Energy balance
Female athletes should maintain an energy availability of 40–45 kcal/kg fat-free mass per day to sustain eumenorrhea, bone health, and metabolic function, as habitual low energy availability leads to Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) or the Female Athlete Triad.
Calculate your daily energy needs by adding your basal metabolic rate to the energy cost of your exercise. Ensure the remaining calories (Energy Availability) are at least 40-45 kcal per kg of fat-free mass. If you are skipping meals or restricting calories to lose weight, you risk losing your period and bone density. Prioritize fueling your training to support your body's structural integrity.
Obtaining optimal EA (40–45 kcal/kg FFM/day), eumenorrhea, and bone health are essential to sustaining metabolism and maximizing performance in women [76].
Why this rating
Based on a narrative review synthesizing multiple studies on energy availability and RED-S/Triad.
Source
Sex differences and considerations for female specific nutritional strategies: a narrative review
Kealey J. Wohlgemuth et al. · Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · 2021
DOI 10.1186/s12970-021-00422-8
More from this paper
- Female endurance athletes should consume 8-10 g of carbohydrates per kg of body weight in the 3 days leading up to an event (carbohydrate loading) to maximize muscle glycogen stores, with particular emphasis on this strategy during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle.Good
- Female athletes should consume 1 g of carbohydrates per kg of body weight in the hours prior to aerobic exercise to maximize carbohydrate availability, as pre-exercise feeding is likely more important during the follicular phase when carbohydrate oxidation rates are elevated.Good
- Female athletes should consume 500-1000 mL of a 6% carbohydrate solution per hour during prolonged endurance exercise (>90 minutes) to experience ergogenic effects, regardless of menstrual cycle phase.Good
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