RED-Safe
Executive Summary
Vision Statement
To make RED-S awareness, prevention, and recovery a standard part of every fitness journey—empowering users to achieve their goals without sacrificing long-term health.
Problem Summary
Many individuals—especially women and AFAB people—who pursue aggressive weight loss and intense exercise regimens are at risk of developing Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S). This condition, formerly known as the female athlete triad, is characterized by insufficient calorie intake relative to energy expenditure, leading to hormonal disruptions, loss of menstruation, decreased bone density, fatigue, and long-term health consequences[1][3][4]. Despite its severity, RED-S is under-recognized in mainstream fitness and weight loss communities, resulting in preventable harm and delayed intervention.
Proposed Solution
A comprehensive nutrition and activity tracking platform that goes beyond basic calorie counting by integrating RED-S risk assessment, personalized calorie/macronutrient recommendations, and guided refeeding protocols. The app would monitor for RED-S warning signs (e.g., missed periods, fatigue, cold intolerance), provide education about energy availability, and offer psychological support features (such as community forums and access to certified professionals). This empowers users to achieve fitness goals safely, reducing the risk of RED-S and supporting recovery if symptoms emerge.
Market Analysis
Target Audience
The ideal user is a physically active woman or AFAB individual aged 18–45 who is engaged in regular intense exercise (e.g., kickboxing, running, HIIT, team sports) and is tracking nutrition for weight loss, maintenance, or performance. Secondary audiences include male athletes, coaches, fitness trainers, and healthcare professionals supporting active individuals. Many users are motivated, goal-driven, and value evidence-based guidance, but may lack specialized knowledge about energy availability and its health impacts.
Niche Validation
The Reddit post and its highly upvoted comments provide strong validation for this niche. Multiple users report personal experiences with RED-S symptoms (missed periods, fatigue, bone health issues) and express frustration at the lack of awareness and resources. A top comment from a PhD student in sports physiology, as well as others sharing their struggles and recovery, underscore the real demand for better tools and education. Web research confirms that RED-S is underdiagnosed and underdiscussed in mainstream fitness circles, despite its prevalence and severity[1][3][4].
Google Trends Keywords
Market Size Estimation
The Serviceable Available Market (SAM) is active women and AFAB individuals aged 18–45 in North America and Europe who use fitness/nutrition apps—estimated at 30–50 million users.
The Serviceable Obtainable Market (SOM), targeting early adopters in English-speaking countries (e.g., US, UK, Canada, Australia) who are active in online fitness communities and interested in advanced health tracking, is realistically 250,000–500,000 users within 3 years.
The Total Addressable Market (TAM) includes all physically active adults globally who track nutrition or fitness, estimated at over 500 million people (considering the global fitness app market and growing awareness of sports health)[source: Statista, fitness app usage].
Competitive Landscape
Competitors include MyFitnessPal, MacroFactor, and Cronometer, which offer calorie/macro tracking but lack integrated RED-S risk screening or refeeding protocols. FitrWoman and Wild.AI address female hormonal health but do not focus on RED-S or energy availability. No major player offers a comprehensive RED-S prevention and recovery toolkit. This creates a clear differentiation opportunity. MyFitnessPal, MacroFactor, FitrWoman.
Product Requirements
User Stories
As a user, I want to log my daily food intake and exercise so I can track my energy availability.
As a user, I want the app to alert me if my calorie intake is too low for my activity level, so I can avoid health risks.
As a user, I want to receive personalized recommendations for safe refeeding and recovery if I show signs of RED-S.
As a user, I want access to educational resources about RED-S and energy availability.
As a user, I want to connect with professionals or peer support if I need additional help.
MVP Feature Set
Food and exercise logging with energy availability calculation
RED-S risk screening questionnaire and alerts
Personalized calorie/macro recommendations
Guided refeeding protocol for at-risk users
Educational content and resources
Basic community/forum feature for peer support
Non-Functional Requirements
HIPAA/GDPR-compliant data privacy and security
Mobile-responsive design
99.9% uptime and reliable cloud infrastructure
Scalable architecture to support user growth
Key Performance Indicators
Monthly active users (MAU)
Percentage of users completing RED-S risk screening
Number of users receiving and following refeeding protocols
User retention rate after 3 and 6 months
NPS (Net Promoter Score) and user-reported health improvements
Data Visualizations
Visual Analysis Summary
The prevalence of RED-S symptoms among active women is significant, especially in sports emphasizing leanness. Awareness and diagnosis rates lag behind actual incidence, highlighting a critical education and intervention gap.
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Go-to-Market Strategy
Core Marketing Message
Stop sacrificing your health for your goals. RED-Safe helps you fuel your body right, spot early warning signs, and recover safely—so you can stay strong, healthy, and in control.
Initial Launch Channels
- Targeted posts and AMAs in r/loseit, r/xxfitness, r/femaleathletes, and similar subreddits
- Launch on Product Hunt and Indie Hackers with a focus on health tech
- Collaborations with sports medicine professionals and influencers in women's fitness
Strategic Metrics
Problem Urgency
High
Solution Complexity
Medium
Defensibility Moat
The defensibility comes from proprietary RED-S risk algorithms, a growing user dataset on energy availability and recovery, and partnerships with sports medicine professionals. Early-mover advantage in this under-served niche and potential clinical integrations (with nutritionists, clinics) further strengthen the moat.
Source Post Metrics
Business Strategy
Monetization Strategy
Freemium model: free tier with basic tracking and RED-S education; paid subscription ($8–$15/month) unlocks personalized risk assessments, guided refeeding plans, psychological support, and professional consultations. Additional revenue from partnerships with nutritionists and clinics.
Financial Projections
If 1% of the SOM (250,000) convert to paid at $10/month, projected Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) is $25,000 in year 1, scaling to $250,000/month as awareness grows and partnerships expand. Upside exists with B2B licensing to clinics and gyms.
Tech Stack
Node.js with Express for rapid API development, or Python with FastAPI for advanced data analysis and health logic.
PostgreSQL for secure, relational storage of user data, nutrition logs, and health metrics.
Next.js for its SEO optimization, performance, and ease of building both web and mobile PWAs.
Stripe for payments, Twilio SendGrid for notifications, AWS S3 for file storage, optional OpenAI API for personalized health insights, and integration with Apple HealthKit/Google Fit for activity data.
Risk Assessment
Identified Risks
- Users may ignore or distrust RED-S warnings, leading to continued unhealthy behaviors.
- Regulatory or liability risk from providing health-related advice without medical oversight.
Mitigation Strategy
- Integrate motivational and educational messaging, and partner with trusted professionals to build credibility.
- Clearly communicate that the app is not a substitute for medical advice and offer easy referrals to certified healthcare providers.