Abstract
Background and Objectives: Relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S) has been introduced as a broad-spectrum syndrome leading to possible dysfunction in numerous physiological systems, driven primarily by low energy availability (EA). Research in females has identified specific EA cut-points indicative of risk level for developing physiological and performance disturbances. Cut-points in males have yet to be evaluated. This study examined the prevalence of low EA in competitive (non-elite), recreationally trained (CRT) male endurance athletes. Materials and Methods: Subjects were 108 CRT (38.6 ± 13.8 y; 12.2 ± 5.4 h/wk training) male endurance athletes (runners, cyclists, triathletes) who completed a descriptive survey online via Qualtrics® and returned 3 day diet and exercise training records. EA was calculated from returned surveys and training records. Resting metabolic rate (RMR) and lean body mass (LBM) were estimated from self-reported survey data. Prevalence of risk group was categorized based on the female cut-points: At risk (AR) ≤30 kcal/kg LBM, moderate risk (MR) = 30–45 kcal/kg LBM, or no risk (NR) ≥45 kcal/kg LBM. Results: In this sample, 47.2% (n = 51) were classified as AR, 33.3% (n = 36) as MR, and 19.4% (n = 21) as NR for low EA. Cyclists had lower EA (26.9 ± 17.4 kcal/kg LBM, n = 45) than runners (34.6 ± 13.3 kcal/kg LBM, n = 55, p = 0.016) and all other sport categories (39.5 ± 19.1 kcal/kg LBM, n = 8, p = 0.037). Conclusions: The findings indicate this sample had a high prevalence of risk for low EA, at 47.2%. Only 19.4% of participants were at no risk, meaning ~80% of participants were at some degree of risk of experiencing low EA. Cyclists were at greater risk in this cohort of low EA, although why this occurred was unclear and is in need of further investigation. Future research should address whether the current female cut-points for low EA are appropriate for use in male populations.
Highlights
Relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S) was identified in 2014 as a broad-spectrum syndrome leading to possible dysfunction in numerous physiological systems, driven primarily by the development of low energy availability (EA) [1]
19.4% of participants were at no risk, meaning ~80% of participants were at some degree of risk of experiencing low EA
Cyclists were at greater risk in this cohort of low EA, why this occurred was unclear and is in need of further investigation
Summary
Relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S) was identified in 2014 as a broad-spectrum syndrome leading to possible dysfunction in numerous physiological systems, driven primarily by the development of low energy availability (EA) [1]. Low EA risk is thought to be greater in aesthetic (e.g., gymnastics), weight-sensitive (e.g., jockeys, wrestling) and endurance-based (e.g., running, cycling) sports than in team or ball-based sports (e.g., soccer, basketball) [1] The rationale for this line of thought is due in part to: (a) eating disorders or disordered eating, which can influence energy intake (EI), can be more prevalent in aesthetic and weight-sensitive sport athletes, thereby increasing their risk for low EA; and, (b) endurance sports involve high volumes of training and as such, these athletes have tremendous daily exercise energy expenditure (EEE; high caloric cost) rates, which increases their risk for low EA [4]. Relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S) has been introduced as a broad-spectrum syndrome leading to possible dysfunction in numerous physiological systems, driven primarily by low energy availability (EA). Resting metabolic rate (RMR) and lean body mass (LBM) were estimated from self-reported survey data
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