Friday, 10 Oct 2025
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • DMCA
logo logo
  • World
  • Politics
  • Crime
  • Economy
  • Tech & Science
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • More
    • Education
    • Celebrities
    • Culture and Arts
    • Environment
    • Health and Wellness
    • Lifestyle
  • 🔥
  • Trump
  • VIDEO
  • House
  • White
  • ScienceAlert
  • Trumps
  • Watch
  • man
  • Health
  • Season
Font ResizerAa
American FocusAmerican Focus
Search
  • World
  • Politics
  • Crime
  • Economy
  • Tech & Science
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • More
    • Education
    • Celebrities
    • Culture and Arts
    • Environment
    • Health and Wellness
    • Lifestyle
Follow US
© 2024 americanfocus.online – All Rights Reserved.
American Focus > Blog > Health and Wellness > Energy deficits harm athletes’ health, new research tool reveals how
Health and Wellness

Energy deficits harm athletes’ health, new research tool reveals how

Last updated: September 6, 2024 11:25 am
Share
Energy deficits harm athletes’ health, new research tool reveals how
SHARE

Fuel level low! Energy deficits harm athletes’ health, new research tool reveals how

In 2014, the International Olympic Committee named a syndrome affecting many of its athletes: relative energy deficiency in sport, or REDs. It’s now estimated that more than 40% of professional athletes have REDs, and the rate could be even higher in recreational athletes and exercisers.

Athletes develop REDs when they consistently expend more energy through their physical activity than they take in through their diet. Over time, this prolonged energy deficit can lead to a wide range of symptoms, including hormonal and reproductive issues, insomnia and fatigue, bone weakness and injury, and a higher risk of anxiety and depression.

Despite its high prevalence, little is known about how REDs works on a cellular and molecular level—in large part because there was no established laboratory model of the syndrome.

Now, researchers at the Salk Institute have created the landmark mouse model of REDs and are already using it to better understand the syndrome. Their initial investigation revealed that REDs affects organ size and gene expression patterns across the entire body. What’s more, this energy deficiency appears to impact male and female mice differently: In males, kidney health was most significantly impacted, while in females, reproductive health and muscle mass were most affected.

The findings, published in Cell Metabolism on September 3, 2024, identify potential biomarkers to more conclusively diagnose REDs and provide new molecular targets for future therapeutics that could halt, reverse, or prevent the syndrome altogether.

“Without an animal model of the syndrome, there was no means to gain an understanding of its mechanisms on a cellular or molecular level,” says Professor Satchidananda Panda, senior author of the study and Rita and Richard Atkinson Chair at Salk.

See also  Five Key Public Health Solutions For Gun Violence Prevention

“By establishing an effective mouse model of REDs, we can now systematically ask how the syndrome affects each organ, tissue, and bone in the body and what we can do to help athletes experiencing these symptoms.”

Other groups have tried to develop rodent models of REDs but have largely failed to replicate its many symptoms. Salk scientists took a new approach, and by gradually changing the animals’ exercise-to-food ratio, they were able to mimic many human features of REDs, including high activity levels, low energy intake, reduced body weights, disrupted activity-rest patterns, and lowered blood sugar. They also focused on relatively young mice to model the typical age range of professional athletes, equivalent to 20-25 years old in humans.

“Our mouse model is an incredible milestone in the ongoing research on REDs,” says Laura van Rosmalen, first author of the study and a postdoctoral researcher in Panda’s lab. “And though it’s not so great for athletes, for us scientists it is really interesting—and shocking—to see how the whole body is impacted by this syndrome.”

Using this new mouse model, the scientists measured how REDs affects the anatomy and gene expression levels of 19 different organs. Mice with REDs showed significant shrinkage of vital organs, including kidney and reproductive organs, and deterioration of bone quality.

The experiments also revealed several molecular changes in the blood that could potentially be used as biomarkers to test patients for REDs—a far more effective diagnostic approach than the current questionnaire-based methods.

The scientists also found several elevated markers of stress in the REDs mice, including the activation of a brain-body hormone network known to contribute to anxiety and depression, with larger effects observed in females. What some athletes may write off as pre-competition jitters, adds Panda, may in fact be deeper-rooted psychological changes related to the syndrome.

