School · Food and hydration · 40 s .
Eating enough
Why under-fuelling hurts runners.
When you don't eat enough for the training you do, the body saves energy by turning down important systems. The IOC calls it Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs).
It can show up as constant tiredness, frequent illness, stress fractures and other injuries, poor performance, mood changes and, in women, missed or irregular periods. It affects men too.
If any of this sounds familiar, talk to a sports doctor or a sports dietitian. Fuelling well is part of training, not a reward for it.
Train hard, eat enough.
Quick check .
What is REDs?
It can cause fatigue, injuries and worse performance, in women and men.