Together with colleagues from Liverpool John Moores University, Prof. Köhler recently published an invited review in the European Journal of Applied Physiology. The review outlines the strengths and limitations of current knowledge about low energy availability in order to extend laboratory-based findings in the field by providing a critical overview of the concept of energy availability, and of all experimental studies assessing the effect of manipulating energy availability in well-controlled settings.
Energy availability (EA) is defined as the amount of dietary energy available to sustain physiological function after subtracting the energetic cost of exercise. Insufficient EA due to increased exercise, reduced energy intake, or a combination of both, is a potent disruptor of the endocrine milieu. As such, EA is conceived as a key etiological factor underlying a plethora of physiological dysregulations described in the female athlete triad, its male counterpart and the Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport models. Originally developed upon female-specific physiological responses, this concept has recently been extended to males, where experimental evidence is limited.
Due to the potential health consequences of chronic insufficient dietary energy with concomitant physical activity, this concept is relevant not only for athletes but also for the general population seeking weight-management: The current obesity epidemic requires the incorporation of low energy availability with concomitant exercise to achieve healthy body weight in large parts of industrialized populations, while minimizing its negative effects. Therefore, we believe that the concept can prove useful for informing research relevant to public health.
The team around Prof. Köhler and lead-author Dr. Jose Areta (LJMU) argues that collaborative research addressing these questions to thoroughly understand the effects of energy and macronutrient availability will allow us to optimize training-nutrient interventions to achieve peak performance in elite athletes as well as guiding practices in the general population to achieve optimal health.
Prof. Köhler and Dr. Areta were also recently part of an online symposium on low energy availability.
For more information, you will find the full-text here.