Rowena Visagie Dietitian

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Rowena Visagie Dietitian

Fuelling for sports performance. REDs & ED awareness. Food and body peace. 20+ yrs experience.

12/11/2026

Another super common question we get - how long does it take to recover from REDs (relative energy deficiency in sport)?

It's hard to give an exact generic timeline. But it usually ranges from a few months to years - depending on a whole lot of factors specific to each individual and the support they get.

REDs symptoms exist on a spectrum, presenting in different ways in different people, with varying severity. Some symptoms resolve quickly, whereas others may take longer (bones!).

The duration and severity of low energy availability has an influence. And the underlying reason one ended up with low energy availability in the first place also plays a big role, because dealing with that has a pivotal impact in the recovery process (is it an easy thing to sort out, or more complex?).

You may improve your energy availability, but if you don't deal with the underlying driver, you have a good chance of relapsing or not reaching full recovery.

Sadly, we also know that getting appropriate care is not accessible to everyone. Available support systems play a part, as does the sports culture or environment you exist in (if it's the same one that was part of the problem, it can make it more challenging to heal).

Everyone’s timeline is different, but the earlier we identify a possible problem, and address it with appropriate and experienced practitioners (who will advocate for you), the better! ❤️

10/11/2026

In my last post, I spoke about food comments that aren’t helpful. So here are a few examples that could be more helpful for coaches and parents, when encouraging young (or any!) athletes to fuel for energy, performance and recovery, while also supporting a positive relationship with food. Without the risk of doing harm. ❤️

A properly fuelled athlete, is more likely to be a healthy, strong, less injured, and performing one!

03/11/2026

As a sports parent, I often hear these kind of food comments made by well-meaning parents, coaches and teachers.

As a sports dietitian, I hear how these comments, are confusing for athletes, and how they really can have an influence on their relationship with food.

Young athletes can benefit from learning how to fuel their bodies. But they don’t need more food rules. They need nutrition knowledge, confidence and the skills to make informed choices.

For example - how to:
• Eat enough to support growth and performance.
• Understand the importance of fuelling and recovery.
• Have a positive relationship with food.
• Feel confident eating a wide variety of foods.
• Understand that no single food determines their health or athletic performance.

20/10/2026

As the global representative for Africa of PINES, I am excited to share this upcoming webinar that I will be hosting. For those of you not familiar, PINES (Professionals in Nutrition for Exercise and Sport) is an international sport nutrition organization - our membership includes sport dietitians and nutritionists from all over the world.

One of my aims in this role has been to build a community where sports nutrition professionals within Africa can get support, enhance learning, and collaborate. And hopefully contribute to strengthening sports nutrition in Africa.

To get this conversation started, I will be sharing my experiences as a sports dietitian in South Africa 🇿🇦 over the last 2 decades, and a few lessons I have learnt along the way.

This webinar is free to PINES members and non-members, for any sports nutrition professionals, and for anyone interested in joining PINES and our Africa group.

See link below to register. ☺️❤️

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/OjCQnSHJQ_GbvAqX--E0pw #/registration

If you would like to learn more about PINES, take a look: https://pinesnutrition.org/

30/09/2026

Eating disorder awareness, prevention, and treatment, is su***de prevention. September is su***de prevention month (just managed to get this one in), and although not all people with EDs are at risk, the risk is a whole lot higher.

Athletes are also a high risk group for developing EDs, so having the people who work in this space who are aware and knowledgeable are super important. It’s also why putting preventative measures (and being aware of practices that do harm) in sports environments is so essential.

If you are someone who is struggling, please tell a safe person. There are people who can help. Treatment works!

If in South Africa and you need to urgently speak to someone you can reach out to SADAG su***de crisis helpline: 0800 567 567
Or for eating disorder assistance: [email protected]

References:
Foye et al. ‘It’s the perfect storm’: why are people with eating disorders at risk of su***de? A qualitative study. 2025
https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/eating-disorders-and-su***de/

25/09/2026

There’s more to REDs (and REDs recovery) than just low energy availability or not eating enough.

I am working with some amazing athletes with REDs at the moment who came to me after increasing their food intake, but found that their symptoms just weren’t improving. Luckily there’s so much more that we can work on that will make a big difference. ❤️

23/09/2026

Did you know that having a bedtime snack can actually help support recovery and performance?

Including an evening snack can help an athlete by fueling overnight muscle repair, replenishing energy stores, and stabilizing blood sugar for better sleep. It is also a helpful strategy to help meet high energy demands and prevent underfuelling.

A snack rich in protein (especially slow-digesting types like casein found in dairy) combined with carbs, will do a good job!

Some more ideas:
Biltong and fruit
Peanut butter toast
Crackers with hummus
Flavoured milk
Pretzels and cheese

Do you have a favourite bedtime snack? ❤️

References:
Res et al. Protein ingestion before sleep improves postexercise overnight recovery. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2012
Doherty et al. Sleep and Nutrition Interactions:
Implications for Athletes. Nutrients. 2019.

14/09/2026

One of the biggest misconceptions about relative energy deficiency in sport (REDs) is that: “if you haven’t lost weight, then you can’t have REDs”. That really isn’t true.

Underfuelling can happen in anyone in ANY body size. Weight loss can occur, but many people experience no weight changes. Some athletes may even gain weight or body fat.

During prolonged low energy availability our bodies will naturally try to protect us by making adaptations to prioritise survival. This can be in the form of metabolic changes (RMR becomes suppressed) and an increased stress response.

Unfortunately this misconception delays appropriate treatment and often results in the incorrect intervention which only does more harm!

I am bringing this up again, because it’s something I am seeing happen too often. Please please please, if you are a healthcare professional claiming to know how to assess for REDs, and this is not something you are aware of, then please can I ask you to get some more supervision by someone who does have extensive experience.

Ref: McCall LM et al. Endocrine & metabolic repercussions of relative energy deficiency in sport. 2019.

02/09/2026

Some things just work better together. Close together 😉.

Just like these nutrition pairs, which help each other to improve iron status, vitamin absorption, recovery, bone health, carbohydrate utilisation during prolonged exercise, and energy.

Non-haem iron & vitamin C: eg Lentils & tomatoes
Fat-soluble vitamins & dietary fats: eg. Leafy greens & olive oil
Vitamin D & calcium: eg. Eggs (yolk) & cheese
Carbs & protein for recovery: eg. Chicken sarmie
Glucose & Fructose: eg. Carb sports drink mixes

❤️ 🇿🇦

31/08/2026

UNDERFUELLING & THE BRAIN

Last weekend towards the end of a 4hr trail race, we descended down a long, very tricky steep rocky section. It was raining, which also made it crazy slippery. I remember thinking in that moment: “I am so grateful that my brain is well fuelled!”.

We often talk about how low energy and carbohydrate availability can affect physical wellbeing and performance. But underfuelling (overall, and during training & competition) isn’t just a physical issue.

It can also weaken our:

🎾 ability to focus & concentrate
🎾 coordination & skills
🎾 capacity to cope with stress
🎾 emotional resilience

and skew our perception of fatigue during prolonged exercise.

These are all biological and survival responses to a situation where there isn’t enough energy to cover all our needs. And they all have potential performance, wellbeing…and safety consequences.

A fuelled brain = better safer performance (and a more pleasant personality! 😉) ❤️

References:
Mountjoy et al. 2023 International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) consensus statement on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs). BJSM.

Grivas et al. Energy Availability as a Neurocognitive Regulator of Endurance Performance: Integrating Metabolic, Perceptual, and Decision-Making Mechanisms- A Narrative Review. Sport 2026.

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https://rowenavisagiedietitian.co.za/

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