Tag: Relative energy deficiency in sport red s

According to reports, Simone Biles and other gymnasts were so underfed at the infamous Karolyi Ranch training camps that they would sneak into the kitchen to find food. These firsthand accounts bring a disturbing context to the question of whether Simone Biles was malnourished during her training, highlighting the fine line between intense discipline and dangerous nutritional neglect in elite sports.

A 2014 study found that the optimal Body Mass Index (BMI) for male marathon runners dropped to between 19 and 20, significantly lower than for shorter-distance athletes. This trend highlights a defining physiological characteristic of the sport and explains why are marathon runners underweight, linking a lean physique directly to improved endurance performance.

Research indicates that athletes are two to three times more susceptible to developing an eating disorder than their non-athletic peers. The demanding nature of sports, combined with specific psychological and environmental factors, can create a perfect storm that puts athletes at a heightened risk for eating disorders.