Finally, some light at the end of the dark REDs tunnel!!
REDs [relative energy deficiency] impacts the lives of so many athletes… yet for years, athletes have been underfuelling and overtraining with little to no support. It’s great to see larger sport governing bodies creating policies to try mitigating REDs in the future generations of swimmers.
Swim England has produced guidance documents on the subject of how to identify low energy availability and the potential health and performance consequences this may have. Knowing how to identify this early should help athletes get the support they need. This may be from a local GP, a charity or a private organisation.
As future sports scientists, it’s also super important that you are aware of these guidelines, so that you know how to best support you athletes! They can be accessed through this link!