REDS / LEA

No runner wants to be put in a walking boot or be told they need crutches. Yet, there are a few running injuries severe enough to warrant these precautions, and stress fractures, or what healthcare providers call bone stress injuries (BSIs) are one of them. Receiving a BSI diagnosis can feel devastating, especially if it happens during the beginning or middle of a season, when training for a big race, or after returning to running post-hiatus. Bone stress injuries occur when

Low energy availability (LEA) happens when you don’t eat enough to support both your training and your basic body functions. It’s not about being hungry or tired. LEA can happen to any athlete even if they are trying to fuel enough. LEA happens when an athlete is under eating relative to what their body needs, and it shows up in more ways than you think. Most runners dealing with LEA aren’t doing it on purpose. Some are trying to “eat clean” or cut sugar. Others just don’t re