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Mountjoy M, Sundgot-Borgen JK, Burke LM, et al. Br J Sports Med 2018;52:687–697.

In 2014, the IOC published a consensus statement entitled ‘Beyond the Female Athlete Triad: Relative
Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S)’. The syndrome of RED-S refers to ‘impaired physiological
functioning caused by relative energy deficiency and includes, but is not limited to, impairments of
metabolic rate, menstrual function, bone health, immunity, protein synthesis and cardiovascular
health’. The aetiological factor of this syndrome is low energy availability (LEA).
The publication of the RED-S consensus statement stimulated activity in the field of Female Athlete Triad science, including some initial controversy followed by numerous scientific publications addressing: 
1. The health parameters identified in the RED-S conceptual model (figure 1).1 4
2. Relative energy deficiency in male athletes.
3. The measurement of LEA.
4. The performance parameters identified in the RED-S conceptual model (figure 2).1 4 The IOC RED-S consensus authors have reconvened to provide an update summary of the interim scientific progress in the field of relative energy deficiency with the ultimate goal of stimulating advances in RED-S awareness, clinical application and scientific research.