GLOSSARY

Low Energy Availability (LEA) Reference Table

EA is a research and assessment construct with substantial measurement uncertainty; no single threshold diagnoses REDs in every athlete.

Low Energy Availability (LEA) An inadequate amount of dietary energy remaining after exercise expenditure to support the body's physiological functions.

For example, repeated injury, reduced recovery and restrictive eating can justify a coordinated assessment even when body weight is stable. Look for alternative causes and assess the whole pattern. Correcting a calculated energy figure alone does not establish recovery; health, behavior and safe training participation also need review.

Relative energy deficiency in sport describes impaired health or function associated with problematic low energy availability and can affect female and male athletes. The duration, severity and individual context matter. No isolated body weight, symptom, hormone value or calculated energy-availability threshold can diagnose every case. Clinical assessment integrates history, signs, measurements and alternative explanations. The IOC assessment framework supports trained clinicians; it is not a self-scoring clearance tool. Management addresses energy supply and training while considering psychological support and the athlete's overall safety.

Energy availability describes dietary energy remaining after exercise expenditure, expressed relative to fat-free mass over a defined period. It differs from whole-day energy balance and from body-fat percentage. Calculations are sensitive to errors in food records, exercise expenditure and body-composition estimates. No single threshold or short observation establishes a diagnosis for every athlete. Persistent fatigue, impaired recovery or other concerning changes warrant assessment in the broader health and training context rather than a conclusion from one calculated value.