Key result
Study protocol details planned assessment of low energy availability in male academy football players.
Why the study?
Low energy availability is known to cause adverse health and performance outcomes in female athletes, but its prevalence in male team-sport athletes is not well understood.
What is the prevalence of low energy availability among male academy football players?
Cross-Sectional (n=355)
Yes
What is the prevalence of low energy availability among male academy football players?
This study protocol outlines a cross-sectional approach to determine the prevalence of low energy availability in male academy football players.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
No results yet from this protocol; leaves open prevalence estimates of low energy availability in male academy players.
Low energy availability (LEA) is a core feature of the female athlete triad and relative energy deficiency in sport (REDs). LEA underpins multiple adverse health and performance outcomes in various athletic populations, including weight category, endurance and aesthetic sports. Recent reports suggest LEA is highly prevalent in female football, volleyball and netball, with little known on male team-sport athletes. Therefore, the study aims to identify the prevalence of LEA among male academy football players (16–23 years), using surrogate markers that align with the International Olympic Committee REDs Clinical Assessment Tool-Version 2. A cross-sectional study design will be used with physiological and perceptual markers of LEA measured. The study will seek to recruit 355 players to complete several online questionnaires believed to be associated with LEA, measured using a 24-hour food and activity diary. Of the 355 players, a subsample (n=110) will complete an additional 3-day food and activity diary, provide a venous blood sample to measure levels of total testosterone and free triiodothyronine, and have resting metabolic rate (RMR) measured to determine RMRratio. The prevalence of LEA will be determined using the low (<30 kcal·kgFFM-1·day-1) domain of energy availability and divided by the total number of participants. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarise the whole group and difference status of energy availability (eg, low, reduced, optimal, high). A univariable and multivariable binary logistic regression analysis will be modelled to assess the association of various surrogate markers with the presence of LEA.
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Mullen et al. (2024) conducted a cross-sectional in Low energy availability (LEA) (n=355). Low energy availability (LEA) vs. Optimal energy availability was evaluated on Prevalence of low energy availability (<30 kcal·kgFFM-1·day-1). This is a study protocol; therefore, no clinical results are available yet regarding the prevalence of low energy availability in male academy football players.
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