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Title:

Energy Balance During a Short-Term Training Camp at Altitude in Elite Alpine Skiers

Document type:
Konferenzbeitrag
Author(s):
Engel, Helena; Martin, Alexandra; Hofmann, Hande; Morell, Maja; van Geldern, Robert; Wimbauer, Fritz; Halle, Martin, Koehler, Karsten
Abstract:
Training and competing in extreme conditions often lead to a negative energy balance and unfavourable changes in body composition (BC), which may negatively affect performance and increase injury risk. As literature on energy balance during sport-specific glacier training (3 - 4 hrs of daily training at 3000 - 4000 m above sea level) is still lacking, this study investigates the impact of a short-term training camp at altitude on energy balance in elite alpine skiers. In a prospective observational study, active male (n = 9, 27 ± 3 y) and female (n = 10, 25 ± 3 y) international athletes, competing in either speed (SPEED, downhill, super-G; n = 10) or technical (TEC, slalom, giant slalom, n = 9) disciplines, completed a 7 to 15-day training camp at altitude (base: 1800m, glacier: 3500m). BC (displacement plethysmography and bioelectrical impedance) and resting metabolic rate (RMR; indirect calorimetry) were assessed 2-3 months before (BL), directly before (PRE) and after (POST) the camp. During the camp, food intake was assessed directly and indirectly, urine samples were collected for estimation of energy expenditure (doubly labelled water isotope method) and capillary blood was used for analysis of leptin (LEP) and triiodothyronine (T3). An average energy expenditure (EE) of 4088 ± 895 kcal/d and an energy intake (EI) of 4375 ± 1223 kcal resulted in an overall positive energy balance of 287 ± 827 kcal/d. EE in SPEED was significantly higher than in TEC (p = 0.03), with the highest EE observed in male speed athletes (∼5900 kcal). In addition, sex-based differences in EE (p < 0.01) and EI (p < 0.0001) were also highly significant. Overall, this results in different energy balances (p=0.01) when comparing men (+760 ± 890 kcal/d) and women (-138 ± 490 kcal/d). Moreover, BC changed during training at altitude, as indicated by an overall increase in body mass (BM) (+0.9 ± 1.4 kg, p = 0.011) and fat mass (FM) (+ 0.9 ± 1.0 kg, p < 0.001), whereas fat free mass (FFM) remained unchanged. Increases in FM were prominent in men (p < 0.001) and SPEED (p = 0.002), but not in women or TEC. No changes were observed in RMR, respiratory quotient (RQ) or central blood markers between time points. The findings show that elite skiers are able to meet and to some degree even exceed the energy demands of on-snow training at altitude. Further research is needed to determine whether more intensive training and competing in extreme environments have adverse effects on BC over the course of a competitive season.
Dewey Decimal Classification:
570 Biowissenschaften, Biologie; 610 Medizin und Gesundheit; 790 Sport, Spiele, Unterhaltung
Book / Congress title:
International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism
Congress (additional information):
International Sport and Exercise Nutrition Conference
Volume:
32
Edition:
S1
Organization:
International Sport and Exercise Nutrition Conference
Year:
2021
Reviewed:
ja
Language:
en
Fulltext / DOI:
doi:10.1123/ijsnem.2022-0006
Semester:
WS 20-21
TUM Institution:
Professur für Bewegung, Ernährung und Gesundheit
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