Relative energy deficiency in sport: What Every Athlete & Clinician Must Know #127

Breakdown of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S), what it is, why clinicians and athletes should care, key stats/facts that often get missed, and practical screening you can use tomorrow in clinic or with your squad.

What you’ll learn

• What RED-S actually is (beyond “under-fuelling”)

• Why it matters for health, performance, and injury risk

• Prevalence, red flags, and common pitfalls

• How to screen in real life: which tools, when to use them, and how to interpret results

• When to refer and build a multidisciplinary plan

LEAF-Q (Low Energy Availability in Females Questionnaire)

https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/bjsports/suppl/2014/02/21/

bjsports-2013-093240.DC1/bjsports-2013-093240supp1.pdf

LEAF-Q Scoring Guide:

https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/bjsports/suppl/2014/02/21/

bjsports-2013-093240.DC1/bjsports-2013-093240supp2.pdf

• LEAM-Q (Low Energy Availability in Males Questionnaire) 6

https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/9/1873 (see supplementary material)

• RST (RED-S Specific Screening Tool) 7

https://assets.cureus.com/uploads/original_article/

pdf/30734/1612430181-1612430175-20210204-18268-i9k6n7.pdf

(Questionnaire in appendix C, scoring guide in appendix B)

• SEAQ-I (Sport-Specific Energy Availability Questionnaire and

Interview) 8

https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/4/1/e000424

(see supplementary material)

• EDE-Q (Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire) 9

https://socialwork.buffalo.edu/content/dam/socialwork/continuing-

education/documents/Eating-Questionairre-EDE-Q.pdf

• SCOFF (Sick, Control, One (stone), Fat, and Food Questionnaire) 10

https://www.nutritionhealth.com.au/site/assets/files/1064/scoff-

questionnaire.pdf

• EAI (Exercise Addiction Inventory) 11

https://doi.org/10.1080/16066350310001637363 (see appendix 1)

• EDS (Exercise Dependence Scale) 12

https://www.personal.psu.edu/dsd11/EDS/EDS21Manual.pdf