Relative Energy Deficiency in sport Nutrition clinic

REDs NUTRITION CLINIC

Learn. Fuel. Thrive

Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport, also known as REDs, refers to a syndrome of “impaired physiological functioning, and includes but is not limited to, impairments of metabolic rate, menstrual function, bone health, immunity, protein synthesis, and cardiovascular health” (International Olympic Committee, 2014).

The underlying concept underpinning REDs is Low Energy Availability (LEA).

LEA is a mismatch between any active person’s (recreational or elite athlete) energy intake (diet) and the energy expended in exercise, leaving inadequate energy to support the functions required by the body to maintain optimal health and performance.

Signs of Low energy Availability can include:

  • Fatigue, Poor Recovery, Low Mood, Frequent illness or injury, Loss of Menstrual cycle in females, Less frequent morning erections in males, Stress fracture, Digestive issues…

  • Weight loss BUT often not, weight stability or even increases to weight and fat mass

  • The body will conserve energy and reduce metabolic rate when there is inadequate nutrition

  • LEA can occur acutely, within 5 days, or in a chronic manner over a number of weeks, months or years

 
RED-S Nutrition Clinic new zealand
 

Treatment of REDS

Treatment of REDs involves optimising an individual’s nutritional status. This could include, increasing total energy intake to be in a positive energy balance, modifying exercise or training load, or treating a particular symptoms of an individual’s presentation, e.g. bone stress, low iron levels etc. REDs is best treated with other suitably qualified sports medicine and/or health professionals including:

  • Sports Physician or Sports Doctor, GP, Endocrinologist, Physiotherapist, Psychologist or Therapist

Our NUTRITION Approach:

Nutrition treatment is at the centre of treating REDs, but just like no people are the same, nutrition intervention should be highly individualised. We are highly experienced working with a range of REDs presentations. We are also familiar and experienced in the overlapping area of disordered eating and eating disorders. It is important that we screen for these to ensure the most appropriate treatment is recommended and offered.

Initial Assessment:

At your first appointment we will spend some time talking about your health information, blood tests or biomarkers, injuries, training type and load, nutrition intake including eating pattern, nutrition practices around training, relationship with food and your body and past or current dieting practices. We will work together with you to develop a nutrition treatment plan, prioritising areas or goals that are most relevant and important to you. After your appointment, you will come away with some nutrition action steps to include into your day and work towards optimising your overall nutrition status.

Often, additional assessment tools are needed to help set the most relevant and appropriate treatment goals. Ideally, these tests should be completed prior to a nutrition appointment and taken within 3 months before your first appointment. These tests may include:

  • REDs Biomarkers via specific Blood tests

  • Bone Density Scan (if assessed as relevant to your presentation)

If you have been referred to us via another Health Professional, these tests may have already been requested. If you are seeing us on a Self-Referred basis we will contact you about arranging these with your GP, Sports Physician or Sports Doctor.

After your appointment, we will correspond (with your permission) with members of your health care team to advise on our assessment and our treatment goals.

Follow Up Appointments:

In subsequent review nutrition appointments, we will work collaboratively to fine-tune your nutrition treatment plan. The frequency and total number of of review sessions will depend on your clinical presentation and nutrition goals.

Creating a positive energy balance is at the centre of treatment for REDs. This may or may not result in changes to body weight. For some, this can be challenging to work through, perhaps from previous misinformation about nutrition and performance, or exposure to dieting or what bodies “should look like”.

We are experienced in working in these areas and will support you. We may suggest seeking additional support from a therapist who can help to explore this in more detail.

During your nutrition appointments, you will learn how to fuel yourself adequately for the demands of your day, and for different levels of exercise or training. Together, this knowledge and skills are fundamental to avoid low energy availability and its associated REDs symptoms, and ultimately thrive in health, your sport or activity!

Other Team Members:

Other members of the multi-disciplinary REDs team can provide expertise on management of medical management to injuries (if applicable) training load, injury, return to exercise protocols and psychological support with RED-S and or eating disorders.

Referral To OUR REDs Nutrtion clinic:

You may self-refer using our online contact form and we’ll be in touch :)

We also accept referrals from other health care professionals including Sports Physicians, Sports Doctors, Physiotherapists, Psychologists, Endocrinologists and Coaches.

More Information: