Making Weight Safely

She has been making weight for three seasons. Each year the cuts are harder. She has stopped menstruating, her bone density is declining, and her hair is thinning. She thought these were the costs of competition. They are the symptoms of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport — a medical condition caused by chronic under-fueling that requires clinical attention. Flowbase Health Monitor HEALTH FIRST Longitudinal tracking of health markers alongside body composition goals. Safe Weight Management Principles Energy adequacy → Hormonal health → Bone density → Sustainable performance > 30 kcal/kg FFM daily Regular cycles, normal testosterone Maintained or improving Healthy food relationship

The IOC consensus statement on RED-S (Mountjoy et al., 2018) identified that energy availability below 30 kcal/kg FFM/day impairs reproductive function, bone health, immune function, and cardiovascular health. Lightweight rowers are at elevated risk due to chronic energy restriction during training seasons. Any weight management plan must keep energy availability above this threshold. ∧ Flowbase Making Weight SafelyWeight management in rowing can be done responsibly — or it can become a pattern that damages health, performance, and your relationship with food for years. Noah Wickliffe, M.S. · Founder, MyoSport Inc. · 7 min read

Sundgot-Borgen et al. (2013) documented that athletes with disordered eating patterns had 2–3× the injury rate of those with healthy eating behaviors. The injuries were predominantly stress fractures and overuse injuries — the classic signatures of low energy availability. For rowers, whose repetitive movement patterns already stress the ribcage and lumbar spine, this risk is compounded. Warning signs that a weight management program has become unhealthy include: missed or irregular menstrual cycles, declining performance despite maintained training, frequent illness or injury, mood disturbances, obsessive food thoughts, and social withdrawal around meals. Any of these signs warrants immediate medical evaluation and likely modification of the weight target. “No race result is worth your long-term health. The fastest lightweight rowers are healthy ones — and health always comes first.” — Noah Wickliffe, Flowbase Performance Series 30 kcalPer kg FFM minimum daily energy 2–3×Higher injury rate with disordered eating 100%Of weight goals should preserve health

The Flowbase AI Coach monitors for RED-S warning signs — tracking energy availability, menstrual cycle regularity (for female athletes), injury frequency, and wellness scores. When patterns suggest under-fueling, it raises alerts and recommends medical consultation. No performance goal overrides health protection. The AI Coach puts a health floor under every weight management goal — because the platform that helps you make weight has a responsibility to make sure it does not make you sick. Manage Weight, Protect Health Set your goals with health guardrails built in. The AI Coach keeps you safe.