By Tej Pandya “RED-S is a complex, multifactorial syndrome that it is often missed” This was the key message from the 2018 BASEM Conference – the largest attendance for the spring meeting since its inception. We were treated to a wide variety of SEM practitioners (with equal split between male and female presenters) who collectively […]
Tag: RED-S
Cumulative Endocrine Dysfunction in Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S)
By Dr Nicky Keay @nickyKfitness Unfortunately I continue to see athletes, both male and female, whose health and athletic performance is hampered due to Relative Energy Deficiency in Sports (RED-S). There have been some high profile athletes who are very open about how RED-S has affected them, alerting younger athletes to potential pitfalls. Does this issue warrant highlighting? Yes! […]
Internal Biological Clocks and Sport Performance
By Dr Nicky Keay A Nobel Prize was awarded two weeks ago to researchers who uncovered the molecular mechanisms controlling circadian rhythm: our internal biological clock. These mechanisms rely on negative feedback loops found in many biological systems where periodicity of gene expression is key, such as the Endocrine system. Internal biological clocks allow for […]
Addiction to Exercise – what distinguishes a healthy level of commitment from exercise addiction?
By Dr Nicky Keay nickykeay Health is not just the absence of illness, but rather the optimisation of all components of health: physical, mental and social. Exercise has numerous benefits on all these aspects. However, a recent article in the British Medical Journal described how exercise addiction can have detrimental physical, mental and social effects. Dedication and determination are valuable qualities required to be […]
Optimising Health, Fitness and Sports Performance for young people
Part-1 of the blog mini-series on youth By Dr Nicky Keay Young people need information in order to make life decisions on their health, fitness and sport training with the support of their families, teachers and coaches. As discussed in my previous blog anima sana in corpore sano, exercise has a positive effect on all aspects of […]
Mechanisms for optimal health…for all athletes!
Part-4 of the blog mini-series on RED-S By Dr Nicky Keay As described in previous blogs, the female athlete triad (disordered eating, amenorrhoea, low bone mineral density) is part of Relative Energy Deficiency in sports (RED-S). RED-S has multi-system effects and can affect both female and male athletes together with young athletes. The fundamental issue is a mismatch of […]
Young athletes’ optimal health: Part 3 Consequences of Relative Energy Deficiency in sports
Part-3 of the blog mini-series on RED-S By Dr Nicky Keay In my previous blogs, I described the adverse effects of Relative Energy Deficiency in sports (RED-S) in both female and male athletes- current health and sport performance and potential long term health problems. What about young aspiring athletes? There is concern that early sport specialisation, imbalances in training […]
Optimal health: including male athletes! Part 2 Relative Energy Deficiency in sports
Part-2 of the blog mini-series on RED-S By Dr Nicky Keay If you are a male athlete, or work with male athletes, and think that Relative Energy Deficiency in sport (RED-S) is just a problem for females, think again. As discussed in my previous blog Optimal health: including female athletes! Part 1 Bones, the female athlete triad […]
Sport Performance and RED-S, insights from recent Annual Sport and Exercise Medicine and Innovations in Sport and Exercise Nutrition Conferences
By Dr Nicky Keay The Holy Grail of any training program is to improve performance and achieve goals. Periodisation of training is essential in order to maximise beneficial adaptations for improved performance. Physiological adaptations occur after exercise during the rest period, with repeated exercise/rest cycles leading to “super adaptation”. Adaptations occur at the system level, for […]
From population based norms to personalised medicine: Health, Fitness, Sports Performance
“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. – World Health Organisation 1948 By Dr Nicky Keay There has been criticism of this definition, arguing that the word “complete” has opened the door to today’s more medicalised society. However, this trend coincides with increased volume of “patients” seeking […]