Energy Availability
Are you eating enough to fuel your performance?
The hard training undertaken by athletes day in day out ensures they have increased energy needs. Achieving those increased needs is a fundamental requirement of an athletes diet, and failing to do so for extended periods of time can have adverse implications on both health and performance.
There are a number of factors that can make fueling for sport challenging and these are specified in the below infographic.
Watching out for the early signs and symptoms of under-fueling can help identify the issue early, and help avoid the potential adverse impact on both health and performance. If you notice one or more of the symptoms below, speak to your sports dietitian who has expert knowledge in helping you to match your fueling needs to training and competition demands.
Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S)
Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S), is a syndrome which can adversely affect the health and performance of athletes. It exists when under-fueling is sustained for extended periods of time i.e. there is a negative balance between dietary energy intake and the energy expenditure required to support optimal health, daily living activities, growth, and sport. In the simplest terms the underlying cause of RED-S is low energy availability. That is the amount of dietary energy remaining for the body to function properly after accounting for exercise expenditure.
