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Steps to REDS Recovery

Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDS) is a condition that affects athletes when there's an imbalance between energy intake and expenditure. This energy deficit can lead to a range of health and performance issues. Lindsey Cortes has many podcast episodes specifically dedicated to explaining REDS and offering tips for prevention and treatment, linked at the end of this article. This article offers an overview of REDS, the steps to begin REDS Recovery, and offers support through Lindsey's services to help female athletes recover from REDS.



Understanding REDS

REDS arises when an athlete's energy intake doesn't meet the demands of their training and daily activities. Adequate energy must be consumed to meet the expenditure in sport, as well as the expenditure required for activities of daily life and usual metabolism and health. Low energy availability, or energy deficiency, will begin to disrupt various physiological functions, including:

  • Hormonal Balance: Leading to menstrual irregularities in females and decreased testosterone in males.

  • Bone Health: Increasing the risk of stress fractures and osteoporosis.

  • Metabolic Rate: Slowing down metabolism, leading to fatigue and decreased performance.

  • Immune Function: Making athletes more susceptible to sickness or illness.


REDS can occur to athletes at any level from recreational to elite, and at any age! It's also important to understand that REDS isn't solely about disordered eating or eating disorders; energy deficiency and low energy availability can result from unintentional under-fueling due to increased training loads, lack of awareness in nutrition needs, lack of time or lack of appetite. In some cases, certain medical conditions or medications may even suppress appetite as I often see with athletes on ADHD medication.


Recognizing the Signs

Identifying RED early is crucial for effective recovery. Common signs include

  • Persistent Fatigue: Feeling unusually tired despite adequate rest.

  • Frequent Injuries: Experiencing recurrent stress fractures or muscle strains.

  • Mood Changes: Increased irritability, depression, or anxiety.

  • Decreased Performance: Noticing a decline in athletic performance without a clear cause.

  • Menstrual Irregularities: For females, missed or irregular periods or anovulation.

  • Altered blood work: low hormones, vitamin/mineral deficiencies, low iron status or anemia, low thyroid.


If any of these signs resonate with you, consider taking our REDS Quiz to ask yourself a few more questions to learn if REDS might be at play. The best way to diagnose REDS is through working with a sports dietitian to assess energy availability, diet and health history, and likely obtain blood work as well.


Steps to REDS Recovery

Recovering from REDS involves a multifaceted approach:

  1. Increase Energy Intake: Ensure that you're consuming enough calories to meet your body's needs. This might involve:

    • Incorporating nutrient-dense snacks between meals.

    • Always eating before & after training. Consider post-training meal to be one of the largest meals of the day.

    • Focusing on balanced meals with adequate carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

    • Avoiding restrictive diets that eliminate entire food groups.

    • Reduce time in a fasted state, eating every 2-4 hours and minimizing time in an overnight fast to less than 12 hours.

  2. Adjust Training Loads: Temporarily stepping away from exercise or reducing training intensity or volume can help the body recover. As athletes, this is often the hardest part. I advise you talk to your coach and work with a sports dietitian to create a realistic plan of recovery and how exercise fits into that equation. Some essential activites all athletes with REDS should do are:

    • Incorporate rest days into your routine.

    • Avoid continuous exercise longer than 60 minutes (or if an endurance athlete, find ways to maximize fuel during training longer than 60 minutes).

    • Listen to your body's signals and avoid pushing through fatigue.

  3. Monitor Progress: Regular check-ins with healthcare professionals can track recovery progress. This might include:

    • Monitoring menstrual cycles in females through self-tracking.

    • Assessing bone density and hormonal levels by getting bloodwork by a physician or sports dietitian.

    • Evaluating energy availability with a sports dietitian.

  4. Seek Support & Be Accountable: Joining support groups or working with professionals experienced in REDS will help you on this journey to recover, fast!


Sports Dietitians to Help REDS Recovery

Lindsey Cortes has been helping female athletes overcome REDS specifically since 2019. Having helped hundreds of athletes prevent and recover from REDS, Lindsey has helped them achieve new PRs, make it to the Olympics, restore their daily happiness, prevent further injuries, and even get pregnant if trying! By recovering from REDS you have he potential to reach your health and performance goals.


If you need help in your REDS recovery Lindsey offers two solutions:

1:1 Coaching in the Female Athlete System of Transformation or Group Support in her REDS Recovery Membership.


REDS Recovery Membership

Recovering from REDS is a journey that requires patience, self-compassion, a lot of food, and support. By recognizing the signs early and taking proactive steps, athletes can restore their health and return to their sport stronger than before. Lindsey Cortes' insights serve as a valuable guide for anyone navigating this path, emphasizing that with the right approach, recovery is not only possible, but empowering.


Lindsey hosts a group call with clients weekly for Q&A and motivational support. For just $15/month female athletes can join this group to learn, get personal questions answered, and be supported on their journey to REDS recovery.



What's included:

  • Invites to Q&A Coaching Calls with Lindsey. Currently Tuesday nights 6:30-7:30pm CST, reoccurring.

    • Calls are recorded and posted in the group chat if you cannot attend live. You can also submit questions ahead of time.

    • In the instance of minimal questions, Lindsey prepares a topic of discussion to educate & empower.

    • Please note, we skip the first week of every month; due to varying month lengths, there are either 3 or 4 calls per month

  • Access to ongoing group chat to ask questions, to get support with weekly prompts to participate & engage.

    • *Many athletes in the group chat are receiving 1:1 coaching or are enrolled in the Female Athlete System of Transformation program. But REDS Recovery members are encouraged to reach out, participate, and ask for help here as well.

    • Being a part of the chat means you will also receive links and downloadable resources to help you in your journey, including but not limited to recipes & challenges.


What is NOT included:

  • Medical diagnosis, meals plans, or personalized nutrition prescriptions. You will need to upgrade to 1:1 coaching for this support.


Minimum Requirements:

  • 3-month commitment

  • 18 years or older (16 or older with parental permission-email to coordinate)


Don't delay, recover from REDS FAST by joining our REDS Recovery Group.


More Related Articles:


Related Female Athlete Nutrition Podcast Episodes: Episode 02: What is REDS


Related YouTube:



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