A closer look
Elite gymnastics and endurance running can push the female body into such a severe caloric deficit that it cannibalizes its own skeleton. Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) occurs when an athlete burns significantly more fuel than they consume. Recognizing starvation, the hypothalamus completely shuts down the reproductive axis to save energy. Estrogen levels plummet to menopausal levels in teenagers, halting bone mineralization and leaving top-tier athletes with osteoporosis and devastating stress fractures before they even reach adulthood.
