UR last article touched on why an increased amount of training may not lead to increased or improved performance and, indeed, may even cause harm. I briefly mentioned that one of these harmful effects was RED-S. It is a serious concern which not only affects a dancer’s ongoing performance, but may have lasting consequences throughout life.
RED-S stands for Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport. It was previously thought of as the “Female Athlete Triad” (which encompassed disordered eating, menstrual dysfunction and low bone mass). We now know that it is a syndrome with effects which are much more widespread, affecting many more body systems, and does not need to include disordered eating. It also affects male athletes.
RED-S is caused by low energy intake relative
