LB011 - HOW MUCH ENERGY IS REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN FAT-FREE MASS IN HIGHLY TRAINED INDIVIDUALS WITH LARGE BODY SIZE?

LB011

HOW MUCH ENERGY IS REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN FAT-FREE MASS IN HIGHLY TRAINED INDIVIDUALS WITH LARGE BODY SIZE?

H. Sagayama^1,*, E. Kondo², A. Ishibashi³, A. Uchizawa^1,4,5

¹Institute of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, ²Department of Sport Sciences, Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences, Osaka, ³Faculty of Health and Sports Sciences, Toyo University, ⁴Department of Sports Sciences and Research, Japan Institute of Sports Sciences, ⁵Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan

Rationale: Highly trained individuals require substantial energy intake to maintain or increase body mass and fat-free mass (FFM). In sports, where body mass directly influences performance, individuals often increase energy intake during the pre-season and aim to maintain body mass throughout the season. However, limited data are available regarding the energy requirements to maintain body mass and FFM during the competitive season. This study aimed to estimate the energy requirements necessary to maintain FFM in individuals with high levels of physical training by measuring total energy expenditure (TEE) and physical activity level (PAL) using the doubly labeled water method.

Methods: Thirty-four participants were enrolled (body mass: 91.0 ± 12.2 kg, body mass index: 29.3 ± 3.9 kg/m²), and TEE and PAL were assessed over 7 days. Body composition was measured using a stable-isotope dilution method.

Results: Of these, 20 participants underwent a second round of identical measurements at least six months later. The initial mean TEE, PAL, and FFM were 18.2 ± 2.1 MJ/day (range: 15.2–23.0), 2.2 ± 0.3 (range: 1.7–3.1), and 72.6 ± 7.3 kg (range: 60.4–89.8), respectively. The second measurements were 17.1 ± 2.6 MJ/day (range: 12.7–24.6), 2.2 ± 0.5 (range: 1.8–2.8), and 71.2 ± 7.7 kg (range: 61.6–90.6). 

Conclusion: These findings provide a practical reference for estimating energy requirements to maintain or increase FFM in individuals with large body size and high physical activity levels. This information may assist sports nutritionists and health professionals in developing individualized dietary strategies for optimizing performance and recovery in highly training.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared