Every week, I filter through the latest sports science research. The goal is to find the most interesting new research, break down the findings, and turn it into actionable insights you can use in your training.
This study looks at whether recreational athletes are eating enough to support their training, and what happens when they aren't.
The study
In this study, researchers tracked 30 recreational high-intensity functional training athletes (18 women and 12 men, with an average age of 31) for two weeks.
They tracked what participants ate, how much energy they burned during exercise, and their body composition and bone density. The results suggested that 80% of participants weren't eating enough to support their activity levels.
Despite this, researchers found no significant differences in recovery, sleep quality, or bone mineral density between participants with and without low energy availability.
One important caveat: the study only lasted two weeks. The researchers also noted that participants may have underreported how much they ate, and the effects of low energy availability might take longer to appear.
Why it matters
CrossFit and HYROX-style training demand a lot of energy. It's easy to underestimate how much food you need to support regular, intense sessions. It’s even harder to track it.
This study suggests that low energy availability could be common among recreational athletes, even when there aren't obvious signs of a problem. Not seeing an immediate impact on recovery or bone density doesn't mean under-fuelling is harmless over the long term.
My thoughts
I’d be cautious about this one. Thirty people tracked for two weeks can't tell us whether low energy availability is 1) actually widespread or 2) will cause problems down the road. The researchers even acknowledged that food logs can underestimate actual intake.
But I wouldn't dismiss the findings, either. If you're training hard several days a week, it's worth asking whether you're eating enough to support that workload, especially if you're also trying to lose weight.
One other interesting finding: longer sleep was associated with better perceived recovery. It's an exploratory result, so we shouldn't read too much into it, but it's another reminder that recovery isn't just about what you eat. Getting enough sleep matters, too.
