Caloric deficits are commonly used to try to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time, but a new study showed that if the deficit is too big, it can have detrimental effects on performance in an alarmingly short period of time.

So what can you do to optimize body composition? Calculate your energy availability based on your goals to know how much you should eat outside of training, use an optimized macro ratio for your daily nutrition, and fuel your workouts based on the research-backed instructions in this video.

Consult with a medical professional and/or expert in the field of dietetics when you are undertaking changes that could compromise your health.

// STUDIES REFERENCED IN THIS VIDEO

Low energy availability reduces myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic muscle protein synthesis in trained females, https://trainerroad.cc/Oxfeldt2023
Specific metabolic rates of major organs and tissues across adulthood: evaluation by mechanistic model of resting energy expenditure, https://trainerroad.cc/Wang2010
Hungry runners – low energy availability in male endurance athletes and its impact on performance and testosterone: mini-review, https://trainerroad.cc/Cupka2023
Direct and indirect impact of low energy availability on sports performance, https://trainerroad.cc/Melin2022
Reducing energy availability in male endurance athletes: a randomized trial with a three-step energy reduction, https://trainerroad.cc/Jurov2022


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