Comparisons Of Daily Energy Intake Vs. Expenditure Using The Geneactiv Accelerometer In Elite Australian Football Athletes

Salagaras, BS, Mackenzie-Shalders, KL, Nelson, MJ, Fraysse, F, Wycherley, TP, Slater, GJ, McLellan, C, Kumar, K, and Coffey, VG. Comparisons of daily energy intake vs. expenditure using the GeneActiv accelerometer in elite Australian Football athletes. J Strength Cond Res 35(5): 1273-1278, 2021-To assess validity of the GeneActiv accelerometer for use within an athlete population and compare energy expenditure (EE) with energy and macronutrient intake of elite Australian Football athletes during a competition week. The GeneActiv was first assessed for utility during high-intensity exercise with indirect calorimetry. Thereafter, 14 professional Australian Football athletes (age, 24 +/- 4 [SD] y; height, 1.87 +/- 0.08 m; body mass, 86 +/- 10 kg) wore the accelerometer and had dietary intake assessed via dietitian-led 24-hour recalls throughout a continuous 7 days of competition period (including match day). There was a significant relationship between metabolic equivalents and GeneActiv g center dot min(-1) (SEE 1.77 METs; r(2) = 0.64; p < 0.0001). Across the in-season week a significant difference only occurred on days 3 and 4 (day 3: energy intake [EI] EI 137 +/- 31 kJ center dot kg(-1)center dot d(-1); 11,763 +/- 2,646 kJ center dot d(-1) and EE: 186 +/- 14 kJ center dot kg(-1)center dot d(-1); 16,018 +/- 1973 kJ center dot d(-1); p < 0.05; d = -1.4; day 4: EI: 179 +/- 44 kJ center dot kg(-1)center dot d(-1), 15,413 +/- 3,960 kJ center dot d(-1) and EE: 225 +/- 42 kJ center dot kg(-1)center dot d(-1); 19,313 +/- 3,072 kJ center dot d(-1); d = -0.7). Carbohydrate intake (CI) was substantially below current sports nutrition recommendations on 6 of 7 days with deficits ranging from -1 to -7.2 g center dot kg(-1)center dot d(-1) (p < 0.05), whereas daily protein and fat intake was adequate. In conclusion, the GeneActiv provides effective estimation of EE during weekly preparation for a professional team sport competition. Australian Footballers attempt to periodize dietary EI to varying daily training loads but fail to match expenditure on higher-training load days. Specific dietary strategies to increase CI may be beneficial to achieve appropriate energy balance and macronutrient distribution, particularly on days where athletes undertake multiple training sessions.