GLOSSARY

Moderate Energy Restriction uses a less severe energy restriction under a clearly specified plan.

Weight management includes prevention of unwanted change, intentional change and maintenance. The appropriate goal follows health, function, training and the person's priorities rather than a scale target alone. Energy balance is dynamic, and the same intake change will not produce a fixed linear trajectory indefinitely. Use trends under comparable measurement conditions and assess well-being and performance. A plan should be revised when it produces persistent fatigue, deteriorating training or escalating preoccupation with food and weight.

Over a defined interval, a difference between metabolizable energy intake and energy expenditure changes stored body energy. This principle does not imply that daily scale weight directly reveals energy balance. Water, glycogen and gut contents also contribute to body mass. Intake and expenditure influence each other through behavior and physiology, so projecting the same daily deficit indefinitely creates unrealistic predictions. Interpret the energy equation together with its timescale and the composition of the tissues changing.

Loss of body mass is not equivalent to loss of fat. An overly aggressive deficit can also reduce lean tissue and impair training or recovery. Adequate protein, resistance exercise and sufficient overall nutrition help support lean-tissue preservation, but outcomes vary. Interpret body-composition measurements with their uncertainty and hydration dependence. In sport, prioritize useful function and health rather than promising that any diet can remove only fat while preserving every aspect of performance.

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.

For example, reducing intake can begin a weight-loss process while the subsequent trajectory changes with physiology, behavior and fluid balance. Review health, training and a sequence of comparable weights. A severe restriction should not be justified simply because it produces a faster first-week scale change or temporarily suppresses appetite.

An adequate diet provides sufficient energy and essential nutrients while fitting health needs. A high score for variety or a healthy food label cannot independently demonstrate adequacy. Review what is actually eaten, including foods excluded and suitable replacements. Athletes can consume many vegetables yet still lack enough energy or carbohydrate for training. Assess the overall pattern, distribution and relevant nutrient risks rather than assuming that a single food or supplement makes the entire diet balanced.

Short-term weight change can reflect water, glycogen, gastrointestinal contents and measurement conditions as well as tissue change. Review a sequence of comparable observations rather than reacting to one reading. A plateau can involve changing energy expenditure, intake, adherence or fluid shifts; it is not proof of permanent metabolic damage. After weight loss, maintenance requires ongoing support and an adjusted plan, with attention to appetite, activity, food access and the person's ability to sustain the changes.