[fengshway]

a very cool article

Eat or get beaten

Jennifer Sygo, National Post
Published: Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Picture it: A thirtysomething woman is interested in training for a
triathlon, maybe even one as gruelling as the half- or full-Ironman. To
get herself into top shape, she decides to lose a few pounds, not only to
reduce the stress on her joints and potentially lower her risk of injury,
but also to shave valuable seconds or minutes off of her training and race
times (and hey, it doesn't hurt to look lean and mean in those skimpy
running bras). So despite the higher energy needs that come with more
intense training, she decides to trim her caloric intake just a little,
perhaps by cutting excess carbs such as pasta, bread and cereal. Her
intentions, she feels, are good, so much so that she might even see a
dietitian or other nutrition professional to help her lose the weight.

As a sport dietitian, I routinely work with female athletes of all shapes
and sizes, and some of them inevitably have eating issues, which can be
severe and ultimately life-threatening. But below the layer of the most
severe, clinically diagnosable eating disorders (including anorexia and
bulimia nervosa), there is another, much larger percentage of female
athletes whose dietary habits are putting them at risk, not only in terms
of their performance, but also when it comes to their health - and in many
cases, even the athletes themselves don't realize it.

The first week of February marks National Eating Disorders Awareness Week,
and while the topic of eating disorders is a vast one, the issue of female
athletes undereating is one that I feel is particularly worthy of some
discussion because it falls so far under the radar of many people.

ENERGY DEFICITS: NOT JUST ABOUT OIL AND GAS ANY MORE

So what happens, physically, when an athlete undereats? Let's take a
closer look. If an average female in her thirties needs to consume, say,
1,800 calories per day to maintain her weight, then it makes sense that an
active female would need more. How much more? Well, that depends whether
we're talking about a casual gym-goer who engages in three one-hour,
moderate intensity workouts per week, then you might tack on an additional
2,100 calories over the week (based on 700 calories burned per workout),
averaging out to an extra 300 calories per day.

But if that athlete is engaging in more intense athletic training - let's
say one or even two workouts per day, six days per week, with some lasting
several hours - then she could require up to 7,000-10,000 (or more)
additional calories per week, just to break even. That translates to an
extra 1,000 calories or more per day - quite a lot if you've been used to
watching every bite. On top of that, as an athlete becomes stronger and
adds more muscle mass, her metabolism increases - in other words, she
actually burns more energy at rest. So, in addition to their energy output
from training, these athletes also need to consume extra calories just to
conserve the lean muscle that they've worked so hard to build.

This is the theory, anyway. But, in my experience, few female athletes
actually eat this much. Many eat less, and while they may not be
intentionally dieting or restricting, it is not uncommon to see a
high-level female athlete eating between 1,800 and 2,500 calories per day
- simply not enough when their needs are 3,000 calories or more.

Most of the female athletes I've worked with don't even realize they are
undereating - they are just going with what social norms dictate women
should do to keep their weight in check, but these dietary habits can come
with unexpected and potentially severe consequences.

THE DANGERS OF NOT EATING ENOUGH

Initially, when an athlete undereats, the impact tends to be on
performance: She might feel more fatigued - either during training or
throughout the day - but in time, issues with sleep, injuries, illness or
burnout can start to arise. If an energy deficit persists for a prolonged
time, the result can be irregular menstrual periods and a loss of bone
health, making the athlete not only prone to short-term injuries like
stress fractures, but also long-term issues like osteoporosis. But perhaps
most surprisingly, many of these athletes actually find it harder to lose
the weight that they are trying so hard to control, especially when it
comes to those persistent few pounds around the middle.

But there is little research in this area (though the University of
Toronto has embarked on an ambitious project known as REFUEL, examining
the effect that gradually increasing women's energy intakes to meet their
needs has on body composition, menstrual status, and bone health). One
explanation is that a lack of fuel means a loss of muscle (remember,
muscle is expensive to keep around), which means a slower metabolism. It
is also possible that hormonal disruptions that resulting from what is
effectively long-term starvation favour fat storage.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Regardless of the mechanism, there is reason for hope: Evidence shows that
by eating more (in other words, actually meeting their energy needs),
athletes can perform better, maintain stronger bones, a better hormonal
balance and actually become leaner in the long run.

If you think undereating is an issue for you or an athlete you work with,
contact a dietitian who specializes in sports nutrition (visit
dietitians.ca/find for more information).

-Jennifer Sygo is a dietitian in private practice at Cleveland Clinic
Canada (clevelandcliniccanada.com), which offers executive physicals,
prevention and wellness counselling and personal health care management in
Toronto.