Energy deficiency and nutrition in endurance sports – focus on rowing

Abstract

One of the features of high-performing athletes are their elevated energy requirements (29). In the normal population, the mean physical activity level (PAL), which describes the ratio of total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) to resting metabolic rate (RMR) is in the range of 1.6-1.7 (43), which translates to average TDEE values between approximately 1500 and 2500 kcal/d. In athletes and particularly endurance athletes, PAL and TDEE levels can be twoto threefold greater. In studies which used gold-standard methodologies to quantify TDEE (doubly-labelled water) and RMR (indirect calorimetry), PAL levels in the ranges of 2.0-2.3, 2.8-3.2 and 3.4-4.0 have been reported in distance runners (6, 34), swimmers (41), and cross-country skiers (36), respectively. So far, the highest sustainable PAL levels of 3.5-5.5 Prof. Dr. Karsten Koehler Department of Sport and Health Science Technical University of Munich Georg-Brauchle-Ring 60/62 80992 Munich, Germany : karsten.koehler@tum.de SCHLÜSSELWÖRTER: Energiebilanz, Ruheenergieumsatz, Adaptive Thermogenese, Knochengesundgeheit, Ausdauersportler, Leistungsfähigkeit