What is RED-S?
Red-s stands for relative energy deficiency in sport.
In simple terms it is under-eating and the impacts can be severe in athletes who are burning heaps of energy through training and competition.
A more in-depth explanation is: RED-S refers to the physiological effects of chronically low energy (Calorie) availability, relative to requirements, which includes large reductions in resting metabolic rate and severe health implications.
RED-S started as a focus with female athletes but the same issue is being seen in male athletes and potentially this could extend to general population.
What are the health implications and dangers of RED-S?
RED-S can negatively affect many aspects of health including:
menstrual function
bone health
immune function
cardiovascular health
psychological health
growth and development
increased injury risk
What are the signs of RED-S to look for?
Some of the signs of RED-S are:
decreased strength
decreased endurance performance
decreased training response
impaired judgment
decreased coordination
decreased concentration
Consider RED-S as a possibility if you are trying to lose weight but despite restricting food intake, despite reducing your calories you are not losing weight AND you are exercising a lot or you are an athlete.
What can you do if you suspect Red-S?
When a large disparity between actual resting metabolic rate and ‘healthy’ metabolic rate is identified, the course of action to solve it, is much the same as ending a planned diet. Working out estimated maintenance calories, taking into account how activity levels, then consistently consuming roughly that amount of calories.
For those who suffer severe health effects of RED-S, slowly increasing calorie intake under the guidance of a qualified medical professional may be necessary.
Bottom line; if you exercise a lot and trying really hard to diet, consider if you may be eating too little and under-fuelling your body. If you feel like crap, you’re showing signs of poor health, you notice changes in your menstrual cycle, libido, mood, training performance, strength, coordination - you may be suffering from low energy availability and/or RED-S.
Strongly consider increasing your calorie intake and speaking to a medical professional.
Does RED-S refer to a broken metabolism?
The idea of a permanently damaged metabolism or starvation mode has been debunked, however acute down-regulation of metabolism known as ‘metabolic adaptation’, or ‘ adaptive thermogenesis’ is accepted to be true.
The reason that it’s accepted as an adaptation rather than damage is that metabolic rate will return to a healthy, ideal baseline at some point after returning to maintenance eating, eg - eating enough Calories to maintain body weight and support individual activity levels.
If you want to read more about fuelling exercise, training and athletic performance, check out our blog on:
If you are an athlete, aspiring athlete or looking to boost your performance, we are here to help. We can help you work out your energy requirements and implement strategies with your nutrition to support all the work you are putting into training and exercise.