Table 1.
Baseline Characteristics of Athletes Allocated to Each Diet Group
| Characteristic | Unit | CON (n = 10) | LCHF (n = 8) | LEA (n = 10) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age | years | 27 (21–33) | 28 (25–29) | 30 (28–33) |
| Body mass | kg | 66.6 ± 6.2 | 66.2 ± 7.7 | 67.8 ± 5.4 |
| Fat free mass | kg | 58.7 ± 5.5 | 58.6 ± 7.9 | 58.3 ± 4.9 |
| VO2max | mL.kg−1.min−1 | 63.2 ± 3.6 | 67.5 ± 5.7 | 62.1 ± 6.1 |
| BMD spine (L1–L4) | g.cm−2 | 1.19 ± 0.07 | 1.11 ± 0.10 | 1.24 ± 0.13 a |
| Z‐score | 0.02 ± 0.49 | −0.58 ± 0.65 | 0.36 ± 0.97 a | |
| BMD total hip | g.cm−2 | 1.17 ± 0.09 | 1.09 ± 0.14 | 1.10 ± 0.13 |
| Z‐score | 0.73 ± 0.66 | 0.18 ± 0.94 | 0.26 ± 1.05 |
Data are presented as mean ± standard deviation (except for age which is presented as median (interquartile range).
CON = high energy/high carbohydrate; LCHF = low carbohydrate/high fat; LEA = low energy availability.
a
Indicates significantly higher than LCHF (p < 0.05).