Energy Availability. Just what does it mean?

Energy Availability (EA) is a key concept in sports nutrition and athlete health,referring to the amount of energy left for the body to use after accounting forthe energy expended in exercise. It’s calculated as the difference betweendietary energy intake and the energy expended in physical activity, relative tolean body mass. Specifically, EA is given by the formula:

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EA = (Dietary Energy Intake -Exercise Energy Expenditure)

Lean Body Mass

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In simpler terms, EA represents the energy available to support all bodilyfunctions beyond exercise, such as immune health, reproduction, bone health,and other metabolic processes. For athletes, maintaining optimal EA is crucial.If EA drops too low, the body may start to conserve energy by reducing orimpairing various functions, leading to a state known as “Low EnergyAvailability” (LEA). LEA can negatively impact health and performance,contributing to issues like menstrual disturbances, decreased bone density,reduced muscle function, and higher susceptibility to injuries and illness.

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The optimal Energy Availability (EA) for athletes varies slightly by gender, withresearch suggesting that female athletes generally require a slightly higher EAto support reproductive and overall metabolic health compared to male athletes.

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For men, an EA of approximately 40 kcal per kg of lean body mass per day isgenerally recommended to support optimal performance and health. This levelallows for sufficient energy to maintain all bodily functions, including musclerecovery, immune function, and hormone production.

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For women, a slightly higher EA of around 45 kcal per kg of lean body mass perday is often cited as optimal. This threshold helps ensure that women’sbodies have enough energy not only for athletic demands but also forreproductive health, bone density maintenance, and other energy-intensivefunctions specific to female physiology.

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Key EA Thresholds for Health and Performance:

           •          Men:40 kcal/kg of lean body mass per day

           •          Women:45 kcal/kg of lean body mass per day

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At these levels, both male and female athletes typically maintain optimalphysiological function, helping to avoid the pitfalls of Low EnergyAvailability (LEA), which can compromise both immediate performance andlong-term health. Notably, athletes with EA levels persistently below 30kcal/kg (for both genders) are at increased risk for LEA, which can lead to arange of issues including hormonal disruption, menstrual irregularities inwomen, bone density reduction, decreased muscle function, and impaired immunity.

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If you feel you are under fuelling, not performing to your best in training and games, or just curious as to how to improve your nutritional strategy, then please do not hesistate to contact us.

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