Medical conditions in active people
Sport and exercise medicine includes the medical conditions that affect athletes and active people, and the medical conditions that may be revealed by exercise. Low energy availability, anaemia, bone health, inflammatory arthropathy and joint conditions, exercise intolerance, and cardiovascular and metabolic health all sit within scope.
Sport and exercise medicine includes the medical conditions that affect athletes and active people, and the medical conditions that may be revealed by exercise. Low energy availability, anaemia, bone health, inflammatory arthropathy and joint conditions, exercise intolerance, and cardiovascular and metabolic health all sit within scope.
Common conditions
Low energy availability and RED-S
When training load outstrips fuel, affecting health and performance.
Read more FatigueAnaemia and iron status
Low iron and anaemia that can quietly blunt training and recovery.
Read more Bone strengthBone health
Bone density, stress injuries and the factors that protect your skeleton.
Read more Autoimmune and jointInflammatory arthropathy and joint conditions
Back or joint pain that may have an inflammatory or autoimmune cause, with referral to rheumatology where needed.
Read more Heart and metabolicCardiovascular and metabolic health
Screening and management of heart and metabolic risk in active people.
Read more
Low energy availability and RED-S
Sustained low energy availability has multi-system consequences, including bone, cardiovascular, immune, gastrointestinal, endocrine, and psychological effects. The pattern is most discussed in female athletes but affects athletes of all sexes. See female athlete health for the broader picture.
Anaemia and iron status
Iron deficiency is common in endurance athletes, female athletes, vegetarian athletes, and athletes with high training loads. It can affect performance, recovery, and immune function before anaemia develops. Specialist assessment includes appropriate testing (ferritin, transferrin saturation, full blood count) and a structured plan, including dietary review and supplementation where indicated.
Bone health
Bone health is a clinical priority across many groups: female athletes with menstrual disruption, masters athletes, peri- and postmenopausal women, men with hormonal issues, athletes on long-term medications affecting bone, and anyone with recurrent stress fractures. The workup includes risk factor review, blood tests, DEXA where indicated, and a structured plan combining nutrition, loading, and medication where appropriate. See bone health and osteoporosis.
Inflammatory arthropathy and joint conditions
Some inflammatory and autoimmune conditions first show up as musculoskeletal pain. We are sometimes the first to identify the cause of inflammatory back pain or sacroiliitis in a younger person, and to arrange referral to rheumatology. Conditions such as ankylosing spondylitis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and the seronegative spondyloarthropathies can present this way. A patient may arrive with back pain that turns out to have an autoimmune cause.
Exercise intolerance
Exercise that feels disproportionately hard, fatigue out of keeping with training, breathlessness on exertion, gut symptoms with exercise, or post-exertional symptoms each have their own evaluation pathways. Specialist sports medicine input considers cardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic, haematological, infective, and energy-availability causes, and arranges further investigation as needed.
Cardiovascular and metabolic
Athletes and active people are not immune to cardiovascular risk. Pre-participation screening, evaluation of exertional symptoms (chest pain, syncope, palpitations, breathlessness out of proportion to load), and management of cardiovascular risk factors all sit within sports medicine scope. Where indicated, referral to a sports cardiologist is arranged.
Common questions
I am training hard but performance is dropping. Why?
Common contributors include under-recovery, low energy availability, iron deficiency, illness, and overtraining. The workup considers each.
Should I have my iron levels checked?
For endurance and high-volume athletes, periodic iron studies are reasonable. The interpretation depends on context, training phase, and recent illness.
Are these conditions covered by Medicare?
The specialist consultation may attract a Medicare rebate where there is a valid GP referral. Reception confirms costs at booking.
