New approach to identifying elite winter sport athletes’ risk of relative energy deficiency in sport (REDs)
Objectives Relative energy deficiency in sport (REDs) is a syndrome resulting from problematic low energy availability (LEA). Low areal bone mineral density (aBMD) is a primary indicator of LEA, measured by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). High-resolution peripheral quantitative CT (HR-pQCT) is an a...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMJ Publishing Group
2025-01-01
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| Series: | BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine |
| Online Access: | https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/11/1/e002320.full |
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| author | Leigh Gabel Steven K Boyd Emily M Smith Kelly Drager Erik M Groves Lauren A Burt |
| author_facet | Leigh Gabel Steven K Boyd Emily M Smith Kelly Drager Erik M Groves Lauren A Burt |
| author_sort | Leigh Gabel |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives Relative energy deficiency in sport (REDs) is a syndrome resulting from problematic low energy availability (LEA). Low areal bone mineral density (aBMD) is a primary indicator of LEA, measured by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). High-resolution peripheral quantitative CT (HR-pQCT) is an advanced imaging device that provides measures of volumetric BMD (vBMD), bone microarchitecture, geometry and strength. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of REDs in elite winter sport athletes and to observe the associations in bone parameters using HR-pQCT in athletes identified as at-risk or not at-risk of REDs.Methods Participants included 101 elite athletes (24.1±4.4 SD years; 52% female). The REDs Clinical Assessment Tool (CAT2) was used to determine REDs risk. HR-pQCT scans of the non-dominant radius and left tibia were analysed on REDs risk grouping.Results 17 athletes (17%; 71% female) were at-risk based on the REDs CAT2. After covarying for lean mass, OR suggested a higher likelihood of REDs risk classification for athletes with low cortical thickness, cortical area, total vBMD and bone strength.Conclusions Impaired total vBMD, bone strength and cortical bone parameters were approximately twice as likely (OR: 1.9–3.0) in athletes at-risk of REDs. Results agree with the consensus statement that HR-pQCT may identify impaired bone health in athletes at-risk of REDs. Future directions should use HR-pQCT to explore REDs risk longitudinally, using bone change over time, as this may provide greater insight. Using advanced imaging to explore REDs risk in a population of winter high-performance athletes is novel. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7817d60eaafa472faadc282b656b3499 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2055-7647 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine |
| spelling | doaj-art-7817d60eaafa472faadc282b656b34992025-01-30T22:30:13ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine2055-76472025-01-0111110.1136/bmjsem-2024-002320New approach to identifying elite winter sport athletes’ risk of relative energy deficiency in sport (REDs)Leigh Gabel0Steven K Boyd1Emily M Smith2Kelly Drager3Erik M Groves4Lauren A Burt5Department of Radiology, University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Alberta, Canada1 Department of Radiology, University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Alberta, CanadaIndiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USACanadian Sport Institute Alberta, Calgary, Alberta, CanadaCanadian Sport Institute Alberta, Calgary, Alberta, CanadaRadiology, University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Alberta, CanadaObjectives Relative energy deficiency in sport (REDs) is a syndrome resulting from problematic low energy availability (LEA). Low areal bone mineral density (aBMD) is a primary indicator of LEA, measured by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). High-resolution peripheral quantitative CT (HR-pQCT) is an advanced imaging device that provides measures of volumetric BMD (vBMD), bone microarchitecture, geometry and strength. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of REDs in elite winter sport athletes and to observe the associations in bone parameters using HR-pQCT in athletes identified as at-risk or not at-risk of REDs.Methods Participants included 101 elite athletes (24.1±4.4 SD years; 52% female). The REDs Clinical Assessment Tool (CAT2) was used to determine REDs risk. HR-pQCT scans of the non-dominant radius and left tibia were analysed on REDs risk grouping.Results 17 athletes (17%; 71% female) were at-risk based on the REDs CAT2. After covarying for lean mass, OR suggested a higher likelihood of REDs risk classification for athletes with low cortical thickness, cortical area, total vBMD and bone strength.Conclusions Impaired total vBMD, bone strength and cortical bone parameters were approximately twice as likely (OR: 1.9–3.0) in athletes at-risk of REDs. Results agree with the consensus statement that HR-pQCT may identify impaired bone health in athletes at-risk of REDs. Future directions should use HR-pQCT to explore REDs risk longitudinally, using bone change over time, as this may provide greater insight. Using advanced imaging to explore REDs risk in a population of winter high-performance athletes is novel.https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/11/1/e002320.full |
| spellingShingle | Leigh Gabel Steven K Boyd Emily M Smith Kelly Drager Erik M Groves Lauren A Burt New approach to identifying elite winter sport athletes’ risk of relative energy deficiency in sport (REDs) BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine |
| title | New approach to identifying elite winter sport athletes’ risk of relative energy deficiency in sport (REDs) |
| title_full | New approach to identifying elite winter sport athletes’ risk of relative energy deficiency in sport (REDs) |
| title_fullStr | New approach to identifying elite winter sport athletes’ risk of relative energy deficiency in sport (REDs) |
| title_full_unstemmed | New approach to identifying elite winter sport athletes’ risk of relative energy deficiency in sport (REDs) |
| title_short | New approach to identifying elite winter sport athletes’ risk of relative energy deficiency in sport (REDs) |
| title_sort | new approach to identifying elite winter sport athletes risk of relative energy deficiency in sport reds |
| url | https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/11/1/e002320.full |
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