← All guides

Fuelling & performance nutrition for barre

An honest, evidence-based guide to eating for barre, the ballet-inspired class of small, controlled movements, long holds and high repetitions. The headline is reassuringly simple: a class has a modest energy cost, so your everyday meals cover it, protein supports the muscle work, and water handles the sweat. This covers what a class asks of your body, eating around one, hydration in heated studios, protein, an honest look at fat loss, eating enough when you train often, and how a planned barre session adjusts your day's calorie allowance.

Here's the short answer to "how should I fuel for barre?": for a typical class of 45 to 60 minutes, normal balanced meals and water to thirst are enough; spread a good portion of protein across your meals to support the muscle work; and count barre as a modest, steady addition to the energy you use each day, with your food choices doing most of the work for any fat-loss goal. Everything below is the detail behind that sentence.

Pair this with the barre strength and conditioning guide for the training side of barre: the strength, mobility and injury-resilience companion to this fuelling guide.

On this page

  1. What a barre class asks of your body
  2. Everyday meals already cover a class
  3. Eating around a class
  4. Hydration, heated studios included
  5. Protein for recovery and muscle
  6. Barre and fat loss: an honest energy budget
  7. Eating enough when you train often
  8. Where Strathlon fits
  9. Common questions
  10. Takeaways

A framing note before the numbers. Sports nutrition is well studied, and research on barre itself is at an early stage, so this guide leans on the evidence for barre's ingredients (body-weight and light-load resistance work, Pilates-style core work, ballet-derived exercises) and on general sports-nutrition consensus. It's written as can, tends to and around, the language of likelihood, and the handful of figures are population-level guides drawn from published consensus. It's general education, written to sit alongside medical or dietary advice and a personalised plan.

What a barre class asks of your body

A barre class borrows its vocabulary from ballet: pliés, relevés, leg lifts and small pulsing movements, often with a light hold on a waist-high rail for balance. Most of a typical class is muscular endurance work. The same muscles (most often the thighs, glutes and calves) are worked through small ranges for many repetitions, or held still in one position until they shake. Around that core sit segments for the arms with body weight or light hand weights, for the trunk on a mat, and for stretching. It is low impact, and moments of real breathlessness tend to be short.

That shape matters for fuelling, because the energy cost of exercise depends mostly on how much muscle is working at once and how hard your heart and lungs are working to supply it. The standard reference for energy cost is the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities[1], which rates activities in METs: multiples of the energy you use sitting quietly at rest. The Compendium's closest matches to barre are general body-weight resistance exercises (squats, lunges, push-ups, crunches) at 3.0 METs and general Pilates at 2.8 METs, the figures this guide uses for barre[2]. It also lists ballet exercises (pliés, tendus, jetés and the rest of a ballet technique class) at 6.3 METs[2], but that entry describes a full technique class with jumps and big leg movements, a far more vigorous session than a fitness class built around holds and pulses.

So the honest working estimate is that a barre class runs at around three times your resting energy use, about the same as an unhurried walk at 2.5 miles per hour (also 3.0 METs)[2]. By the World Health Organization's definitions, moderate intensity starts at 3 METs and vigorous at 6[3], which places a typical class around the boundary between light and moderate effort. A brisk class with little rest will cost more and a slower one less, and the Compendium's authors stress that its values are a starting point, with each person's precise energy use varying around them[1]. Either way, the cost is modest.

Common misconception → correct it. "My thighs are on fire, so this must be burning a huge number of calories." That burning, shaking feeling in a long hold is local muscle fatigue: a fairly small group of muscles working hard for a long time. Whole-body energy use depends on how much muscle is working in total and how hard your heart and lungs are working, and in barre both stay moderate. The effort is real, and its payoff is muscular endurance and strength, which the training guide covers.

Everyday meals already cover a class

Because the energy cost is modest and the session is short, the fuelling plan for a typical barre class is simply your normal diet. Most classes run 45 to 60 minutes. Research on taking carbohydrate during exercise centres on longer or harder efforts: around an hour of sustained, high-intensity work is where small amounts of carbohydrate (even rinsing a sports drink round the mouth) start to help, and around 30–60 g an hour applies to sport that lasts longer than that[4][5]. The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) position stand on nutrient timing places the point where fuel supply becomes a real challenge at bouts of more than 60 minutes at high intensity[6]. A typical barre class is shorter and gentler than either, so it runs well on your everyday meals, and gels, sports drinks and special snacks are optional.

