2023 International Olympic Committee's (IOC) consensus statement on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs).
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Expert consensus statement and narrative guidance without new human empirical data or meta-analytic pooling
PubMed 37752011 · doi:10.1136/bjsports-2023-106994
What was done
An International Olympic Committee (IOC) expert panel updated the consensus statement on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs), reviewing >170 original research publications published since the 2018 consensus. The panel updated health and performance conceptual models, developed a novel physiological model of low energy availability (LEA), detailed body composition assessment guidelines, introduced the REDs Clinical Assessment Tool-Version 2 (REDs CAT-Version 2) for diagnosis and risk stratification, and established clinical prevention, treatment, and research guidelines.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical outcome measures, diagnostic accuracy statistics, or effect sizes. It qualitatively describes framework updates including the role of low carbohydrate availability, mental health interactions with REDs, LEA presentations in male athletes, and updated clinical assessment tools.
Why it matters
Establishes updated clinical guidelines and a standardized assessment tool (REDs CAT-Version 2) for recognizing and managing low energy availability in female and male athletes.
Limits
As an expert consensus statement, it reflects qualitative synthesis and expert opinion rather than a formal systematic review or primary empirical trial. The abstract provides no data on the sensitivity, specificity, or clinical validation of the updated assessment tool.
Cited by
- supports Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) occurs when physical activity exceeds nutritional energy intake, and female athletes—particularly in endurance disciplines—are more prone to underfueling than male athletes.