Imagine your body is a high-tech smartphone. You know that panic when your phone hits 1% battery? You dim the screen, stop playing games, and just try to keep it alive for emergencies.
For a long time, coaches thought the best way to win was to train constantly and ignore rest. That’s the “Old Way.” The “New Way”—and the scientific truth—is that your body needs a full battery to win.
If you are a young athlete (especially a girl!), training hard without enough fuel or rest confuses your body’s internal timing. This leads to a sneaky problem called RED-S.
Table of Contents
1. The Construction Site (What is RED-S?)
Think of your body like a busy construction site. You have workers building strong bones, repairing muscles, and keeping your energy high.
To do this, the workers need materials (food energy). If you exercise a ton but don’t eat enough, the foreman yells, “Stop building!”
The workers stop fixing your bones and muscles. Instead, they use all the energy just to keep your heart beating and brain working. Scientists call this RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport).
For girls, the construction site might even shut down the “hormone factory,” which can mess up your periods. It’s your body’s way of going into “Battery Saver Mode.”
2. The School Bell (Your Circadian Rhythm)
Inside your brain, there is a Master Clock. It works like the school bell.
- Morning Bell: Tells your body to wake up and burn energy.
- Night Bell: Tells your body to repair damages and grow.
This schedule is called your Circadian Rhythm.
Here is the trick: Your body expects food when the “Morning Bell” rings. If you skip breakfast or eat at weird times late at night, your workers get confused. They don’t know if they should be working or sleeping!
Research specifically shows that athletes with poor sleep habits are much more likely to get injured because their bodies miss that crucial repair window [1].
3. The Double Trouble
When you combine Low Energy (not eating enough) with Bad Timing (staying up late/skipping breakfast), it’s a disaster.
It’s like trying to build a house in the dark without enough bricks. Your bones get weaker, and your mood gets grumpy.
A major scientific review found that sleep issues are actually a warning sign of RED-S. If you aren’t sleeping well, it might mean you aren’t fueling well [2].
The Hard Way vs. The Easy Way
- The Hard Way:
- Skipping breakfast to “save time.”
- Training hard on an empty stomach.
- Scrolling on your phone until 1:00 AM.
- Result: Constant tiredness, stress fractures, and bad moods.
- The Easy Way:
- Eating a big breakfast to sync your clock.
- Fueling before and after practice.
- Going to bed at the same time every night.
- Result: Stronger bones, more power, and happier vibes.
The Simple Plan
Ready to fix your body clock and crush your goals?
- Eat 60 Minutes after Waking: This resets your Master Clock and tells your body, “We are safe, let’s burn energy!”
- Protect Your Sleep: Aim for 8–10 hours. Sleep is when your “construction workers” build your muscles.
- Listen to the Red Flags: If you are constantly tired, your period stops, or you get injured easily, tell a parent or coach. It’s not weakness; it’s a battery issue.
References
- Milewski, M. D., et al. “Chronic Lack of Sleep is Associated With Increased Sports Injuries in Adolescent Athletes.” Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25028798/ - Mountjoy, M., et al. “2023 International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) consensus statement on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs).” British Journal of Sports Medicine.
https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/57/17/1073