A proposal for a standardized approach to inducing low energy availability in athletes

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

Low energy availability in athletes is an insufficiently researched phenomenon due to lack of a universal methodology. Current objective and subjective methods for assessing low energy availability lack in accuracy, are not used with a standardized approach and fail to provide comparable, consistent results. Research in male athletes is even more challenging than in females. It is still not known what the threshold for low energy availability is when negative effects on health and performance occur. This is why in this paper a two-way standardized, systematic and controlled protocol for inducing low energy availability in free-living athletes is proposed. Ways of inducing low energy availability in athletes are described with a systematic approach to ensure accurate results. We suggest this is how new tools for assessing low energy availability can be developed with less burden on the athlete and the scientist. Analysis of each proposed protocol provides a rationale for their use. Future research directions are suggested for determining the threshold for low energy availability and determining the critical duration for its negative effects. Finally, we suggest a practical outcome of using the proposed research approach for health practitioners and coaches in order to protect athlete’s well-being.

• Language: English
• Keywords: sport, low energy availability, relative energy deficiency in sport, energy availability, energy balance, energy expenditure
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FŠ - Faculty of Sport
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2021
• Number of pages: 10 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 11, iss. 15, art. 6679
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-135871
• UDC: 796.01
• ISSN on article: 2076-3417
• DOI: 10.3390/app11156679
• COBISS.SI-ID: 72970243
• Publication date in RUL: 30.03.2022

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: 01.08.2021

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: šport, energija, nizka razpoložljivost energije, relativni energijski primanjkljaj v športu, razpoložljivost energije, energijsko ravnovesje, energijska poraba

Projects

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