Running low on energy

Researchers from the University of Waikato talk about Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) - a condition in which athletes don't take in the right amount of calories to do the exercise they are doing. Katie Schofield & Holly Thorpe explain why the problem is much more complex than just calorie intake, and why it is important to research this condition in a multidisciplinary way.

Watching the Olympics from the safety of the couch with snacks in hand, it's hard to imagine what athletes go through to reach the pinnacle of their sport. We can find ourselves watching and wondering, "What does it take to be so fit? What's the price of that sort of success?"

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For some athletes it's meant almost starving themselves to achieve their desired body weight and goals. In the 'no excuses', 'no pain, no gain' world of elite sport, hunger for success sometimes means actual hunger, but this can have devastating consequences to the athlete's performance and health.

Now, athletes are starting to speak out and researchers, like Dr. Katie Schofield at Waikato University, are turning their attention to RED-S, or Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport.

Schofield, a professional track cyclist for four years, was diagnosed with the condition herself, and was forced to take a year out of the sport to recover. What she learned on her personal journey inspired her to return to research RED-S for her PhD.

All of us need a baseline amount of energy to keep our bodies ticking over. But when elite athletes - or even over-enthusiastic amateurs - are expending so much energy in their training and not putting enough in, the deficit can do serious damage. It impacts not just the athlete's performance, but also their mood, immune system, hormone levels and bone health, among others.

For example, RED-S can lead to lower oestrogen, causing disruption in the menstrual cycle and loss of bone strength. If left unchecked this makes the athlete vulnerable to future fertility issues and stress factors. The warning signs can be missed amidst a tough training schedule and the stigma against not wanting to look weak; it's often not until bones are broken or other more serious injuries occur that people realise something more is going on…

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details