Health · Fitness & Nutrition · 2 hrs ago
Male athletes describe the effects of relative energy deficiency in sport
Jake Smith was diagnosed with relative energy deficiency in sport after repeated injuries and two stress fractures.
The British long-distance runner said intense training and disordered eating left him dangerously underweight, and doctors warned his career could end.
REDs happens when athletes do not take in enough energy to meet the demands of their bodies.
It can cause fatigue, low mood, disrupted sleep and bone injuries, and may lead to serious long-term health problems if untreated.
Men can be harder to identify because warning signs are less obvious; low testosterone can cause fatigue and reduced libido.
Research cited in the story found low energy availability in 49.4% of male athletes and 44.2% of female athletes.
Jonny Brownlee says under-fuelling contributed to serious injuries during his triathlon career, and the condition remains an overlooked area of sports science.
British long-distance runner Jake Smith says relative energy deficiency in sport (REDs) left him with brittle bones and put his career at risk.
Smith was diagnosed after suffering two stress fractures within four months.
Doctors warned him four years ago that he could be in a wheelchair by 30 if he continued as he was.
Former Olympic champion Jonny Brownlee says mistakes in fuelling contributed to serious injuries during his triathlon career.
REDs can affect men and women, but its signs may be less obvious in men and can go undetected.
- Who
- Long-distance runner Jake Smith and former Olympic champion Jonny Brownlee.
- What
- They describe their experiences with REDs and under-fuelling.
- When
- Smith was warned by doctors four years before the article was published. The date of his diagnosis is not stated.
- Where
- Smith returned from a running camp in Uganda weighing eight stone (51kg).
- Why
- Insufficient energy intake can disrupt hormones and cause health problems. Smith said disordered eating alongside intense training contributed to his condition.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The condition was referred to as the female athlete triad.
The International Olympic Committee renamed it REDs to acknowledge a broader range of symptoms and its effects on male athletes.
Doctors warned Smith that continuing as he was could leave him in a wheelchair by 30.
Smith sought professional help and was diagnosed with REDs.
- Smith's weight after Uganda camp
- Eight stone (51kg)
- Smith's height
- 5ft 5in (1.7m)
- Stress fractures
- Two in four months
- Low energy availability
- 44.2% of female athletes and 49.4% of male athletes in cited research
- REDs renamed
- 2014
3 sources
What people are saying
If you keep this up, you'll be in a wheelchair at 30.
Hormones go to every single bit in your body. So, if your hormones are not working well for you, you're going to feel it in all sorts of different areas.
In order to have healthy hormones, they need to be fed regularly. If you're not doing that and there's an energy deficit, often some of those hormone systems will slow down or shut down completely.
I didn't see the importance of it. Training came first and I think we weren't educated enough in how important fuelling was.