RecruitingNot ApplicableNCT07026175

Unravelling Energy Issues Underpinning Low Energy Availability in High Performance Athletes


Sponsor

Australian Catholic University

Enrollment

20 participants

Start Date

Jun 1, 2025

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Conditions

Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to understand how the body responds to short-term, severe low energy availability (LEA) in healthy, weight-bearing endurance athletes aged 18-45 years old. LEA describes a mismatch between an individual's dietary energy intake and the energy cost of their commitments for training and competition. The main questions this trial aims to answer are: 1. What effect does short-term, severe LEA have on sleeping metabolic rate? 2. What effect does short-term, severe LEA have on other body systems identified within the Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs) Health and Performance Conceptual models? Researchers will compare a control trial with both a LEA trial achieved through diet restriction and a LEA trial achieved through increased exercise to see if there are differences in the body's response. Participants will complete three 6-day trials, a minimum of 3-weeks apart, involving: * Prescribed diet (all food provided) * Prescribed running and/or cycling exercise * Two visits to ACU Fitzroy campus for blood tests and exercise testing * 50 hour stay (two nights and two days) in the ACU metabolic chamber


Eligibility

Min Age: 18 YearsMax Age: 45 Years

Inclusion Criteria4

  • years old
  • Well trained weight-bearing athlete (tier 2-4 1)
  • Perform \~45km per week of weight-bearing endurance training, and able to undertake the prescribed exercise in each trial condition
  • Pass the ESSA pre-exercise screening tool and/or obtain GP clearance to exercise

Exclusion Criteria5

  • Assessment of red status on the REDs Clinical Assessment Tool
  • Unable to attend ACU in Fitzroy, Victoria, for the 6 study visits for completion of the study protocol
  • Pregnancy
  • Use of hormonal contraceptive with the previous 3 months
  • Onset of peri/menopause

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Interventions

OTHERDiet-induced low energy availability

6-days of severe low energy availability (LEA, 15kcal/kg FFM/d), achieved by superimposing restricted energy intake on the control trial.

OTHERExercise-induced low energy availability

6-days of severe low energy availability (LEA, 15kcal/kg FFM/d), achieved by superimposing increased exercise energy expenditure on the control trial.


Locations(1)

Australian Catholic University

Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia

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NCT07026175


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