A community-based educational initiative to support awareness of relative energy deficiency in sport among adolescent athletes.

Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs) is a syndrome caused by chronic low energy availability (LEA) and can disrupt hormonal, metabolic and psychological functioning. Adolescents are particularly vulnerable because they are still growing, have high energy requirements and are susceptible to sociocultural pressures. Despite increasing scientific attention, awareness and prevention of REDs remain insufficient in everyday sport settings. This community case study describes the Energy for Long-Term Health initiative, implemented in 2025-2026 in the Czech Republic across six sports-focused secondary schools (≈300 students, aged 15-19 years). Each school received an interactive workshop (60-120 min) structured into four blocks: (1) explanation of energy availability and its practical implications; (2) consequences of LEA for health and performance; (3) recognition of warning signs and risk situations; and (4) preventive strategies and the role of the support team. Secondary target groups included coaches, teachers and parents, who were engaged through reusable visual materials and online dissemination via the online platform. Key lessons were that adolescent REDs education requires age-appropriate language, opportunities for anonymous questions and careful facilitation of sensitive topics. Combining face-to-face workshops with online resources extended reach and reinforced key messages. Although no formal evaluation of effectiveness was conducted, high attendance and positive informal feedback suggest that university-supported community initiatives can enhance awareness of REDs among young athletes and their support networks. Future applications should incorporate formal needs assessments, systematic evaluation, and validated measures of knowledge and behaviour change.