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- Title
Case Study: Improving Energy Status in a Wheelchair Athlete With Suppressed Resting Energy Expenditure.
- Authors
Flueck, Joelle Leonie; Koehler, Karsten
- Abstract
Purpose: Wheelchair athletes experience a reduction in fat-free mass due to the underlying condition and/or muscle disuse. This leads to a lower resting energy expenditure (REE), as well as a lower energy expenditure during exercise or daily activities. Traditional markers of low energy availability (LEA), including amenorrhea and low bone mineral density, are often inconclusive in wheelchair athletes. This case study provides data from a professional female wheelchair badminton player with multiple sclerosis who presented with a reduced measured-to-predicted REE ratio (REEratio), a common indicator of LEA in able-bodied athletes. Furthermore, a nutrition and exercise intervention was conducted to restore REE. Methods: REE and body composition were measured using indirect calorimetry and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, respectively. The predicted REE of the REEratio was calculated using 2 separate approaches. An REEratio <0.9 was considered an indicator for LEA. A nutrition and exercise intervention was implemented to normalize REE and induce weight loss through increased meal frequency, a 200- to 400-kcal/d increase in energy intake, and added endurance exercise. Results: The athlete (33 y, 78 kg, 154 cm) initiallly showed an REEratio of 0.65 to 0.70, which increased to 1.00 to 1.09 after 1 year. The athlete lost 11.8 kg, almost exclusively (11 kg) in the form of fat mass. The athlete reported reduced fatigue and higher perceived fitness. Conclusion: The nutrition and exercise intervention successfully restored energy status, induced sustainable weight loss, and reduced fatigue in a wheelchair athlete with multiple sclerosis with presumed LEA. Methods to assess LEA in this population require further validation.
- Subjects
MULTIPLE sclerosis treatment; MULTIPLE sclerosis; ENERGY metabolism; BODY composition; SPORTS nutrition; PHOTON absorptiometry; RACKET games; WHEELCHAIR sports; TREATMENT effectiveness; WEIGHT loss; EXERCISE therapy; CALORIMETRY
- Publication
International Journal of Sports Physiology & Performance, 2022, Vol 17, Issue 7, p1151
- ISSN
1555-0265
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1123/ijspp.2021-0336