Perhaps the most long-term consequence of having RED-S / REDs (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport) is its effect on bone density. Sports nutrition and performance expert Rebecca McConville explains why not having stress fractures or other bone injuries is not necessarily a sign of good bone health.
Read the transcript
[Tina] I’m not getting any bone injuries. Does that mean my bones are fine? I haven’t got any fractures or had many other injuries, so am I okay?
[Becca] Tough question because we don’t know what’s going on beneath the surface, and if you suspect or you have been diagnosed with RED-S, truth be told, it may be only a matter of time before some of those things start to, do come to the surface. And we praise a body that is trying really hard to be resilient, giving up its energy stores for you to be able to do the things that you love, but more than likely that is a consequence.
So while you may not have bone stress injuries, being able to have a DEXA to look at bone density or thinking of the long-term implications. And obviously, there’s a sport that you love and we want you to be able to do that sport as long as you desire without having to spend time out for injuries, so no time like the present, even though there’s not been any injuries or consequences. And I always challenge my athletes like, “What’s the downside of being fed? Could you feel even that more incredible when you’re doing the things that you love?”
[Tina] That’s so true, and I think that’s something I realized in my time post running professionally and recovering from RED-S, that I do find myself wondering how much faster could I have run, how much better could I have been, how much better could I have felt, had I been fueled? It really doesn’t seem like it could have done any harm; it could have only helped me. So I think that’s a really good way to put it. Thank you.
check it out
Recovering from RED-S is hard. It’s even harder if you’re working through it alone. Even if you have professional support, they’re not available 24-7, and that can lead to going down search engine rabbit holes that have the potential to derail everything.
Our online resource, RED-S: Realize. Reflect. Recover, will answer all those questions swimming around in your head about recovery. It will give you the opportunity to connect with the experts you’ve come to know here, and to surround yourself with a community of others who are going through it too. THANK YOU! to Athletic Greens and Tracksmith for supporting this YouTube series and RED-S: Realize. Reflect. Recover.
Go to athleticgreens.com/reds to get five free travel packs of AG1 and a free one year’s supply of vitamin D3+K2 with your subscription!
When you go to https://tracksmith.com/tina and use the code TINA15 at checkout, you’ll get free shipping and Tracksmith will donate 5% of your order to Rising Hearts, the Indigenous-led nonprofit founded by Jordan Marie Daniels.
more about becca:
Rebecca McConville, RD, LD, CSSD, CEDS, is a sports nutrition and performance expert who helps her clients explore and strengthen their relationship with food, weight, body image and sports performance. Her book, “Finding Your Sweet Spot,” helps athletes maximize their potential while avoiding the dangers of RED-S. You can find Becca at https://beccamcconville.com.
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