Low energy availability
Conditions
Interventions
Group 1: Participants complete a 3-day intervention providing an energy availability of 25 kcal/kg fat-free mass/day. In addition to the prescribed diet, participants perform a standardized treadmill
Sponsors
German Sport University Cologne
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
50 Years to 65 Years
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: Master endurance athletes aged 50–65 years and competing in endurance disciplines (running or race walking) Post-menopausal status for women, defined as the absence of menstruation for at least 12 months and confirmed by circulating progesterone and estradiol concentrations Body mass index (BMI) between 18 and 30 kg·m?² Well-trained runner or race walker (classified as Tier 2–4 according to the established performance criteria (McKay et al., 2022)) Engaging in =4 endurance training sessions per week A documented competition history in running or race-walking disciplines Achieving an age-grade performance =70% in their primary athletic discipline, calculated according to World Masters Athletics Table Stable body mass, defined as a change of no more than ±3 kg within the past 6 months Willingness and ability to maintain habitual endurance training routines throughout the study period
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: Low Energy Availability (LEA) Risk Indicators • Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) global score = 2.3 for women, > 1.68 for men • Current or previous diagnosed eating disorder • Resting metabolic rate (RMR) ratio 3 kg within the past 6 months Dietary and Communication Factors • Vegan diet that excludes all animal-derived products • Inability to read or understand English or German, which would preclude comprehension of study instructions and questionnaires
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Changes in endocrine and metabolic blood biomarkers, resting metabolic rate, body composition between conditions and over time. | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Change in neuromuscular, anaerobic and endurance performance capacity from Day 0 to Day 4 between the two conditions | — |
Countries
Germany
Contacts
Public ContactBoyi Zhang
German Sport University Cologne
Outcome results
None listed