Many female athletes don't eat enough for the training they do. Often it isn't deliberate — training goes up, appetite doesn't keep pace, and school or work leaves little time to eat. Over weeks and months it quietly undermines health and performance.
What is low energy availability?
Energy availability is the energy left for the body to run itself after training has been paid for. When it is too low, the body saves energy by turning down "non-essential" systems: hormones, bone building, immunity and recovery.
What is RED-S?
Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) is the name the International Olympic Committee uses for the health and performance problems caused by low energy availability. It replaced the older "female athlete triad" because it affects far more than periods and bones — and it affects men too.
Warning signs
- Missing, irregular or stopped periods (this is never "normal" for an athlete)
- Stress fractures or repeated bone injuries
- Constant fatigue, poor sleep, low mood or irritability
- Frequent illness or slow recovery
- Performance stalling or dropping despite hard training
- Feeling cold, dizzy or struggling to concentrate
- Unplanned weight loss or rigid rules around food
Are you fuelling how you feel?
Take a moment to reflect on food, energy and recovery. RED-S can affect people of any gender when too little fuel is available for the body's needs over time.
This is educational, not a validated screening test. It cannot diagnose RED-S, rule it out or tell you whether training is safe.
Your answers stay in this check-in. They are not saved or sent to our team, and clear when you leave or refresh.
Why it matters
Low oestrogen from long-term low energy weakens bone during the teenage and early adult years, when most bone mass is built. It also blunts strength gains, endurance, coordination and motivation. The good news: caught early, it is very reversible.
What helps
- Eat around training: a meal or snack before, and carbohydrate plus protein soon after.
- Regular meals: three meals and 2–3 snacks on training days. Don't skip breakfast.
- Enough carbohydrate: it's the main fuel for training. Cutting it is a common cause of low energy.
- Match food to load: eat more on heavy days, in tournaments and during growth spurts.
- Plan for busy days: pack portable options — yoghurt, sandwiches, fruit, milk, cereal bars.
For parents and coaches
- Never comment on body weight or shape. Talk about fuel, energy and performance.
- Ask about periods openly and without judgement — it's a key health marker.
- Make sure food is available around training and travel.
- Take repeated injuries or ongoing fatigue seriously.
When to get help
If periods have stopped for three months or more, or there is a stress fracture, see a GP or sports doctor first. Recovery works best with a team: doctor, sports dietitian or nutritionist, coach and, where food worries are involved, a psychologist.
Based on the International Olympic Committee consensus statements on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (2014, 2018 and 2023).