Fueling Athletes: What Metabolic Rates Reveal About Health

Athletes push their bodies to the limit, but what happens when they don't fuel them right?

Low Energy Availability (LEA)

• Definition: Occurs when athletes don't consume enough calories to match their energy output.
• Consequences: Can lead to health issues.
• Check for LEA: Using the resting metabolic rate ratio (RMRratio).
• RMRratio: Compares an athlete's measured RMR to their predicted RMR.
• Indication of Chronic Energy Deficiency: A ratio below 0.9.

Recent Study Findings

• Sample Size: 49 competitive athletes from various sports.
• Method:
• Measured RMR using indirect calorimetry.
• Predicted RMR using different equations.
• Results:
• Prevalence of metabolic suppression (RMRratio below 0.9) varied widely.
• Depending on the predictive equation used, between 34.7% and 93.9% of athletes were classified as having metabolic suppression.
• Key Findings:
• No significant link between energy availability and either RMR or RMRratio.
• Athletes with an RMRratio of 0.9 or higher had:
• Higher visceral adipose tissue mass.
• Higher bone mineral content and density.
• Better sleep patterns.
• Less inactivity.
• Higher self-perceived performance.
• Lower stress levels.

Conclusion

• RMRratio might not directly indicate energy availability.
• It does correlate with various physiological, behavioral, and psychological factors.
• Monitoring RMRratio could provide valuable insights into an athlete's overall health and well-being.