A meaningful share of age-group female triathletes screen positive for low-energy-availability risk markers, even without visibly obvious underfueling
Interpretation
A LEAF-Q-based study of 30 female triathletes found 10% screened at risk of LEA/RED-S consequences, and 20% reported current or past menstrual cycle disorders signaling immediate LEA risk. The sample is small, so treat the exact percentages as directional — but the finding that this shows up in an amateur/age-group population, not just elite athletes under extreme training loads, is the key takeaway.
Practical implication
Don't frame LEA/RED-S education as an elite-athlete-only concern in content aimed at age-group triathletes — the screening evidence, while limited in sample size, suggests real relevance at the recreational-competitive level.
Sources
1 source, independently verified.
The LEAF-Q questionnaire identified 10% of participants as at risk of low energy availability / RED-S consequences, and 20% reported current or past menstrual cycle disorders indicating immediate LEA risk — a small sample, but a real, non-zero screen-positive rate in an age-group (not just elite) population.