RMR and RMR ratio are not related to energy availability in elite and pre-elite athletes

Abstract

Low energy availability (LEA), defined as an imbalance between dietary intake and exercise energy expenditure, has been associated with physiological and psychological dysfunction in athletes. The resting metabolic rate ratio (RMRratio), calculated as measured RMR divided by predicted RMR, is increasingly used as a surrogate marker for chronic energy deficiency when values fall below 0.9. In conclusion, while no relationship was observed between RMR or RMRratio and EA, the RMRratio was associated with different physiological, behavioral, and psychological parameters.