The Dangers of Underfueling for Gravel Cyclists
We often talk about fueling your ride and how important that is, but we also need to understand the impact that underfueling, especially chronic underfueling, can have on our cycling performance and long-term health.
There’s a whole science to fueling your body while riding so you don’t bonk and end up on the side of the road desperate for a pickup or ready-to-eat anything resembling food. Read more here There’s also an important conversation about fueling our bodies daily to support the activities we’re doing.
When folks are new to cycling, they often make one of two mistakes. They either think that riding big miles is an invitation to eat whatever they want or they severely underfuel either because they are trying to lose weight or because they don’t understand what their bodies need. Food should support or fuel training. Whether purposely, by trying to lose weight, because of a disordered eating pattern, or just because life is busy, women can end up in a state of Low Energy Availability (LEA) which can lead to Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S)
What is LEA
Low Energy Availability occurs when an athlete doesn’t meet the demands of training with the appropriate amount of food. It can be intentional or unintentional. LEA can be remedied fairly quickly by simply eating enough.
Often women can end up in denial that they are in LEA because they can still nail their workouts, especially in the beginning. Heidi Skolnik explained it this way on the Hit Play Not Pause podcast.
“You’re working out. You’re training for your sport. You’re able to go to practice. You may not feel fatigued, especially in the beginning. But we still have our physiology we need to feed. We have to feed our organs, our heart, our lungs, our kidneys and support our growth, repair, and recovery. When we aren’t taking in enough calories, we have energy available to workout, but low energy availability for the rest of your physiology. That’s low energy availability,” explains Skolnik.
What is RED-S
Chronic LEA can lead to a more serious condition called Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport. If left untreated it can lead to irreparable damage and impair almost every system in the body. It can also be very difficult to recover from, taking some women out of sport completely.
Symptoms of RED-S include
fatigue
rapid weight loss
missed periods or delayed puberty (female athletes)
low libido (male athletes)
frequent illness
hair loss
trouble focusing
trouble staying warm
irritability and depression
If you think that you may be experiencing symptoms of LEA or RED-S, the best thing to do is talk to a trained doctor and/or registered dietician. These conditions can be serious and RED-S can be especially tricky for women to recover from because of the damage it can do to things like our metabolism, bone health, and even cardiovascular health. LEA and RED-S are often, but not always associated with eating disorders, which can require more long-term treatment.
If you want to learn more about how to avoid RED-S, read this article from Selene Yeager
One of the big markers for RED-S in women is loss of period. Even though 44% of women think that it’s normal to lose your period during training, it’s actually a red flag. Whether it’s for hormonal birth control, pregnancy, menopause, puberty, or another medical reason, many women won’t have a cycle. It’s important to understand how much your body needs to fuel your training and to recognize the other symptoms of LEA and RED-S.
Finally, having a coach who understands the importance of fueling your training is important. Cycling has been one of the worst offenders when it comes to the narrative that thin is fast. Our sport is supposed to be fun and nobody is having fun when they are hungry all of the time!
Read more:
Diet Culture Can Ruin Cycling for Women