Energy Availability and Fatigue in Female Soccer
by Jaimie Martin, and Jeffrey Hartman, PhD, CSCS, NSCA-CPT
NSCA Coach
October 2025
Vol 12, Issue 3
The purpose of this article is to examine the practical strategies for strength coaches to mitigate LEA and enhance performance in female soccer players.
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This article originally appeared in NSCA Coach, a quarterly publication for NSCA Members that provides valuable takeaways for every level of strength and conditioning coach. You can find scientifically based articles specific to a wide variety of your athletes’ needs with Nutrition, Programming, and Youth columns. Read more articles from NSCA Coach »
REFERENCES
- Barrack, MT, Domino, S, Gray, V, Cotter, JA, Rauh, MJ, and Nichols, JF. Support for inadvertent undereating in female adolescent athletes with clinical indicators of low energy availability. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport 26(6): 285-290, 2023.
- Franks, CR. Effects of nutrition, hydration, exertion, and sleep on injury and illness in female collegiate soccer players. The Humanities and Social Sciences Collection 1-80, 2020.
- Hardie, A, Oshiro, KF, and Dixon, MA. Understanding body image perceptions of former female athletes: A qualitative analysis. Body Image43: 393–407, 2022.
- Loucks, AB. Energy balance and energy availability. The Encyclopaedia of Sports Medicine: An IOC Medical Commission Publication 72–87, 2013.
- Loucks, AB, Kiens, B, and Wright, HH. Energy availability in athletes. Journal of Sports Sciences 29(1): S7–S15, 2011.
- Martinho, DV, Field, A, Naughton, R, Ribeiro, AS, Rebelo, A, Gouveia, ÉR, and Sarmento, H. Nutritional perspectives in female soccer: A scoping review. Journal of International Society of Sports Nutrition 21(1): 2366427, 2024.
- Papageorgiou, M, Dolan, E, Elliott-Sale, KJ, and Sale, C. Reduced energy availability: Implications for bone health in physically active populations. European Journal of Nutrition 57(3): 847-859, 2018.
- Pollock, N, Grogan, C, Zabriskie, H, Maziarz, N, and Holtzman, B. Connecting energy availability and iron deficiency in female athletes. Strength and Conditioning Journal 42(4): 41–47, 2020.
- Sale, C, and Elliott-Sale, KJ. Nutrition and athlete bone health. Sports Medicine 49(2): 139–151, 2019.
- Shirley, MK, Longman, DP, Elliott-Sale, KJ, Hackney, AC, Sale, C, and Dolan, E. A life history perspective on athletes with low energy availability. Sports Medicine 52(6): 1223–1234, 2022.
- Stoyel, H, Delderfield, R, Shanmuganathan-Felton, V, Stoyel, A, and Serpell, L. A qualitative exploration of sport and social pressures on elite athletes about disordered eating. Frontiers in Psychology 12: 633490, 2021.
- Wasserfurth, P, Palmowski, J, Hahn, A, and Kruger, K. Reasons for and consequences of low energy availability in female and male athletes: Social environment, adaptations, and prevention. Sports Medicine - Open 6: 44, 2020.
- Wohlgemuth, KJ, Arieta, LR, Brewer, GJ, Hoselton, AL, Gould, LM, and Smith-Ryan, AE. Sex differences and considerations for female-specific nutritional strategies: A narrative review. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 18(1): 2021.
Available to:
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Members only
Audience:
Coaches
Coaches
Topics:
Exercise Science Nutrition Program design Organization and Administration Testing and Evaluation Safety Basic Pathophysiology and Science of Health Status or Condition and Disorder or Disease Professional Development
Exercise Science Nutrition Program design Organization and Administration Testing and Evaluation Safety Basic Pathophysiology and Science of Health Status or Condition and Disorder or Disease Professional Development
Keywords:
Nutrition Education Competitive Soccer Injury Prevention NIL Endurance Sports Stress Athletic Performance Anxiety
Nutrition Education Competitive Soccer Injury Prevention NIL Endurance Sports Stress Athletic Performance Anxiety
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