A crowd of more than 90 student athletes, parents and staff gathered at Park City High March 26 for the “Stronger. Faster. Fueled” panel discussion.
It focused on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport, or RED-S [reds], and Low Energy Availability, or LEA. Any athlete can experience RED-S or LEA, but the conditions are most common in women.
Park City Senior Sierra Darling organized the event as part of her Advanced Placement statistics and research project capstone classes. She said both conditions are a result of not eating enough to support the amount of energy expended.
“It doesn't just affect your performance day-to-day, it impacts how you perform and how your body functions long-term,” Darling told the crowd. “Energy deficiency can reduce bone density, increasing your risk of stress fractures. It also impacts key systems, such as your cardiovascular, hormonal and digestion function.”
Darling said many athletes don’t know they have these conditions — including her. As a sophomore, she was competing at the varsity level in lacrosse and track, but had to cut her season short.
Darling didn’t know it at the time, but she had RED-S and LEA.
“I didn't have a period. I didn't know why. I was kind of like, what's happening? I was getting stress fractures, I was feeling fatigued and I didn't have energy,” she said. “It would have been so great to have someone there who was like, ‘This is what you're experiencing and this is what you need to do.’”
Now, Darling is a standout varsity track student who’s headed to Yale University.
Panelist and sports medicine physician Carrie Jaworski said the best way to prevent RED-S and LEA is by eating before and after training.
“This can't be on the run,” she said. “Running out the door, not eating breakfast, and then having a lunch period at 10 a.m. and then practice at three. You need to be thinking ahead of your practices and your competitions.”
Two-time Olympic cross country skier Liz Stephen agreed meal planning is essential, but so is sleep. She said recovery time is just as important as fueling.
For athletes not in the habit of eating before competing, board-certified anesthesiologist Jen Wagner said it takes practice. Registered dietitian Tyler Roof said liquid calories are also a good alternative for nervous tournament-day stomachs.
Roof recommended bringing lots of snacks — anything from trail mix or granola to fruit snacks.
“When I was a dietitian for the football team, I ordered more Rice Krispies treats and Scooby Snack gummies than I did anything else,” she said. “That's what they ate.”
Jaworski also recommended not getting hung up on eating “the right” foods.
“Eating clean is actually the starting point of an eating disorder in many people, and so as a physician who sees kind of the tail end of this, I caution all of us to be really careful,” she said.
Wagner agreed, saying it’s important to have a good relationship with food as it’s also a time to connect. She recommended making eating a joyful occasion with loved ones.
While the panel focused on fueling to prevent RED-S and LEA, the conversation also touched on mental health and body image.
Stephen and former Division I cross country and track athlete Nikki Dotter said they both struggled with “looking the part.” But elite athletes come in all shapes and sizes.
