Screening for RED-S in female street runners: na alert about relative energy deficiency in sport
Original article - e235602 - Published 2024, Dec 20
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33233/rbfex.v23i3.5602Keywords:
relative energy deficiency in sport, running, energy intake, menstrual cycle, bone density, digestive systemAbstract
Introduction: The Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) syndrome has become a significant issue for endurance athletes, with low energy availability (LEA) being its main cause. There is no gold standard for diagnosis, but in 2023, the 3rd consensus on the subject proposed a new protocol. Objective: The objective was to evaluate the risk of LEA in female street runners to screen athletes at risk for RED-S, and to characterize weekly training volume. Methods: This is a cross-sectional observational study conducted with 34 female street runners (33.3 ± 5.8 years old, 6.2 years of training experience, BMI 23.2 ± 2.9), whose LEA risk was assessed by the Low Energy Availability in Females Questionnaire (LEAF-Q). The cutoff for risk classification consists of ≥ 8 total score, with emphasis on ≥ 2 score for the injuries subscale, ≥ 2 score for the gastrointestinal function subscale, and ≥ 4 score for the menstrual function subscale. Results: The prevalence of LEA risk was 23.5%; among the eight athletes identified at risk, 75% had high scores above cutoffs for more than one subscale. Menstrual dysfunction had a score ≥ 4 in 75% of those classified at risk. Although no significant correlation was found between LEA risk and training volume, the highest prevalence of risk was identified among athletes with volumes between 41-45 km weekly. Conclusion: The results indicate a high prevalence of LEA risk among endurance runners, suggesting the importance of screening for RED-S and the need to continue diagnostic processes in this population.
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Copyright (c) 2024 Marcos Lira Feitosa da Silva, João Henrique Gomes, Renata Rebello Mendes
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