RED-S, or Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport, can be sneaky. Even if your athlete is eating enough total calories during the day, if they’re not eating enough around and during their training, they can get themselves into trouble.
I wanted to just quickly talk about a few of the sneakier signs and symptoms of RED-S that you and your athlete should know about:
- Feeling tired ALL the time
- Being irritable for no good reason, constantly
- Feeling slow in every workout
- Being sad for no good reason, constantly
- Getting sick with colds/flus/stomach bugs/ear infections etc. often
These can all be warnings from your body that something isn't right—and that your athlete needs to talk to your parents, coach, doctor or dietitian to figure out how to get back on track!
We want to EAT TO RIDE, not ride to eat. Fuel your body!
You should also check out our book, Power Up, written by registered dietitian Stevie Lyn Smith. It has tons of practical advice and a whole chapter on RED-S. Listen to her on this episode: