
What is RED-S and What Should You Do About It
What is RED-S Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport, "RED-S" or simply "RED-S" is a clinically defined syndrome referring to the impairment of physiological function caused by a deficit in a person's energy intake relative to the energy required to maintain optimal health, homeostasis, growth, the activities of daily living, and sport. Being in this state of relative deficit is often also referred to as being in a state of low energy availability (LEA). In this state, there is a lower amount of energy than required for the body's normal physiological functions. This can have a variety of health consequences including: Altered metabolic functionMenstrual disturbances and amenorrhea (loss of period)Amenorrheic athletes have 2 to 4 times greater risk for a stress fractureImpaired bone health (increased osteoporosis risk) Reductions in immune system functionReduced protein synthesis (ie for…