Energy Requirement Assessment and Water Turnover in Japanese College Wrestlers Using the Doubly Labeled Water Method

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Human Physiology
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Estimated energy requirements (EERs) are crucial for athletes, particularly in weight-conscious sports like wrestling, to manage body weight.
• Current methods for determining EERs include self-reported energy intake (EI), predicted energy expenditure, and measured energy expenditure, with varying accuracy.
• No prior studies have utilized the doubly labeled water (DLW) method, a gold standard for measuring energy expenditure, in male collegiate wrestlers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare total energy expenditure (TEE) measured by DLW with self-reported EI in collegiate wrestlers during a typical training period.
• To assess water turnover and physical activity level (PAL) in these athletes.
• To evaluate the accuracy of existing EER prediction equations against DLW-measured TEE.

Main Methods:

• Employed the doubly labeled water (DLW) method to precisely measure total energy expenditure (TEE).
• Collected self-reported dietary records over approximately one week to assess energy intake (EI).
• Measured water turnover and physical activity level (PAL) in ten male collegiate wrestlers.

Main Results:

• A significant 19% difference was observed between measured TEE (17.9±2.5 MJ/d) and self-reported EI (14.4±3.3 MJ/d).
• Mean water turnover was 4.61±0.73 L/d, and the measured PAL was 2.6±0.3.
• Existing EER prediction equations underestimated energy requirements compared to DLW measurements during the training season.

Conclusions:

• Current EERs significantly underestimate the actual energy needs of collegiate wrestlers.
• The findings suggest a need to revise existing EER prediction equations for this athletic population.
• Accurate energy and fluid requirement estimations are vital for optimizing performance and health in wrestlers.