Within-Day Energy Deficiency and Metabolic Perturbation in Male Endurance Athletes

in International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism

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Monica Klungland Torstveit University of Agder

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Ida Fahrenholtz University of Copenhagen

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Thomas B. Stenqvist University of Agder

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Øystein Sylta University of Agder

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Anna Melin University of Copenhagen

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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2017-0337
Keywords:
energy availability; resting metabolic rate; within-day energy balance
In Print:
Volume 28: Issue 4
Page Range:
419–427
Restricted access

Endurance athletes are at increased risk of relative energy deficiency associated with metabolic perturbation and impaired health. We aimed to estimate and compare within-day energy balance in male athletes with suppressed and normal resting metabolic rate (RMR) and explore whether within-day energy deficiency is associated with endocrine markers of energy deficiency. A total of 31 male cyclists, triathletes, and long-distance runners recruited from regional competitive sports clubs were included. The protocol comprised measurements of RMR by ventilated hood and energy intake and energy expenditure to predict RMRratio (measured RMR/predicted RMR), energy availability, 24-hr energy balance and within-day energy balance in 1-hr intervals, assessment of body composition by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and blood plasma analysis. Subjects were categorized as having suppressed (RMRratio < 0.90, n = 20) or normal (RMRratio > 0.90, n = 11) RMR. Despite there being no observed differences in 24-hr energy balance or energy availability between the groups, subjects with suppressed RMR spent more time in an energy deficit exceeding 400 kcal (20.9 [18.8–21.8] hr vs. 10.8 [2.5–16.4], p = .023) and had larger single-hour energy deficits compared with subjects with normal RMR (3,265 ± 1,963 kcal vs. −1,340 ± 2,439, p = .023). Larger single-hour energy deficits were associated with higher cortisol levels (r = −.499, p = .004) and a lower testosterone:cortisol ratio (r = .431, p = .015), but no associations with triiodothyronine or fasting blood glucose were observed. In conclusion, within-day energy deficiency was associated with suppressed RMR and catabolic markers in male endurance athletes.

Torstveit, Stenqvist, and Sylta are with the Faculty of Health and Sport Science, Institute of Public Health, Sport & Nutrition, University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway. Fahrenholtz and Melin are with the Dept. of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark.

Address author correspondence to Monica Klungland Torstveit at monica.k.torstveit@uia.no.
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