Using RMR Ratio to Identify REDs Risk Among Female Athletes

Objectives: Female athletes are at risk of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs) if energy intake is insufficient relative to demand. REDs is commonly identified via low energy availability (EA), which is determined by measuring dietary intake, exercise energy expenditure, and lean body mass. Due to inconsistent methods to measure each component of EA, the use of resting metabolic rate (RMR) ratio is proposed as an alternate method to identify REDs. The purpose of this study was to identify REDs prevalence among a sample of physically active college-aged females using RMR ratio, and correlate this with Energy Availability.