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pauladugganfitness.com Personal Trainer & Nutritional Therapist
Pn1, Chek, NMT, PT Fitness & Nutritional Advice

InBody machines estimate muscle using bioelectrical impedance. They are excellent for tracking trends, but individual re...
17/07/2026

InBody machines estimate muscle using bioelectrical impedance. They are excellent for tracking trends, but individual readings can fluctuate depending on:

~ Hydration
~ Carbohydrate intake
~ Recent exercise (do scan pre exercise)
~ Alcohol consumption
~ Time of day


Overall assessment for this client

This is an excellent body composition trend

✅ Weight down 4.1 kg
✅ Muscle mass essentially maintained
✅ Body fat percentage down 3.1%
✅ Nearly all of the weight lost appears to have come from body fat rather than muscle

For a 56-year-old man at 180 cm, preserving muscle while reducing body fat like this is a very positive outcome.

Maintaining muscle while losing fat usually means you’re likely doing several things right:

~ Eating adequate protein, carbs & fat
~ Including strength training
~ Losing weight at a sensible pace

Focus on the overall trend, not the small ups and downs💪

4 steps..1. Get Body Fat Measured 2. Calculate Fat Mass ( it needs to be excluded from the EA calculation as it doesn’t ...
23/06/2026

4 steps..

1. Get Body Fat Measured

2. Calculate Fat Mass ( it needs to be excluded from the EA calculation as it doesn’t need energy to function)

3. Calculate Fat Free Mass (FFM)

4. Calculate your Energy Availability (EA)

So when calculating how much energy your body actually needs, you divide by FFM rather than total body weight because….

1. It gives a more accurate picture of whether your active tissues are getting enough fuel

2. Two athletes can weigh the same but have very different FFMs and therefore very different energy needs

3. It avoids underestimating risk in leaner athletes, and overestimating risk in those carrying more fat mass

In simple terms: your fat stores don’t need feeding- your muscles, brain, bones and organs do

EA tells you if those tissues are getting enough. Fat mass is taken out of the equation, because it isn’t part of the energy demand being measured

💪❤️

# lowenergyavailibility

22/06/2026

Energy Availability (EA) is the energy left for your body’s basic functions after exercise is accounted for.

When EA drops below 30kcal per kg of Fat free mass (FFM) a day, health consequences begin, including hormonal disruption, bone loss and poor recovery.

Carbohydrate restriction makes this worse….

Daily targets for Carbs by training load

- Light activity 3-5g/kg
- Moderate training 5-7g/kg
- High intensity training 6-10g/kg
- Very high volume 8-12g/kg

Scale carbs to training load to maximise performance and health gains 💪❤️

Repeated exposures to LEA and low carbohydrate are associated with a cluster of negative implications in female athletes. In terms of nutrition strategies, sufficient energy availibility and carbohydrate intakes appear to be pivotal in preventing Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED’s).

Patterns of energy availability and carbohydrate intake differentiate between adaptable and problematic low energy availability in female athletes
(Vardardottir et al., 2024)

16/06/2026

Tracking him on WHOOP changed how I think about feeding him on a day to day basis depending on output 🎾🏑🏌🏻🏃🏻

2.5 hours on court, heart rate up to 187bpm, 1,400+ calories burned. Numbers like that change how you think about fuelling a highly active teen.

Hockey days tend to be lighter but still needs adequate fuel for a growing body

Main things I’ve changed….

1. Within day energy balance sometimes isn’t possible, think of it over the week rather than on the day

2. Managed post training appetite suppression after late night training with easy solutions like chocolate milk or cereal and focused on good breakfast choices

3. Eat before training and pack sports drink, banana/fruit or snack of choice

4. Drill in the importance of hydration

Growth and performance need to be fuelled…. More tips coming❤️💪

On GLP- 1s, suppressed appetite can mask dangerously low and often unintentional intake. Wearable data and body composi...
15/06/2026

On GLP- 1s, suppressed appetite can mask dangerously low and often unintentional intake. Wearable data and body composition together help you avoid under-fuelling and protect your muscle and metabolism.

Your wearable can help track your output whilst on GLP-1. Use it as a guide, not gospel - they can be inaccurate ⌚

3 Steps to Protect your Health:

1️⃣ Track movement - use your wearable to monitor exercise output

2️⃣ Measure body fat - calculate your Fat-Free Mass (FFM) for a true picture of your needs

3️⃣ Fuel for YOU - match your intake to your individual energy requirements to avoid LEA (Low Energy Availability)

#💪

If you’re on a GLP-1 knowing your basic energy requirements isn’t optional - it’s essential. Fat Free Mass (FFM) mention...
13/06/2026

If you’re on a GLP-1 knowing your basic energy requirements isn’t optional - it’s essential.

Fat Free Mass (FFM) mentioned in previous posts this week, is the formula that is key to avoid unintentional health consequences.

GLP-1 medications reduce appetite, which can make it easy to under eat without realising, especially if you’re training. Low energy availability (LEA) means your body isn’t getting enough fuel for basic functions like immunity, hormones and bone health, on top of your workouts.

More next week 💪❤️

-1

Fuelling your body isn’t just about weight, it’s about giving your muscles, bones, and immune system what they actually ...
12/06/2026

Fuelling your body isn’t just about weight, it’s about giving your muscles, bones, and immune system what they actually need to work.

LEA can lead to fatigue, frequent illness, irregular periods, low bone density, and increased injury risk and it’s more common than you think.

Knowing your FFM matters because it’s the basis for calculating energy availability (EA), this is the number that tells you whether you’re truly fuelling enough for your training 💪❤️

Interesting Irish study on the prevalence of Low Energy Availability by Logue et al., (2019) on 833 female participants-...
09/06/2026

Interesting Irish study on the prevalence of Low Energy Availability by Logue et al., (2019) on 833 female participants- mixed sports cohort

40% of active females at risk of LEA- that’s alot!

Those at risk of LEA were 3 times more likely to miss training due to illness

Education on energy management is key❤️

Most people with LEA don’t know they have it. It doesn’t look like restriction. It doesn’t feel like a problem - until i...
08/06/2026

Most people with LEA don’t know they have it. It doesn’t look like restriction. It doesn’t feel like a problem - until it is! That’s exactly what makes it so dangerous.

This week I’m breaking down everything the research says, starting with what LEA actually is and why it so often goes undetected.

If you exercise regularly and you’re constantly tired, getting injured, or feel like your body is working against you, this series is for you.

MSc mode 👩🏻‍🎓My research is on Low Energy Availability across female athletes, active women and adolescents- and the mor...
07/06/2026

MSc mode 👩🏻‍🎓My research is on Low Energy Availability across female athletes, active women and adolescents- and the more I dig into it the more under the radar this issue really is.

More to come⭐️

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