WHEN THE BODY DOES NOT GET FUEL. EFFECTS OF EXCESSIVE FOOD INTAKE RESTRICTIONS IN ATHLETES - A REVIEW

Background. With an increasing number of research, sports nutrition becomes an important topic both in professional and recreational athletes. In case of insufficient caloric supply, organism slowly shuts down expendable functions and that presents a health hazard. The first term trying to describe consequences of low energy availability (LEA) was Female Athlete Triad (eating disorder, menstrual disturbances and low bone density), later expanded to Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) which also includes fatigue, sleeping problems, hormonal imbalances, cardiovascular complications. Aim. In this review we aimed to identify research of interest and sum up available information. Material and methods. In order to identify research of interest, we used the following online databases: MEDLINE, CENTRAL and manually looked for applicable titles in references of identified publications. Results. Identified researches showed that consequences of LEA are common which becomes a serious problem in sports medicine. The reasons for calorie restriction are connected to personal self-perception and discipline regulations. It is important to identify athletes at risk of complications and implement procedures aiming to improve their health while simultaneously understanding their motivation for sports success. Conclusions. Although research on the topic is vast, it is still crucial to educate athletes and their ecosystem about risks and consequences of LEA.