Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S)
Location
Hager-Lubbers Exhibition Hall
Description
PURPOSE: Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) awareness is low in the athletics community, resulting in athletes going without treatment and suffering consequences to their health.1 The purpose of this study is to explore the associations between RED-S and key factors that may contribute to nutrition status in the collegiate setting. SUBJECTS: Participants included 175 female varsity student athletes from Grand Valley State University (GVSU). METHODS AND MATERIALS:A Qualtrics survey was used to collect data from GVSU varsity student athletes. Data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 29. Survey content included menstrual cycle history, bone injuries, and nutritional status. Each athlete was given a RED-S score by assigning numerical points to survey questions and calculating a cumulative number. ANALYSES: Kruskal– Wallis tests were used to determine the research questions' outcomes. RESULTS: The data indicates that the distribution of RED-S scores for collegiate athletes differs between age groups (p = <0.001). Athletes who started their sport at younger ages tended to have lower RED-S scores than athletes who started their sport at an older age. CONCLUSIONS: Further research on this topic will increase understanding of the relationship between the age an athlete began playing their sport and their RED-S status while participating in college athletics. This knowledge will inform stakeholders on the risks of RED-S and benefits of screening and prevention, as well as support the need for Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) to be an integral part of the collegiate athletics health care team.
Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S)
Hager-Lubbers Exhibition Hall
PURPOSE: Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) awareness is low in the athletics community, resulting in athletes going without treatment and suffering consequences to their health.1 The purpose of this study is to explore the associations between RED-S and key factors that may contribute to nutrition status in the collegiate setting. SUBJECTS: Participants included 175 female varsity student athletes from Grand Valley State University (GVSU). METHODS AND MATERIALS:A Qualtrics survey was used to collect data from GVSU varsity student athletes. Data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 29. Survey content included menstrual cycle history, bone injuries, and nutritional status. Each athlete was given a RED-S score by assigning numerical points to survey questions and calculating a cumulative number. ANALYSES: Kruskal– Wallis tests were used to determine the research questions' outcomes. RESULTS: The data indicates that the distribution of RED-S scores for collegiate athletes differs between age groups (p = <0.001). Athletes who started their sport at younger ages tended to have lower RED-S scores than athletes who started their sport at an older age. CONCLUSIONS: Further research on this topic will increase understanding of the relationship between the age an athlete began playing their sport and their RED-S status while participating in college athletics. This knowledge will inform stakeholders on the risks of RED-S and benefits of screening and prevention, as well as support the need for Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) to be an integral part of the collegiate athletics health care team.