“We can’t see the wood for the trees” #functionalhypothalamicamenorrhea #contraceptivepill #relativeenergydeficiency Introduction The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recently made a new statement about Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs) (1). Low sexual hormone levels cause hypothalamic amenorrhea, often misunderstood in clinical practice. This blog is an attempt to explain why oral contraceptive pills are not […]
Tag: RED-S
Identifying Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) in Runners
Keywords: female, running, RED-S In this blog we will explain how to identify RED-S in cross country runners by three different health profiles. We also discuss risk factors for RED-S in this population. Our study (recently published in BJSM), included a random sample of 211 current National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division I (DI) female cross […]
Energy Availability in Dancers – and lessons for all sports
Here I discuss the findings from our recent study: Indicators and correlates of low energy availability in male and female dancers[1] Key Points Dancers display indicators of low energy availability and are at risk of the adverse consequences of relative energy deficiency in dance There are dance specific psychological correlates associated with low energy availability […]
RED-S Risk Factors for International-Student Athletes and practical suggestions: Part Two of a first-hand account.
In #PartOne, Pippa Woolven highlighted some of the personal risk factors associated with RED-S in international student athletes. In part two, she details some of the more structural risk factors, and suggestions to try and reduce the risk of athletes suffering from RED-S. Structural Risk Factors Adjusting to a new sports culture US university sport […]
RED-S Risk Factors for International-Student Athletes: Part one of a first-hand account.
American University sport scholarships can be a huge draw for British athletes. World class facilities, free (or heavily subsidised) education, and the promise of an enriching experience offer a once-in a lifetime opportunity for many. Yet with oceans and borders separating them from family, friends and support networks, international student-athletes (ISAs) can face a number […]
Thyroid Function in Athletes and Dancers
By Dr Nicky Keay @nickyKfitness Now is a good time to revisit a topic discussed in my previous BJSM blog([i]), to coincide with guidelines on the management of thyroid disease released by National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) in November 2019([ii]), and summarised in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) last month([iii]). It has transpired […]
A battle cry for change in the female running world: physicians are listening
Let’s start to discuss how we can reframe women’s running culture from the lens of the medical professional. By Emily Kraus, MD @emilykrausMD It was the day after elite runner Mary Cain bravely shared her riveting story of the unhealthy pressures and emotional abuse she experienced while training under Alberto Salazar at the Nike Oregon […]
Of Mice and Men (and Women)
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 […]
Changing the way we talk about eating disorders: learning from four-time Obstacle Racing World Champion Amelia Boone
By Daniel Friedman @ddfriedman Last year, Dr Osman Ahmed championed BJSM’s “Patient Voices”, a series for patients and athletes to share their stories with the sport and exercise medicine community. We aim to provide a platform for patients and athletes to feel empowered and tell their story in the way that they want. For our 400th podcast […]
RED-S research: bones and ballet
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 […]