Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs), or Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport, emerged as a theme introduced by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2014, undergoing updates in 2018 and, more recently, in 2023. It is an expansion of the female athlete triad, constituting a broader and more comprehensive term.
REDs refers to a physiological dysfunction in which several impairments in the health and performance of the athlete, whether male or female, can occur. These effects are attributed to low energy availability, that is, the REDs syndrome encompasses all the changes that can arise when an athlete faces a "survival state". In this context, daily food intake is not sufficient to sustain the high daily expenditure, resulting in a shortage of energy for the body's vital functions.
These physiological consequences manifest themselves at different times, with different intensities and gradually.
Consequences:
- Compromised reproductive function;
- Affected bone health;
- Impaired gastrointestinal function;
- Affected energy metabolism;
- Impaired hematologic function;
- Urinary incontinence;
- Impaired glucose and lipid metabolism;
- Mental health problems;
- Impaired neurodegenerative function;
- Sleep disorders;
- Impaired cardiovascular function;
- Reduced skeletal muscle function;
- Problems with growth and development;
- Reduced Immunity.
The RED Conceptual Models were designed with the purpose of raising awareness among athletes, coaches and sports doctors about their complexity.
Rui Lopes
BMS Nutritionists
1.Burke LM, Ackerman KE, Heikura IA, Hackney AC, Stellingwerff T. Mapping the complexities of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs): development of a physiological model by a subgroup of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Consensus on REDs. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2023 Sep 1;57(17):1098–108.