See also  The Doctors Company’s $1.3 Billion Buy May Spur More Malpractice Insurer Deals

The new model and initial findings stem from Panda’s work with the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance—a collaborative team of researchers that studies peak human performance and athleticism with the intention of “enabling all people to achieve optimal health and well-being” and an emphasis on female athletes.

“The recipe for health is not ‘eat less food, do more exercise,'” says Panda. “In fact, combining these two independently reasonable habits doesn’t seem good if you are already healthy. But so far it seems the solution for REDs is not as simple as increasing caloric intake. We now have much to explore with this model to determine exactly what our clinical recommendations should be, and I look forward to continuing that now-possible exploration.”

Beyond the scope of athletes, REDs can also affect others with negative energy balances, such as those with eating disorders like anorexia nervosa. Future inquiry into the prevention and treatment of REDs will positively influence these populations and athletes alike, promoting an overall healthier population in alignment with the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance’s mission.

More information:
Laura van Rosmalen et al, Multi-organ transcriptome atlas of a mouse model of relative energy deficiency in sport, Cell Metabolism (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2024.08.001

Provided by Salk Institute

Citation:
Energy deficits harm athletes’ health, new research tool reveals how (2024, September 4)
retrieved 6 September 2024
from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-energy-deficits-athletes-health-tool.html

This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no
part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

See also  New Energy Permitting Legislation: One Step Forward, Too Many Steps Back
TAGGED:athletesdeficitsEnergyharmHealthResearchRevealstool
Share This Article
Twitter Email Copy Link Print
Previous Article 25 Growth Mindset Activities To Inspire Confidence in Kids 25 Growth Mindset Activities To Inspire Confidence in Kids
Next Article Georgia School Shooting Suspect Had ‘Absolutely Horrible’ Home, School Life Georgia School Shooting Suspect Had ‘Absolutely Horrible’ Home, School Life
Leave a comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Popular Posts

Mexican Navy Ship Hits New York Bridge, People Seen Hanging On To Masts

Recently, several viral videos have surfaced depicting a Mexican navy sailing ship colliding with the…

May 17, 2025

Body Acne: How to Treat It and Prevent Breakouts From Happening in the First Place

Body acne can be a frustrating and embarrassing issue, especially during the summer months when…

June 28, 2025

Trump administration abruptly cancels scientific meetings, panels

In a time of uncertainty and transition, several scientific gatherings and panels across federal science…

January 22, 2025

Brandon Larracuente Joins ‘Chicago Fire’ Season 14 as Series Regular

Firehouse 51 is undergoing some changes as Brandon Larracuente joins the cast of "Chicago Fire"…

June 25, 2025

MAGA Gets Angry At Walmart After Billionaire Heiress Takes Out Ad

Far-right influencers are urging Donald Trump's supporters to boycott Walmart after Christy Walton, one of…

June 12, 2025

You Might Also Like

Speaker Mike Johnson Reveals Democrats Plan to Keep Government Closed Until AFTER “No Kings” Protest in DC – “I Have Had it With These People… They Can’t Face Their Rabid Base” (VIDEO) | The Gateway Pundit | by Jordan Conradson
Politics

Speaker Mike Johnson Reveals Democrats Plan to Keep Government Closed Until AFTER “No Kings” Protest in DC – “I Have Had it With These People… They Can’t Face Their Rabid Base” (VIDEO) | The Gateway Pundit | by Jordan Conradson

October 10, 2025
LeAnn Rimes Reveals Advice 9-1-1’s Rob Lowe Gave Before Nashville Spinoff
Entertainment

LeAnn Rimes Reveals Advice 9-1-1’s Rob Lowe Gave Before Nashville Spinoff

October 10, 2025
Transforming Presidential Health Care: Insights from a Former White House Doctor
Tech and Science

Transforming Presidential Health Care: Insights from a Former White House Doctor

October 10, 2025
No, circumcision doesn’t cause autism
Health and Wellness

No, circumcision doesn’t cause autism

October 10, 2025
logo logo
Facebook Twitter Youtube

About US


Explore global affairs, political insights, and linguistic origins. Stay informed with our comprehensive coverage of world news, politics, and Lifestyle.

Top Categories
  • Crime
  • Environment
  • Sports
  • Tech and Science
Usefull Links
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • DMCA

© 2024 americanfocus.online –  All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?