Energy Availability for Female Surfers: Fueling Performance, Health, and Barrel Riding.

The waves were pumping! Finally! I was so stoked after my early morning surf check, that I ran home, got changed, waxed up my board and sprinted down to the beach. Yee hah! The session turned on! It was like Snapper Rocks but at my local, and only 5 surfers out. These days are infrequent at best. I just wanted to get barrelled! Which meant, lots and lots of paddling back out to the line up. 

Thirty minutes into the surf, my arms felt super tired. “Never mind”, I thought, “It's just a bit of muscle soreness, you’re all good”. Another 10 minutes and suddenly I can’t get back to the take off zone. I have to start catching the waves further down the line. Then I can’t seem to get to my feet in time. I’m missing waves and I’m falling on the take off. “What the actual?” I ask myself. I couldn’t understand why I felt so gassed, watching these epic waves just pass me by. Mentally, I ran through my check list - “have I been paddling lately?” - yes, I have been paddling enough to maintain my paddle fitness. “Am I premenstrual?” - nope! I’m in the prime time of my cycle for exercise. “Did I eat?”....Ahhhh, whoops, I forgot to eat breakfast. 

I am not an athlete that can fast. I need to refuel often throughout the day and especially upon waking. But this particular morning, in my excitement, I didn’t even snack on a muesli bar before I paddled out. I didn’t have enough energy in the tank for a 40 min surf session, which meant I had to sit on the beach, watching perfect waves peel by.  Thankfully, this was just an acute impact of energy availability on my performance. It meant missing waves and not being able to practice my barrel riding, but overall, it didn’t result in long-term consequences. However, if I kept trying to surf and train in an energy deficit, the results would be far more devastating.

What is Energy Availability and why does it matter for female surfers? 

Energy availability refers to the energy from your diet minus exercise energy expenditure. When energy availability is too low, a person ends up in an energy deficit or Low Energy Availability (LEA). This not only impacts performance (as per my barrel missing example) but can disrupt important processes in the body, such as cellular maintenance, thermoregulation, growth, repair, bone development and hormonal balance. The body will try to “restore energy balance and promote survival” when a deficit is present. However, “health may be compromised” in order to do so (Jeukendrup & Gleeson 2019).

Unfortunately many of us may be surfing or training in an energy deficit without even realizing it, and the prevalence of LEA is higher amongst female athletes, compared to male athletes. Research has raised concerns about the prevalence of energy deficiency, and LEA amongst female surfers, citing it as a “significant concern for female surfers, impacting their health and performance” (Felder et al., 1998).

There are a number of factors that may contribute to LEA and energy deficiency in female surfers, including:

1. Low carbohydrate intake - in one study 90% of participants didn’t meet their daily recommended intake levels, which is crucial for performance and recovery.
2. The conditions and factors such as board type can play a role in energy deficiency, as the high-intensity nature of surfing impacts energy expenditure. 
3. Lack of awareness or knowledge around both the energy requirements for surfing and how to optimally fuel the body to support daily energy demands.
4. Aesthetic pressures. Despite a broader body type being represented in modern surfing, meeting demands of sponsors by fitting an image type, may result in food restriction and LEA amongst female surfers.
5. Menstrual cycle energy demands - yes, producing hormones costs energy. 

Monitoring for energy deficiency 

Are you aware of the average energy intake you need in your day? Do you know how much energy you need for your particular type of surfing? This isn’t common knowledge, and so without knowing it, many female surfers may be surfing with LEA and experiencing symptoms such as:

• Fatigue and low energy
• Reduced performance in training and competition
• Reduced cognitive function and decision making ability
• Persistent muscle fatigue or soreness following a surf or training session
• Niggling injuries and sites of pain that flare up or don’t seem to go away
• Changes in mood including increased anxiety and depression
• Reduced motivation towards training and competition
• Menstrual cycle irregularities (including changes in bleed phase length, not just the absence of a cycle or change in cycle frequency)
• Impaired immune function and persisting or increased frequency of illness

Awareness and education about nutrition and energy balance, therefore, becomes an important step in helping female surfers surf their best waves and in protecting their health. When I commence nutritional screening with female surfers, we begin with obtaining a broad understanding of their life demands, not just their training. We use a simple planner, to get an idea of frequency, intensity and duration of physical activity (training and surfing) along with days of increased stress or physical exertion related to work or other lifestyle activities. This gives us an overview of potential energy expenditure and is often a light bulb moment for female surf athletes as they begin to realize just how many demands they have on their daily energy. 

Once we get a broad understanding of a surfer’s energy demands, we begin to dial in, calculating individual energy needs. We then look to develop sound foundations around:

• Basic meal planning 
• Understanding targets around carbohydrates, proteins, fats and fiber
• Developing hydration strategies 
• Having strategies that allow a surfer to adapt to conditions and competition days

 It doesn’t need to be complicated and simple solutions can go a long way, because we are ultimately shifting awareness, increasing knowledge and implementing self-care. 

Importantly, if there are risk factors flagged during the screening process, for example disordered eating, or hormonal conditions such as PCOS and endometriosis, then I will refer an athlete to a dietician and their doctor.  If you experience these issues yourself, then it is important to seek professional help. 

There is also a role for coaches and support staff here. Persistent fatigue, decision making issues, mood changes and reduced performance with an athlete  can be early indicators of LEA. So as a coach, take these symptoms seriously, be on the lookout, and flag it early. 

Take action TODAY to ensure you are eating enough to fuel your performance 

Skipping a meal, even accidentally, and having it impact on a single performance (e.g. barrel riding session) is one thing. But, existing in a state of LEA can have devastating impacts on your overall health and well-being as a surfer. Not all female surfers will experience LEA, so it is important to keep an eye on yourself, watch for symptoms, and use our FREE sports nutrition planner to get started on understanding your energy availability.

My mission is to help you surf your best waves possible in this lifetime. Performance at its most fundamental level, comes down to energy. When I look at the context of the modern female surfer, whether she is a recreational or elite level surfer, energy availability is critical. It is an essential building block to increased performance, but it is also protective. Make sure you seek help or support if you have concerns about your energy intake and remember, I am just a click away from providing you with your own personalized nutrition screening and sports nutrition program. 

Click here to get your Free Energy Planner today!