Overall: energy deficit + aerobic exercise may steer muscle toward a more oxidative and potentially more youthful phenotype. Proud of the team and excited for what’s next! 🚀

We also found reduced ECM and collagen-related proteins — a pattern previously linked to lower age-related fibrosis in monkeys, now shown in humans for the first time.

Despite clear signs of energy deficit (⬇️ leptin, IGF-1, T3), skeletal muscle didn’t simply “shut down.” Instead, it shifted toward a more oxidative profile — increasing mitochondrial proteins tied to quality control, β-oxidation, the Krebs cycle & ETC. 🔥

There are further reasons why this work is relevant and new.

Fifth, sports science scientific literature is composed of about 6% female-specific research. There is little knowledge about sports nutrition of female athlete. This work expands this knowledge and supports further research to be conducted in female population.

Fourth, it shows that even though the athlete was following current dietary recommendations for athletes, she still faced a rather dramatic energy deficit.

Third, it's the first characterisation of the demands of a female grand tour and the characteristics of the nutrition of an athlete in this type of competition.

Second, it provides new insights into the capacity to perform at high level despite facing significant energy deficit. This is a highly debated topic for which there is little information.

Thank you for the comment. Not all research needs to be revolutionary to show something new. There are a few new things in this piece of work. I detail some here: For one, it is the highest level of energy expenditure reported in a woman, ever, with this state-of-the-art methodology.

Here is a link to a free full version of the article journals.humankinetics.com/view/journal...