Research

Energy balance

Individualized nutritional interventions significantly reduce the prevalence of Female Athlete Triad risk (LEAF-Q ≥ 8) in competitive female athletes.

If you are at risk for the Female Athlete Triad, screening alone is not enough. You need a structured nutritional plan that increases your energy availability to at least 45 kcal/kg of fat-free mass daily. This involves eating enough carbohydrates and protein to support your training load, monitored by a professional to ensure you are not in a deficit.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
The prevalence of Triad risk (LEAF-Q ≥ 8) decreased from 30.4% to 18.0% in the IG compared with 29.2% to 27.9% in the CG (OR = 0.49; 95% CI 0.34–0.71; p < 0.001).
Fabiola Palmiero et al. · Physical Education Theory and Methodology · 2026

Why this rating

Large sample size, significant odds ratio (0.49), and clear statistical significance (p < 0.001).

Source

Effects of Individualised Nutrition on Performance and Athlete Triad Risk

Fabiola Palmiero et al. · Physical Education Theory and Methodology · 2026

DOI 10.17309/tmfv.2026.2.17

rct · n=480
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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