{"id":196812,"date":"2024-09-24T08:12:50","date_gmt":"2024-09-24T08:12:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=196812"},"modified":"2024-09-24T08:12:50","modified_gmt":"2024-09-24T08:12:50","slug":"energy-deficit-in-athletes-women-are-especially-vulnerable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2024\/09\/24\/energy-deficit-in-athletes-women-are-especially-vulnerable\/","title":{"rendered":"Energy Deficit in Athletes \u2013 Women Are Especially Vulnerable"},"content":{"rendered":"

Energy deficit in cycling can help you reach your optimal race weight but it can also put you at risk of developing RED-S. What is it and why are female athletes more susceptible to it than males? Let\u2019s take a closer look.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The issues connected with energy deficits in sports were first studied in women under the name of \u201cFemale Athlete Triad\u201d in the 1990s. It included three interrelated conditions of low energy availability, menstrual dysfunction, and decreased bone mineral density.<\/p>\n

In the last 10 years, the scientific community has recognised that the triad approach was too narrow in scope and that male athletes are also affected \u2013 and the broader concept of RED-S was established. Both the Triad and RED-S are consequences of Low Energy Availability (LEA) in athletes,<\/a> which is typically defined as an intake of less than 30 kcal per 1 kg of fat-free body mass per day. Prevention strategies are aimed at maintaining more than 45 kcal per kg of fat-free mass a day.<\/p>\n

Developing LEA and RED-S has serious negative consequences for health and athletic performance as we discussed in the previous articles in this series. Here are some of the most common symptoms of RED-S.<\/p>\n