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REDs syndrome Relative lack of energy in sports
Table of Contents
1. It's the RED team
It was a group of symptoms that included eating disorders and menstruation, and osteoporosis in young athletes. The International Olympic Committee called this phenomenon comparative energy deficiency syndrome, which is caused by energy imbalance and leads to numerous disruptions in body function and also occurs in men (M.J. In 1993, so-called low energy availability was added to the symptoms over time, and in 2014, De Souza et al. 2014). triad of athletes.2. Low energy availability
It is approved when the number of calories consumed is less than 30 kcal/kg of fat-free body weight (the optimum intake is considered to be 45 kcal per kg of fatless body weight). It is therefore important that they are monitored by qualified experts, including dietitians (A. In a very simplified sense, low energy availability means taking too few calories and/or spending too many of them in relation to demand. Unfortunately, low access to energy carries many adverse health consequences, which is why it is so important that athletes, especially professional athletes but not only, concentrate on their dietary habits.3. It's a disorder of the menstrual cycle
Menstrual disorders can be characterized by irregular cycles, problems with pregnancy, or complete loss of menstruation (A. Syndrome 2020). Additionally, symptoms can be masked by taking hormonal contraception, which further complicates the diagnosis (C.M. Women with low energy availability have an active lack of menstrual periods of subcutaneous origin. Drosdzol-Cop, A. Unfortunately, due to the frequent occurrence of irregular menstruation in young women, combining this problem with low available energy becomes difficult.4. Bone health
It is a problem that is much more common in women, but it also occurs in men (M. Low energy availability also leads to other hormonal disorders that have a direct effect on the state of the bone system. Papageorgiou et al. 2018).5. Difficulty eating at the REDs
Perfectionism, social pressure, a high level of competition and lack of support from trainers often lead to excessive focus on appearance and figure, and consequently to eating disorders. The most common problems are anorexia and bulimia, which not only significantly impair quality of life and health, but also rarely negatively affect training outcomes (E.M. Warschburger 2013).6. The impact of low energy availability on sporting outcomes
Unfortunately, there is still little research on this subject, but the available ones indicate that too little energy supply reduces musculoskeletal capacity, glycogen stores, protein synthesis, and delays reaction time and hinders post-training regeneration (A.K. Low energy availability significantly reduces the bone system's resistance to overload, which can lead to much more frequent and difficult to heal injuries (M.C. While it seems obvious that low energy availlability can worsen athletic performance, many athletes think the opposite.7. Early detection of RED's syndrome
Concerned symptoms include a low BMI, a large recent weight loss, orthostatic hypertension, lanugo (a mild blister that covers the body), hypercarotenia (a manifestation of a yellow skin tone), and symptoms of eating disorders (E. The interviewer should ask about the history of menstruation, excess weight, medications taken, family illness, eating habits, as well as environmental pressure (you can call a trainer, a family of people with a disability) based on body weight or performance results. Unfortunately, at this time, the study may not be conducive to a full-blown study of fitness, overdosage, medication, family diseases, nutritional patterns, or any other serious neurological effects (such as the lack of knowledge about the effects of energy on the body or the results of early exercise).8. What kind of interventions are worth doing?
Inclusion in an interdisciplinary dietitian and psychologist team, as well as possible referral to psychotherapy for people with eating disorders, seems appropriate (J.F. Dunlap 2012). This can be done precisely by increasing the amount of energy available. However, this is not optimal because it does not treat the causes but only masks the symptoms. De Souza et al. 2014). Resistance training is also encouraged, but with particular caution not to lead to injury (R.J. de Souza 2014).
