From my post on PEZ Cycling News Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) is, simply put, a mismatch between energy intake and energy output. When the gap between energy needs and actual intake persists, the body is left short of what it needs to support normal biological processes after exercise. Over time, the body begins to make “budget cuts.” This phenomenon was originally described as the Female Athlete Triad , after clinicians noticed a recurring pattern in female athletes:...

Out of sight, out of mind... In many professional teams and sports medicine settings, it’s commonplace for healthcare practitioners—such as physicians, dietitians, and exercise physiologists—to conduct regular assessments to monitor athlete health and wellbeing. Outside of professional sport and collegiate athletics, however, health and wellness testing can run the gamut from non-existent to tracking the wrong metrics, or simply overlooking key risk factors altogether. Athletes are a unique...

The Nine Hungers: What Are You Really Hungry For? Why are you hungry? And what are you really  hungry for? At first glance, that might sound obvious. “Food, obviously. Maybe a BLT. Or pizza.” But hunger isn’t always that simple. In reality, there are nine types of hunger  — and understanding them can completely change how you relate to food. As athletes, we’re good at tracking data — heart rate, wattage, macros, training volume. But most of us lose touch with the subjective side of eating:...