Dietary Intakes and the Risk of Low Energy Availability in Male and Female Advanced and Elite Rock Climbers

Monedero, J, Duff, C, and Egan, B. Dietary intakes and the risk of low energy availability in male and female advanced and elite rock climbers. J Strength Cond Res 37(3): e8-e15, 2023-There is a culture among rock climbers of striving to maintain low body mass and percentage body fat to enhance performance. Diet practices based on this belief might lead to increased risk of low energy availability (LEA) or eating disorders (EDs). Twenty-five advanced or elite rock climbers (male, n = 14; female, n = 11) had body composition measured, completed 4-day food intake and physical activity diaries while wearing an accelerometer and heart rate monitor, and completed the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT)-26 and the Low Energy Availability in Females Questionnaire (LEAF-Q; n = 11 female subjects only). EAT-26 scores of 3.5 (1.8, 7.0) [median (IQR)] and 9.3 +/- 6.4 (mean +/- SD) for male and female subjects, respectively, indicated low risk of ED in this cohort, but 4 female subjects were at high risk of LEA according to LEAF-Q scores. Suboptimal (<45 kcal center dot kg center dot FFM-1 center dot d(-1)) and LEA (<30 kcal center dot kg center dot FFM-1 center dot d(-1)) were evident in 88 and 28%, respectively, of climbers. However, only the female climbers had energy intakes (1775 +/- 351 kcal center dot d(-1)) significantly lower than their calculated energy requirements (2056 +/- 254 kcal center dot d(-1); p = 0.006). In all subjects, carbohydrate intakes were lower (male subjects: 3.8 +/- 1.2 g center dot kg(-1)center dot d(-1), p = 0.002; female subjects: 3.4 +/- 0.7 g center dot kg(-1)center dot d(-1), p < 0.001), and fat intakes were higher (male subjects: 1.6 +/- 0.5 g center dot kg(-1)center dot d(-1), p < 0.001; female subjects: 1.4 +/- 0.4 g center dot kg(-1)center dot day(-1), p < 0.001) than current sports nutrition recommendations, and inadequate intakes of calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D were observed. Female subjects specifically had lower than recommended intakes of protein and iron. These results show that advanced and elite rock climbers have a high prevalence of LEA and have a risk of having nutritional deficiencies as result of their diet.