Te Huataki Waiora School of Health, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand.
Eur J Sport Sci. 2021 Nov;21(11):1567-1578. doi: 10.1080/17461391.2020.1842510. Epub 2020 Nov 29.
Most of the low energy availability (LEA) research has been conducted in female populations. The occurrence of LEA in male athletes is not well known, even with an understanding of the components involved in and contributing to LEA. Cycling is a major risk factor for LEA due to inherent sports characteristics: low impact, high energy demands, and a common perception that leanness is a performance advantage. The purpose of this review is to discuss the cycling-specific studies that have documented components of RED-S. The review demonstrates male cyclists (1) experience energy deficits daily, weekly and throughout a season; (2) exhibit lower bone mineral density at the spine compared to the hip, and low bone mineral density correlating with LEA and; (3) demonstrate downregulation of the endocrine system with elevated cortisol, reduced testosterone and insulin-like growth factor 1. The complexity of LEA is further explored by the socio-psychological contribution that may impact eating behaviours, and therefore increase the risk of developing LEA. Future research directions include applying multifaceted research methods to gain a greater understanding of this syndrome and the effect of LEA on male cyclists.
大多数低能量状态（LEA）的研究都是在女性人群中进行的。尽管人们已经了解了导致 LEA 的相关因素，但男性运动员中 LEA 的发生情况仍不为人知。由于自行车运动具有固有运动特征：低冲击、高能量需求，以及普遍认为瘦是一种表现优势，因此它是 LEA 的一个主要危险因素。本综述的目的是讨论已记录 RED-S 相关成分的特定于自行车运动的研究。该综述表明，男性自行车运动员（1）每天、每周和整个赛季都经历能量不足；（2）与髋部相比，脊柱处的骨矿物质密度较低，并且骨矿物质密度与 LEA 相关；（3）表现出内分泌系统的下调，伴有皮质醇升高、睾酮和胰岛素样生长因子 1 降低。社会心理因素的影响可能会影响饮食行为，从而增加发生 LEA 的风险，这进一步增加了 LEA 的复杂性。未来的研究方向包括应用多方面的研究方法，以更深入地了解这种综合征以及 LEA 对男性自行车运动员的影响。
