GLOSSARY

Male Athlete Health The integrated health of a male athlete, including reproductive, skeletal and psychological factors.

Male athletes can experience underfueling, disordered eating and bone-health problems even when body mass appears stable. Low testosterone has several possible explanations and requires assessment in its sampling and clinical context. A single result cannot establish a sport-related endocrine condition or justify hormone use. The male athlete triad connects low energy availability, reproductive suppression and impaired bone health. Nutrition care supports adequate energy and nutrient supply while the medical team evaluates other causes and determines appropriate monitoring and training participation.

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.

Bone stress injury develops when repeated loading exceeds the bone's capacity to tolerate and repair it. It spans changes such as stress reaction through stress fracture; location and severity affect management. Nutrition assessment considers energy availability, calcium, vitamin D and other relevant factors alongside training, biomechanics and medical history. A bone-density result is only part of the picture. Persistent focal bone pain warrants assessment rather than being treated solely with a supplement or continued training until a fracture becomes visible.

For example, persistent low libido or unexplained bone stress injury in a male athlete warrants appropriate clinical review. Do not assume that a stable weight or muscular appearance proves adequate energy supply. A single testosterone value does not define the diagnosis or justify unsupervised hormonal treatment.

Protein targets depend on body size, training, energy intake, age and clinical status. A high-protein label does not identify the actual amount, amino-acid quality or distribution. During weight reduction, adequate protein and resistance exercise can help preserve lean tissue, but neither removes the consequences of an excessive energy deficit. Kidney disease can require a different clinical approach. Do not transfer a healthy athlete's protein strategy directly to a person with impaired renal function.

A nutrition care record should explain the assessment, interpretation, agreed plan, responsible professionals and follow-up criteria. Separate reported information from measured findings and clinical judgments. Record relevant units, dates, methods and changes so that another practitioner can understand the decision. Seek consent for sharing sensitive information and limit access appropriately. A referral should communicate the specific concern and urgency rather than only a broad label. In sport, documentation should support continuity of care while protecting health information from inappropriate use in coaching or selection.