Abstract
Maintaining energy balance (EB) throughout training and competition should be a primary goal for competing athletes. Female athletes, in particularly, may be prone to low energy availability which can reduce performance and negatively impact training adaptations observed. Regular determination of EB is challenging due to the need for accurate dietary intake and energy expenditure. However, recently published formulas have allowed for the estimation of energy balance using body composition derived computation, but comparisons across competitive seasons in various sports are limited. PURPOSE: To examine the changes in body composition and EB in collegiate female swimmers across an entire competitive season. METHODS: Thirteen female NCAA Division II swimmers (mean ± SD: 19.5 ± 1.2 years; 68.9 ± 8.6 kg; 169.9 ± 8.8 cm) were evaluated annually at the beginning of two competitive seasons. Fat mass (FM), fat-free mass (FFM), and body fat percentage (BF%) were evaluated with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and changes in energy balance (EB) were calculated as 1.0(ΔFFM/Δtime) + 9.5(ΔFM/Δtime). Data was analyzed using paired samples t-tests. A p-value of 0.05 was used for statistical determinations. RESULTS: Approximately 406 days separated each DEXA scan. Although body mass was not significantly affected (Year 1: 68.9 ± 8.9 kg vs. Year 2: 69.4 ± 8.2 kg, p > 0.05), a negative EB was observed (-67.0 ± 51.3 kcal·day-1) across the season. Significant changes (p < 0.001) in FM (Year 1: 18.6 ± 5.0 kg vs. Year 2: 15.4 ± 5.1 kg), BF% (Year 1: 28.0 ± 4.9%; Year 2: 23.4 ± 5.7%), and FFM were observed across time (Year 1: 47.0 ± 5.3 kg vs. Year 2: 50.2 ± 4.8 kg). CONCLUSION: Assessments of changes in body composition and energy balance are important considerations for athletes and coaches regarding the health and performance of athletes. From Year 1 to Year 2, female swimmers were largely successful at maintaining their energy balance while significantly improving FM, FFM, and %BF. Body composition derived assessment of energy balance can be used to provide general indications of energy balance status in athletes across large periods of time.
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