Markers of energy metabolism affect lactate metabolism and aerobic performance in competitive female cyclists

Jurov, Iva (author), Hadžić, Vedran (author), Rauter, Samo (author)

(1) Background: Low energy availability (LEA) has negative effects on performance, but mechanisms, timing, and other circumstances of these effects are not yet established. We aim to assess the performance-related effects of low energy availability in competitive female cyclists with a detailed approach to within-day energy availability (WDEB). (2) Methods: Female competitive cyclists (n = 8) completed the measurement of body composition, resting energy expenditure, and incremental testing; they reported diary logs and used accelerometers for energy availability (EA) calculation. Based on the Low Energy Availability in Females (LEAF) questionnaire, performance and energy parameters were compared between cyclists with risk for relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S; the LEAF+ group) and cyclists without any risk (LEAF−). (3) Results: 87.5% had EA <30 kcal/kg. EA and energy balance in LEAF– were significantly different from LEAF+ cyclists (U = 0.00, z = −2.00, p < 0.05 and U = 0.00, z = −2.00, p < 0.05, respectively). We found significant correlations between WDEB$_{−300}$ and EA (−0.736, p = 0.037) and energy balance (−0.732, p = 0.039). In addition, relative power output was correlated with mRMR/pRMR (−0.763, p = 0.046). (4) Conclusions: This study is the first to show that WDEB$_{−300}$ in competitive female cyclists is greater in cyclists with risk for RED-S. Increased time in a catabolic state was correlated to worse anaerobic capacity in incremental testing. Measuring mRMR/pRMR might be useful as it was negatively associated with aerobic performance.

• Language: English
• Keywords: sport, low energy availability, relative energy deficiency in sport, road cycling, within-day energy deficiency, resting energy expenditure, energy balance, female cycling, LEAF questionnaire
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FŠ - Faculty of Sport
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2020
• Number of pages: 11 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 10, iss. 21, art. 7563
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-134729
• UDC: 796.61-055.2
• ISSN on article: 2076-3417
• DOI: 10.3390/app10217563
• COBISS.SI-ID: 35024387
• Publication date in RUL: 27.01.2022

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Applied sciences
• Shortened title: Appl. sci.
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2076-3417
• COBISS.SI-ID: 522979353

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 01.11.2020

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: šport, kolesarstvo, nizka energijska razpoložljivost, sindrom relativnega energijskega primankljaja, cestno kolesarstvo, cestno kolesarjenje, energijski primanjkljaj znotraj dneva, energijska poraba v mirovanju, energijsko ravnovesje, žensko kolesarstvo, LEAF vprašalnik

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P5-0147
• Name: Kineziologija monostrukturnih, polistrukturnih in konvencionalnih športov