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Signs of Low Energy Availability

Tips for Fueling Adequately and Avoiding Low Energy Availability

The Bottom Line on Low Energy Availability

Many people turn to running for weight loss , often cutting calories while upping physical activity. Others may cut calories in hopes of seeing performance benefits, considering the common misconception that lighter is faster. Both scenarios can be detrimental to performance, especially if you’re training for a marathon , according to recent research on more than 1,000 Boston Marathon participants.

Published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the study looked at the association between low-energy availability (LEA)—defined as a state that occurs when an athlete’s calorie intake doesn’t match their energy expenditure—and race performance, as well as medical events during the Boston Marathon .

Even when controlling for age, gender, BMI, training level, and marathon experience, athletes who raced with LEA had twice the risk of requiring medical…