In a groundbreaking new study, researchers from Aarhus University have discovered that female athletes who skimp on calories and amp up their training routine may be unknowingly sabotaging their own health and muscle response. PhD student Mikkel Oxfeldt and Associate Professor Mette Hansen led the study, shedding light on the delicate balance between diet and training.
As it turns out, it’s crucial for women to be mindful of not drastically reducing their energy intake. In fact, if they increase their training volume, they should actually be increasing their energy intake as well, according to Mikkel Oxfeldt. In a playful simile, he compares the body’s response to insufficient energy to a mobile phone being put into battery-saving mode. Oxfeldt elaborates, “When you don’t get enough energy from your diet, your body starts shutting down processes that require a lot of energy. Similar to a phone conserving battery life, this can even cause some women’s periods to stop. Surprisingly, our results also showed that other bodily processes, such as building new muscle proteins, are negatively affected.”
The skinny on weight focus
The study, which is part of the Novo Nordic-funded Team Denmark network called ‘competition preparation and training optimization,’ enlisted the participation of thirty fit women aged 18-30. These women embarked on a three-week journey of rigorous training and diet, meticulously controlled by the researchers themselves. Mikkel Oxfeldt explains, “Under the supervision of the researchers, the participants followed individual training programs aimed at increasing muscle mass, strength, and overall fitness. The women’s meals were also provided by us. By controlling their training regimen and diets, we were able to track their energy expenditure and nutritional intake.”
Mikkel Oxfeldt emphasizes that this study is the first of its kind, having such a high level of control over both the training and diet of the female participants. To gain a detailed insight into the muscles’ response to the experimental protocol, the researchers utilized doubly labeled water, a tracer technique enriched with a trace material. Coupled with muscle tissue sample analysis, this allowed the researchers to obtain invaluable data.
Looking forward, Mikkel and his research group believe it is crucial to challenge the conventional belief that weight lossSponsored Product guarantees success in athletic endeavors. In reality, weight lossSponsored Product can harm various bodily systems, including muscles. Mikkel expresses his concerns about the prevalent culture within certain elite sports that champions public weigh-ins and perpetuates the idea that women must constantly strive to shed pounds. He states, “Our results clearly demonstrate that this weight-focused mentality can have detrimental consequences for women’s health and training outcomes in the short and possibly even long term. We hope this study will provide athletes and coaches with a more nuanced understanding of the potential side effects.”
In collaboration with colleagues from the University of Copenhagen and the University of Southern Denmark, the researchers are now delving deeper into how an insufficient energy intake affects physical performance, the immune system, and metabolism. Ultimately, they aspire to ascertain whether there are inherent differences in the ways women’s and men’s bodies react to inadequate energy intake.
In a groundbreaking new study, researchers from Aarhus University have discovered that female athletes who skimp on calories and amp up their training routine may be unknowingly sabotaging their own health and muscle response. PhD student Mikkel Oxfeldt and Associate Professor Mette Hansen led the study, shedding light on the delicate balance between diet and training.
As it turns out, it’s crucial for women to be mindful of not drastically reducing their energy intake. In fact, if they increase their training volume, they should actually be increasing their energy intake as well, according to Mikkel Oxfeldt. In a playful simile, he compares the body’s response to insufficient energy to a mobile phone being put into battery-saving mode. Oxfeldt elaborates, “When you don’t get enough energy from your diet, your body starts shutting down processes that require a lot of energy. Similar to a phone conserving battery life, this can even cause some women’s periods to stop. Surprisingly, our results also showed that other bodily processes, such as building new muscle proteins, are negatively affected.”
The skinny on weight focus
The study, which is part of the Novo Nordic-funded Team Denmark network called ‘competition preparation and training optimization,’ enlisted the participation of thirty fit women aged 18-30. These women embarked on a three-week journey of rigorous training and diet, meticulously controlled by the researchers themselves. Mikkel Oxfeldt explains, “Under the supervision of the researchers, the participants followed individual training programs aimed at increasing muscle mass, strength, and overall fitness. The women’s meals were also provided by us. By controlling their training regimen and diets, we were able to track their energy expenditure and nutritional intake.”
Mikkel Oxfeldt emphasizes that this study is the first of its kind, having such a high level of control over both the training and diet of the female participants. To gain a detailed insight into the muscles’ response to the experimental protocol, the researchers utilized doubly labeled water, a tracer technique enriched with a trace material. Coupled with muscle tissue sample analysis, this allowed the researchers to obtain invaluable data.
Looking forward, Mikkel and his research group believe it is crucial to challenge the conventional belief that weight loss guarantees success in athletic endeavors. In reality, weight lossSponsored Product can harm various bodily systems, including muscles. Mikkel expresses his concerns about the prevalent culture within certain elite sports that champions public weigh-ins and perpetuates the idea that women must constantly strive to shed pounds. He states, “Our results clearly demonstrate that this weight-focused mentality can have detrimental consequences for women’s health and training outcomes in the short and possibly even long term. We hope this study will provide athletes and coaches with a more nuanced understanding of the potential side effects.”
In collaboration with colleagues from the University of Copenhagen and the University of Southern Denmark, the researchers are now delving deeper into how an insufficient energy intake affects physical performance, the immune system, and metabolism. Ultimately, they aspire to ascertain whether there are inherent differences in the ways women’s and men’s bodies react to inadequate energy intake.
