Publication details
Syndrom relativní energetické nedostatečnosti u sportovců v ČR
| Title in English | Syndrome of the relative energy deficiency in athletes in the Czech Republic |
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| Year of publication | 2022 |
| Type | Workshop |
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| Description | Relative energy deficiency syndrome (RED-S) is a state of complex disruption of the physiological functions of an athlete's organism, the main cause of which is the so-called low energy availability. In some sports, the prevalence reaches up to 80%, and RED-S is a hotly debated topic among experts. Despite the proven negative effect on the performance and health status of athletes, there is a lack of information on the occurrence of this syndrome in the Czech Republic. The scientific research project Occurrence of relative energy deficiency syndrome in sports among performance athletes in the Czech Republic could contribute to improving the current situation. Its goal is not only to map the occurrence of RED-S among performance athletes, but also to support cooperation between professionals and create a unified and coordinated approach to this issue. The syndrome of relative energy insufficiency (RED-S) expresses a state of complex disruption of the physiological functions of the athlete's organism, the main cause of which is the so-called low energy availability. Sufficient energy availability expresses the minimum necessary amount of energy that an athlete needs to cover physiological functions after deducting the energy expenditure for training or competition load. In the case of long-term low energy intake, the athlete's organism faces a relative lack of energy with the subsequent development of RED-S. RED-S is repeatedly highlighted by world authorities such as the International Olympic Committee (Mountjoy et al., 2018), and research in this area is developing very progressively abroad. In the Czech Republic, however, there is no data on the issue of RED-S. Based on information about the health effects of RED-S on athletes obtained from the professional literature and partial outputs from implemented projects (see below), the Faculty of Sports Studies of the Masaryk University in Brno is interested in making the subject of RED-S the subject of systematic research and in the future, the foundations of a coordinated methodology were laid in the approach to its diagnosis, prevalence and therapy. Currently, the issue of RED-S at the Faculty of Sports Studies is also being addressed as part of my dissertation entitled Occurrence of relative energy deficiency syndrome in sports among high-performance athletes in the Czech Republic. The goal of this project is not only to map the occurrence of this syndrome among performance athletes, but also to contribute to the creation of a coordinated methodology in the approach to RED-S and to connect the professional professions involved in its solution. An important sub-goal is also the creation of a platform that would provide the necessary information on the RED-S issue and mediate a central network of specialist workplaces. These procedures are among the key points in the implementation of an organized approach to RED-S. As a follow-up to this research, an interdisciplinary expert discussion panel was organized at the Faculty of Sports Studies, the purpose of which was to present the issue to representatives of top sports organizations in the Czech Republic and determine further procedures in the process of protecting the health of the widest possible spectrum of athletes. |