Research

Energy balance

CrossFit-trained athletes typically consume energy and carbohydrates significantly below ISSN recommendations, creating a state of low energy availability that risks health and performance.

If you do CrossFit, you are likely eating too few calories and carbohydrates for your activity level. This can lead to fatigue, poor performance, and health issues like menstrual disorders in women. Aim to increase your carbohydrate intake to at least 5-8 grams per kilogram of body weight daily, and ensure your total energy intake matches your high energy expenditure.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
The energy intake in the diet was lower (~1700 kcal in women and ~2300 kcal in men) than the recommended demand. Moreover, low consumption of carbohydrates was stated... The energy, carbohydrate, iron, and calcium intake in the CrossFit participants’ diet was too low in comparison to recommendations.
Anna Gogojewicz et al. · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · 2020

Why this rating

Descriptive cross-sectional study with self-reported dietary records; lacks causal intervention data.

Source

Assessment of Dietary Intake and Nutritional Status in CrossFit-Trained Individuals: A Descriptive Study

Anna Gogojewicz et al. · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · 2020

DOI 10.3390/ijerph17134772

cross_sectional · n=62Cited 64×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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