What happens to the body in the face of prolonged caloric deficiency

 The Human Body's Response to Prolonged Caloric Deficiency: A Looming Danger for Athletes

The relationship between an athlete's diet and their performance is well-established. However, what happens when the intake of calories becomes too low? A prolonged caloric deficiency can potentially lead to dangerous health consequences. The complexity of this issue lies in the causes and consequences of the condition, as well as the role of coaches in addressing it.

The Lack of Calories in an Athlete's Diet Intentional or unintentional, a lack of calories in an athlete's diet can be a grave concern. An athlete's rigorous training program can make it challenging to meet their caloric needs, leading to an unintentional deficiency. In contrast, some athletes might intentionally restrict their calorie intake, leading to an intentional deficiency.

Causes of Dangerous Behavior Numerous factors can contribute to inadequate caloric intake over time, including restrictive dieting, eating disorders, lack of knowledge about proper nutrition, limited time for cooking, lack of cooking skills, financial constraints, and high energy demands.

Consequences of Dangerous Behaviors A prolonged caloric deficiency can have numerous detrimental effects on an athlete's health, including weak bones and increased risk of stress fractures, hormonal changes such as decreased estrogen levels in women and decreased testosterone in men, suppression of thyroid function, and psychological problems such as anxiety, depression, disordered eating, compulsive and excessive exercise, low self-esteem, menstrual disorders, fatigue, sexual dysfunction, poor athletic performance, lack of results from training programs, impaired judgment, impaired coordination, decreased concentration, and irritability.

The Role of the Coach Unfortunately, many athletes fall prey to this condition due to ill-informed coaches. The role of a highly qualified coach is to be vigilant and share their observations with medical practitioners. Evidence shows that coaches are poorly informed not only about the existence and symptoms of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S), but also about general sports nutrition. Coaches play a crucial role in educating athletes about proper nutrition and helping them maintain an optimal energy balance to prevent such health consequences.