What are some common red flags/warning signs of REDS?

Question

Holly Brooks · Answer

OK. So let's talk about some of the signs and symptoms of REDS. Which, again, is relative energy deficiency in sport. The chronic mismatch between what you're taking in versus what you're expending. So it's people who get sick a lot, right. So it could be the flu, or a cold, or whatever. But, essentially, your body is extremely fragile, right. It's people who have chronic injuries, right. So maybe you're always pulling muscles. But most notably, it is bone stress injuries. So stress fracture, especially, to the lower extremities. Which have become really fragile. In people who are female identifying, you might lose your period. But not always. If you're taking an over-the-counter pill, that will, actually, be a withdrawal bleed. So it's kind of a fake period or a synthetic period, if you will. It's a lot of indigestion. And so some people who suffer from REDS, frankly, eat too many vegetables. Vegetables are good. The general population needs to eat vegetables. Athletes, we really need our carbohydrates, right. And so if you're having a lot of GI issues, it's not always an intolerance, right. It might actually be what you're eating. And also what you're not eating, right. So it's the decreased ability to adapt to your training, right. It's being fatigued all the time. It's being irritable. It's not being able to experience the joy that you once had in your sport and with your teammates. So some people just have this very dull affect, right. So if this sounds like you, please get checked out. You can also go to red-s.com, for more information. And good luck. Please ask me as many questions about this as possible. It is treatable.

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"What are some common red flags/warning signs of REDS?"