GLOSSARY

Fasting Leptin is leptin measured during defined fasting.

Leptin mainly conveys adipose information about energy stores and availability and also responds to intake changes. Its relation to fat mass is not perfectly fixed; reduced intake can affect it before major weight change. High leptin does not necessarily mean greater satiety, nor is low leptin always a separate disease. Leptin resistance is a regulatory concept not conclusively diagnosed from hunger or one concentration alone without clinical context.

Adipose tissue contains several cell types, so adipokines are not restricted to adipocyte secretion. Molecules can associate with inflammation or insulin sensitivity without proving causation or treatment utility. Human and animal sources may differ. Adipokine ratios are not universal athletic targets; assays, units and energy state must be specified. A research pathway cannot alone justify a supplement or establish that changing one circulating protein will improve performance.

Low energy availability means insufficient energy remains after exercise for required bodily functions; it is not synonymous with low carbohydrate or weight loss alone. Problematic exposure can affect reproductive, thyroid, bone and appetite systems with variable patterns. Restoring supply and reviewing training load are central to assessment. One normal hormone or a universal numerical cutoff cannot confirm or exclude every case, so symptoms, history and clinical evaluation must be integrated.