Total energy expenditure of collision team sports players measured using doubly labeled water: a systematic review

Abstract

Purpose: Total energy expenditure (TEE) is crucial for energy balance and recovery in athletes who participate in collision team sports with high training volumes. This study aimed to review the existing evidence on TEE measured using the doubly labeled water (DLW) technique in soccer, basketball, and rugby players. Furthermore, this systematic review summarized the training volume, match details during the measurement period, and body composition of the athletes.

Methods: This systematic review used the PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, and Embase databases. Only articles presenting objectively measured data on the TEE of adolescent and adult collision team sports players were included, as measured using the DLW method. The measurement period, training, match information, and body composition data were also obtained. The search strategy identified 1497 articles, of which 13 met the selection criteria.

Results: The 13 studies included four rugby players, six soccer players, and three basketball players; six of the 13 studies involved young players. The TEE measured using the DLW method was 3862.3-5783.9 kcal/day for rugby, 2859-3586 kcal/day for soccer, and 4006-4921 kcal/day for basketball players.

Conclusion: The TEE of collision sports players varies depending on the training or match load, body composition, and measurement period. Individual approaches to nutritional prescriptions for collision sports players should also account for different periods, anthropometric profiles, training, and game loads. This review provides evidence for developing nutritional guidelines to optimize the recovery and performance of collision team players.

Keywords: basketball; collision team sports; doubly labeled water; energy balance; rugby; soccer; total energy expenditure.

Figure 1.

Flowchart of inclusion process for the systematic review. This systematic review followed preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines for searching process, selecting study, collecting data, and analyzing data.