Let’s talk about periodisation and how it protects your health and performance — especially from RED-S.
By RED-Scue
If you’re training consistently but not seeing results, the problem might not be your effort — it might be your strategy. Without structured training, adequate recovery, and enough energy, you could be stuck in a cycle of overload and underperformance.
What Is RED-S?
Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) happens when your energy intake doesn’t meet the demands of your training — known as low energy availability (LEA). This energy mismatch can lead to:
Hormonal disruption
Impaired recovery
Weakened bone health
Immune suppression
Poor performance and chronic fatigue
You might think you're not training hard enough, but your body is actually under stress and unable to adapt. RED-S isn’t just about being tired — it affects nearly every system in your body.
What Is Periodisation?
Periodisation is a science-backed framework that helps athletes manage load and recovery through structured training cycles:
Macrocycle: The big picture — your full training season or year
Mesocycle: 4–8 week training blocks targeting specific goals like endurance, strength, or power
Microcycle: Weekly or daily variations in intensity, load, and focus
This structure lets your body go through safe cycles of training stress and recovery. It’s during recovery that your body builds strength, increases mitochondrial density (energy production), and improves lactate tolerance (aerobic performance).
How Periodisation Helps Prevent RED-S
When paired with proper fuelling and recovery, periodisation helps you:
✅ Avoid training overload when energy availability is low
✅ Reduce risk of injury, illness, and burnout
✅ Maximise physiological adaptation and hormonal balance
But if you’re already in RED-S, pushing harder or adding more structure won’t help — it will likely make things worse. You can’t adapt or recover in an energy-deficient state. First, restore energy balance.
What the Experts Say
Dr. Nicky Keay: Without energy balance, even the best periodised plan won’t work. Adaptation occurs during rest and fuelling, not from constant overload.
Dr. Andrew Philip & colleagues: Cellular adaptations like mitochondrial biogenesis depend on strategic rest. Genetics play a role, but energy availability is the true limiter.
AIS Position Statement: Genetic testing can be useful for personalisation but should never replace basic performance foundations — like fuelling, rest, and training periodisation.
When NOT to Periodise
If you’re showing signs of RED-S — persistent fatigue, frequent injuries, poor sleep, or menstrual irregularities — don’t try to push through with more training structure.
Instead, prioritise recovery and nutrition. Dr. Roger Wolman warns that even treatments like bisphosphonates for bone loss are ineffective without resolving underlying energy deficiency.
Training Solo or With a Coach?
Periodisation is just as essential if you're training without a coach. It holds you accountable — not just to the work, but to the rest and fuelling your body needs to thrive.
Sneaking in extra runs during summer or skipping rest days might feel productive — but over time, it can tip you into RED-S. Following a personalised, periodised plan helps you train smarter and stay healthier.
The Bottom Line
You can’t out-train poor nutrition or lack of recovery.
Sustainable performance = Periodised training + Fuel + Rest.
This is the foundation for progress, health, and longevity in sport.
For female and amateur athletes especially, the risks of RED-S are often underestimated or misdiagnosed. One-size-fits-all plans don’t work. Your training should reflect your physiology, energy availability, and life demands.
Sources
Dr. Nicky Keay – Sport Performance & RED-S
NASM Blog – Periodisation AI Overview
RSM & SEM Conference insights: Dr. Andrew Philip, Dr. Kevin Currell, Prof. Asker Jeukendrup, Dr. David Hughes, Dr. Roger Wolman
Australian Institute of Sport (2019) – Position Statement on Genetic Testing in Sport
Website and Social Links:
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At Red-Scue, we’re the first energy restoration bites for athletes with RED-s (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport). Award-winning nutrition: we've won the 2025 SETSquared UK Product Innovation Award!
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