During the International Youth Dancer Health Awareness Week (3-7 March 2025), Codarts Student Life offers lectures to students, teachers and parents on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs). With these lectures, we want to raise awareness about this important and complex condition.

What is REDs?

REDs is a collection of clinical symptoms resulting from an insufficient energy intake relative to the dancer's training load. It is a syndrome that can affect all dancers, of any age and any gender. It occurs due to an imbalance between caloric intake and energy expenditure, knowingly or unknowingly.

Possible symptoms

• Increased risk of injury and illness
• Depression and anxiety
• Decreased muscular strength and concentration
• Recurrent injuries or prolonged recovery
• Irregular menstrual cycle

Check our REDs infographic for a total overview of health consequences, signs and symptoms.

Professional guidance

At Codarts, we aim to equip dancers and the faculty with the right knowledge and tools on the (im)balance between energy intake and expenditure/workload. We do this via our Performing Arts Health Centre specialists, the IYDHA week and the student life monitor.

More information

More detailed information on REDs can be found in our infographic and on Project RED-S.