By Dr Nicky Keay @nickyKfitness “We need to treat individual women, not statistics” was the concluding sentence of an insightful BMJ Editorial 2019 [1] However, as Caroline Criado Perez points out in her recent, science prizing-winning book, ‘Invisible Women’, in many instances there are no scientific or medical statistics on women [2]. The efficacy of […]
Dr. Nicky Keay @nickyKfitness Suboptimal bone health with associated recurrent stress fractures can be career ending for athletes and dancers. Bone stress injuries, including stress fractures and other complications of suboptimal bone heath such as compression fractures are some of the most clinically significant sequalae of low energy availability described in the Relative Energy […]
Several of the BJSM editorial team attended the excellent 2019 Isokinetic Conference in London this past April. One inspiring session at the conference focused specifically on the latest research in female sport. We heard a call for an increase in the number of published female-specific sports research studies. […]
By Anna Boniface@AnnaBoniface Low energy availability (LEA) from insufficient energy intake to fuel training demands and daily physiological processes has a negative impact to multiple systems in the body (Mountjoy et al, 2014). Adverse effects to bone health are a consequence of LEA. An athlete presenting with a bony stress injury (BSI) to a health […]
By Emily Dudgeon Relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S) is a condition of low energy availability affecting male and female athletes of all levels and ages [1]. It has wide ranging adverse effects on all bodily systems and can seriously compromise long term health and performance [2]. Athletes affected by RED-S have openly spoken about consequences […]
Start with Part 1 of this blog here. Physically, when the body is under “stress” levels of cortisol rise. When this is chronic, it prevents the pituitary gland from working effectively, leading to hormonal disturbances that have serious negative consequences.(1-3) The more obsessive and restrictive an athlete becomes, the more the workings of neurotransmitters are […]
Human competitive nature is a biological trait that has co-evolved with the basic need for survival(1). It motivates us to get out of bed and show up every day. But is all competitiveness good for us? From my 8-years of sports specific and 20-years total dietetic experience working with athletes of all levels (recreational […]
Dr Nicky Keay Although improvements are being made to raise awareness and in effectively managing relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S)[1, 2] what about once an athlete/dancer is “medically cleared” to return to sport/dance? What advice/support is there for athletes/dancers and their coaches/teachers? After discussions with coaches, here are some suggestions on how to achieve return to sport/dance […]
By Dr Nicky Keay @nickyKfitness Menstrual periods are a barometer of healthy hormones. The evolutionary purpose of ovulation is to reproduce. Furthermore the carefully biologically choreographed variation of hormones that occurs during an ovulatory menstrual cycle is crucial to health and athletic performance. Why? Hormones are chemical messengers that have far reaching effects throughout the body and […]
Dr Nicky Keay, Sports and Dance Endocrinologist There is growing evidence that for athletes, being replete in vitamin D is important for many key areas of health and performance. For bone health, muscle strength and to support immune function. At the recent International Association of Dance Medicine conference, in addition to presenting on Dance Endocrinology I also […]