Tips to avoid Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport

6 tips for REDs prevention and/or recovery

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Whether you are a competitive athlete, recreational exerciser, or performing at the elite level, you need to ensure you are consuming enough and the right types of energy to support your health and performance. However, in more recent years, it is becoming increasingly common for individuals to consume inadequate energy to support all of their requirements. This can occur intentionally alongside an eating disorder or disordered eating. Or it can occur inadvertently due to an innocent lack of knowledge of how much energy they require, poor access to appropriate nutrition and/or reduced appetite for food after high volume trainings. In this article we learn about a term called Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport, and how we can better prevent and treat this condition.

Relative energy deficiency in sport

Relative energy deficiency in sport (REDs) is a syndrome, caused by prolonged or repeated acute bouts of low energy availability (a consumption of insufficient energy to meet energy expenditure requirements). It can impact male and females and leads to negative health and performance implications. The detrimental outcomes can impact energy metabolism, reproductive function, musculoskeletal health, immunity, cardiovascular and haematological health, bone health, which synergistically impair wellbeing, performance and increase injury risk. Without early intervention some of these implications can be severe and enduring and impact an athlete’s ability to compete/perform at the level they desire.

Simple tips for REDs prevention or recovery

In one of our previous article’s, we speak to how you can spot the signs and symptoms of REDs and go into more detail of how it can develop (see ‘Are you fueling for optimal health and performance’). Here we share some practical tips for prevention and recovery from REDs.

Food first: Many athletes under consume to meet their energy requirements. However, it is critical to meet these needs to prevent the development of REDs, which can occur silently until more severe implications begin to present themselves. Planning pre-and post-session snacks (combining protein and carbohydrate for optimal performance and recovery), and meals should be top on an athlete’s mind. Importantly it is advised to avoid fasted training, and prioritize balanced, nutrient-dense, and enjoyable meals rich in carbs, protein, and fats. Importantly we believe nothing should be off limits.

Train smart: It is all too easy to overtrain when you enjoy what you do, as well as the constant messaging from society encouraging the concept of ‘move more’. Instead, the concept of ‘move smarter’ to achieve quality training rather than a ‘move more mindset’ is more likely to lead to better health and performance outcomes. Tailoring you’re training to balance intensity and recovery, training to meet your own personal goals and remembering rest is essential to enable training adaptations to occur. Excessive exercise and overtraining can deplete your energy reserves and disrupt your hormone balance. Pay attention to signs of fatigue, disruptions to sleep, changes in mood, changes in menstrual cycles (females), or morning erections (males), and/or increases in illness/injury.

NEAT: It is not just exercise that drains your energy. Non exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) relates to the energy we expend from activities not related to sport/formal exercise training. For example, this can include walking to work, shopping, fidgeting, typing, gardening. Try to balance these out with recovery (sleep, nutrition, and downtime) and be aware of hidden extras (like travel, walking, and standing), which all count as activities too.

Stay true to you not them: The pressure we experience to look, eat, and train a certain way has never been more intense than it is now. Every day we are bombarded with images, stories, videos, social media which try to convince you to be like ‘them’, but no one knows your body like you do. Gather nutrition and training advice from credible, science-backed resources, sports dietitians and try unfollowing social media accounts that don't enhance your life.

Build your support team: Build your support team early. This may include coaches, healthcare practitioners, sports dietitians, friends, and training partners who understand the issue of REDs and can help you stay on a positive path. If you are concerned, do not wait to seek help and support. Try as much as you can to seek this support though from specialists with knowledge and understanding of managing REDs and associated conditions (e.g., eating disorders, disordered eating)

Monitor progress and plateau: Keeping a logbook or a journal to track your training, energy levels, sleep patterns, nutrition concerns/patterns and training loads can help you to be aware of changes that may be a red flag.

With the right planning and implementation of appropriate fueling, training and rest it is possible to avoid REDs, and still reach optimal performance outcomes. If you are concerned about REDs or unsure about your energy requirements seek support from a qualified physician and/or a registered sports dietician/nutritionist who has expertise in managing REDs. If your sports physician in concerned they will be able to direct, you to the right support to get you back on track to optimal health and performance outcomes.