dave, S. C., & Fisher, M. (2022). Relative energy deficiency in sport (red – S). Current Problems in Pediatric and Adolescent Health Care, 52(8), 101242. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cppeds.2022.101242
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Contributing AuthorsSIUE Nutrition and Dietetics Graduate Students See More Helpful Nutrition Tips Here
April 2023
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