RED-S
Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) is a syndrome caused by low energy availability. Essentially, an athlete does not have sufficient energy intake to support their daily bodily functions because of the energy they’re expanding while exercising or pursuing their sport. The deficit may be intentional or unintentional, but the consequences are the same. This energy imbalance can affect multiple organ systems, leading to menstrual and hormonal dysfunction, impaired bone health, altered cardiac function, and decreased immunity. In addition to the health consequences, performance markers such as endurance, strength, and coordination may also be negatively affected.
To learn more about RED-S, sports nutrition or eating disorders read our blog post. written by registered dietitian nutritionists.
Orthorexia
Orthorexia nervosa is a mental illness where the sufferer is obsessed with eating “healthy.” A person with orthorexia typically obsesses about avoiding foods that are thought to be harmful or "bad."
There’s no official diagnosis in the mental health textbooks, but it has been proposed as an eating disorder in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V).
A person with orthorexia might obsessively avoid eating out, worry about the quality of food or its “cleanliness,” or become consumed with avoiding whole groups of food because they’re “unhealthy.”
Orthorexia can cause malnutrition, osteoporosis, muscle loss, fatigue and depression, severe weight loss, and more.
How can a dietitian certified in Sports nutrition help me?
A Board Certified Sports Dietitian, or CSSD, maintains the premier professional sports nutrition credential in the United States. The role of a CSSD is to provide safe, effective and evidenced-based guidance to optimize athletic performance. They understand the importance of nutrition and its role in training and performance.
Athletes require personalized sports nutrition guidance. A CSSD will complete a comprehensive assessment, taking into account sport-specific training and any specific conditions the athlete may have (for example: food allergies & intolerances, disordered eating or iron-deficiency anemia).
With expertise in sports nutrition, we will help you develop fueling and recovery strategies, customize hydration plans, and navigate NCAA dietary supplement regulations to maintain your eligibility.
Why is the Health at Every Size Approach important to sports?
Athletes often receive the message that lighter is better when it comes to athletic performance. Or, they're given the impression that a particular body type is "ideal" for their specific sport. The reality is, each body is unique, and trying to achieve unrealistic weight goals could decrease performance and negatively impact an athlete’s overall health.
The Health at Every Size® approach, contrary to a one-size-fits-all approach, embraces body diversity and seeks to reduce society’s obsession with weight loss and thinness. When applied to the sports world, it challenges the myth that optimal performance revolves around a number. Performance is impacted by 40 different factors, therefore solely focusing on an athlete’s weight misses the big picture.
Working with a registered dietitian nutritionist to learn more about sports nutrition can improve your performance.
How Can Intuitive Eating and Sports co-exist?
Many athletes have lost their ability to eat intuitively. Well-intentioned, traditional sports nutrition regimens are often too rigid and don’t allow for flexible eating. Structured meal and snack times that focus on specific macronutrient ratios can be counterintuitive at times. For some athletes, the strict patterns can feel burdensome. For others, planning and tracking their nutrition can become an obsession.
Both sport culture and diet culture influence the belief that there are certain foods an athlete should or shouldn’t eat for performance. Intuitive Eating principles challenge the idea that there are good foods and bad foods, allowing for an all-foods-fit approach. When food is neutral, an athlete can connect with internal body cues in a non-judgmental way to nourish their body without guilt or doubt.
Each athlete has highly individualized needs and every eating scenario cannot be planned. Integrating principles of Intuitive Eating allows the athlete to trust their hunger & fullness cues, recognize which foods feel satisfying, and which foods are best tolerated for training and performance.
Working with a sports dietitian knowledgeable about Intuitive Eating will help you develop confidence in your food choices and trust in your body. Incorporating principles from both worlds will provide you a sustainable way of nourishing your body and maximizing your performance.