RED-S SPELLS DANGER

Eating disorders can take many forms, but, for endurance athletes especially, the risk of RED-S is a rising cause for concern.

- 

For an increasing number of men, the pursuit of PBs and ever greater achievements in endurance events and fitness goals could be putting them at risk of a condition known in the sporting world as Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport - or RED-S for short.

A side-effect of an often very disciplined approach to training and nutritional intake, RED-S stems from a mismatch of energy demands versus an athlete's energy intake. Essentially, when you're not giving your body the nutrients it needs to function, let alone perform at its best for the sport.

According to one meta-analysis, about 45% of athletes have “low energy availability”. Whilst not every man who’s under-fuelling has an eating disorder, athletes in general are two to three times more likely to develop an eating disorder compared to their non-athlete peers*.

The cyclist’s binge-purge cycle

“I used to believe eating disorders were something teenage girls suffered from, not men in their mid-40s,” reveals Alex, a cyclist from the Channel Islands. “But my experience over the last two years has shattered that myth.”

Road cycling started out as a hobby and mental health ‘release’ for Alex, but it soon turned into competitive racing. “As I got older, I became a coach, emphasizing proper fuelling and preparation for younger riders. Ironically, I didn’t follow my own advice.”

In 2022, Alex set his sights on qualifying for the Amateur World Championships. His training became more intense, but life outside of cycling became overwhelming and, in an effort to regain control, Alex fixated on his diet.

“I don’t think it will come as a surprise to many that disordered eating habits are prevalent in cycling where your performance is judged by your power/weight ratio, and you spend all your spare time in a skin-tight aerodynamic cycling kit.”