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As dancers and athletes, your body is your instrument. Fueling it properly is key to achieving peak performance and maintaining long-term health. However, many performers unknowingly fall into a state of Low Energy Availability (LEA) — a condition that can negatively impact both performance and well-being. In this post, we’ll explore what LEA is, why it matters, and how you can avoid it.
what is low energy availability (LEA)?
LEA occurs when the energy you consume through food and drink is insufficient to meet both your training demands and the energy required for basic bodily functions. This imbalance leaves your body with too little energy to support crucial processes like recovery, hormone regulation, and overall health - let alone the amount of dancing you perform throughout your day and week!
For dancers and performance athletes, this can happen even when eating regularly, especially during periods of intense training or performance schedules. LEA can affect everyone, regardless of body size or fitness level.
why is energy availability crucial?
Maintaining adequate energy availability is essential for:
Performance - Energy fuels every movement, from pliés to leaps and beyond.
Recovery - Your body needs energy to repair muscles and replenish glycogen stores (our immediate fuel for muscles).
Health - Hormonal balance, bone density, and mental health all rely on adequate energy intake.
When energy intake falls short, the body prioritizes vital functions like keeping your heart beating, often at the expense of other systems. This can lead to a cascade of issues that compromise both short- and long-term performance.
the energy balance equation
At its core, LEA is about the balance between energy intake and expenditure:
Energy Intake - Calories consumed through food and drink.
Energy Expenditure - Calories burned during training, rehearsals, performances, and daily activities.
High training demands increase the risk of LEA, especially if dancers or athletes don’t adjust their energy intake accordingly. Ignoring this balance can lead to persistent energy deficits, even if the deficit seems small on a day-to-day basis.
Keep in mind that maintaining energy balance is NOT as simple as "calories out = calories in." There's A LOT more to it than that. As a quick example, our muscles primarily gain strength after our strength training sessions, during our recovery practices like sleep and physical rest. This requires energy AND doesn't fit neatly into that calories out = calories in concept. BESIDES, adequate energy intake takes place overtime - not on an hourly or daily basis.
warning signs of LEA
Recognizing the signs of LEA early can help prevent more serious consequences.
Common indicators include:
Fatigue - Feeling constantly drained, even after adequate rest.
Recurrent Injuries - Stress fractures and other overuse injuries may become more common.
Mood Changes - Increased irritability, anxiety, or lack of motivation. It's important to realize that sometimes YOU don't notice these changes until AFTER your mood/emotions return to normal and you look back on the past few weeks or even months and realize just how out of balance you were feeling.
Irregular Menstrual Cycles - Missed periods or other hormonal changes (for female dancers). Missing periods is COMMON, it is NOT NORMAL. If you miss one period, immediately take note of your food + nutrition habits, schedule, recovery practices, stress resilience, and more to help get back on track as soon as possible.
Reduced Performance - Difficulty maintaining stamina or strength during rehearsals and performances. Again, this can be more easily noticed in hindsight and maintaining a regular + consistent sleep schedule can be most beneficial to staving off reduced performance.
If these symptoms resonate with you or someone you know, it’s important to take action; let's chat!
practical takeaways
Fueling your body doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are some actionable tips:
Energy-Rich Snack Ideas:
Greek yogurt with granola and berries
Nut butter and banana on toast
Trail mix with nuts, seeds, and dried fruit
Smoothies with a mix of carbs (fruit, kale/spinach, chia seeds), protein (powder, silken tofu), and fats (avocado, flax seed, nut butter)
Importance of Consistent Eating:
Aim for at least three balanced meals and 2-3 snacks (both pre- and post- dancing/exercising) each day.
Plan meals around rehearsals and training sessions to ensure sustained energy.
Avoid skipping meals—your body needs fuel consistently, even on rest days.
reflect + take action
Take a moment to assess your own energy intake and training loads.
Are you eating enough to fuel both your activity and your body’s basic needs?
If you’re unsure, let's chat (or schedule time with your dance nutritionist). As a professional dancer AND licensed nutritionist, I understand the kind of schedule dancers are required to maintain and just how challenging maintaining energy availability can be.
Ready to take control of your energy availability? Download my FREE Meal Planning Guide for Dancers to start mapping meals and snacks that support your goals.
By prioritizing energy availability, you’re investing in your performance, recovery, and long-term health. Let’s make 2025 your strongest year yet!
references
Jagim, A. R., Fields, J., Magee, M. K., Kerksick, C. M., & Jones, M. T. (2022). Contributing Factors to Low Energy Availability in Female Athletes: A Narrative Review of Energy Availability, Training Demands, Nutrition Barriers, Body Image, and Disordered Eating. Nutrients, 14(5), 986. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14050986
Lodge, M. T., Ward-Ritacco, C. L., & Melanson, K. J. (2023). Considerations of Low Carbohydrate Availability (LCA) to Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) in Female Endurance Athletes: A Narrative Review. Nutrients, 15(20), 4457. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15204457
Keay, N, AusDancers Overseas, Francis G. Indicators and correlates of low energy availability in male and female dancers. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, 2020;6:e000906. https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/6/1/e000906
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