Carbohydrate still earns its place in your everyday diet. Sports-nutrition consensus matches the type, amount and timing of food to the training you actually do[7] and scales carbohydrate to the demands of the session[4]. For barre on its own, that points to the lighter end: ordinary balanced meals with some starchy foods, fruit and vegetables, in everyday amounts. If barre sits alongside harder training (a run, a heavy gym session, a team sport), that training sets your carbohydrate needs for the day, and its sport guide covers it.

Common misconception → correct it. "I should have a sports drink in class because I'm working so hard." For a class of under an hour in a comfortable room, water covers it. Drinks with carbohydrate and electrolytes can help in certain circumstances, mainly longer or hotter sessions with heavy sweating[8]. In an ordinary class, a sports drink mostly adds sugar beyond what the session uses.

Eating around a class

Before. If you ate a normal meal a few hours ago and feel fine, you're ready. If you're hungry, a small snack that's easy on the stomach (a banana, a yoghurt, a slice of toast) takes the edge off. Barre includes positions some people find uncomfortable on a full stomach (lying on your front, curling the trunk), so many leave a bit of a gap after a large meal.

Early-morning classes. Plenty of people go to barre before breakfast, and for a class of this length that tends to work fine. A meta-analysis comparing exercise done fasted with exercise done after eating found that eating beforehand improved performance in prolonged aerobic exercise, with similar results either way over shorter durations[9]. So fasted or a small snack are both reasonable: pick whichever feels better. If you feel light-headed or shaky training on an empty stomach, have something small first, and eat breakfast afterwards.

Evening classes. The common snag is a long gap since lunch. A mid-afternoon snack (fruit and yoghurt, a sandwich) helps you arrive with energy, and dinner after class does the rest.

After. Recovery from a barre class runs on a generous timetable. The idea of a narrow "anabolic window" straight after exercise has been challenged, and its importance appears to vary with factors such as when you last ate[10]. The ISSN treats meeting your total daily protein, in servings spread evenly across the day, as the primary area of emphasis, and notes that the size and timing of your pre-exercise meal may affect how much post-exercise protein matters[6]. For most people, the next normal meal with a decent portion of protein is all the recovery nutrition a class needs. If that meal is many hours away, a snack with some protein bridges the gap.

Class situation Before During After
Typical 45–60 minute class Your usual meals; a small snack if hungry Water to thirst Your next normal meal, with protein
Early-morning class Fasted or a small snack, whichever feels better Water to thirst Breakfast with protein
Heated studio or a very sweaty class Arrive well hydrated Water, sipped through the class Rehydrate; salty food or an electrolyte drink after heavy sweating
Barre plus harder training the same day Fuel for the harder session Water to thirst Normal meals with carbohydrate and protein for the harder session

Most classes sit in the first row, where the answer is "eat normally, drink water". The bottom two rows are the only times barre asks for a little more planning.

Common misconception → correct it. "I have to drink a protein shake within 30 minutes of class or the work is wasted." How much protein you eat across the day, and how evenly you spread it, carry most of the weight[6][10]. A shake is a convenient option on a busy day, and your next meal does the job just as well.

Hydration, heated studios included

For a standard class in a comfortable room, drink normally through the day and sip water in class when you're thirsty. NHS guidance suggests most people aim for 6 to 8 cups or glasses of fluid a day, with more when you're active for long periods or somewhere hot[11].

Some studios run heated classes, and those change the picture. Sweat rates climb with heat, so the same 45 minutes can cost you noticeably more fluid. The American College of Sports Medicine's position stand on exercise and fluid replacement gives a practical ceiling: drink enough during exercise to avoid losing more than about 2% of your body weight as water, and because sweat rates vary widely between people, tailor your drinking to your own losses[8]. To see yours, weigh yourself before and after a hot class: the drop, allowing for anything you drank, is mostly sweat. The same position stand suggests starting well hydrated and replacing any fluid and electrolyte deficit afterwards[8]. Our hydration and electrolytes guide has more.

If you're pregnant, check with your midwife or doctor before any heated class. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) advises pregnant women to stay well hydrated during exercise and to avoid high heat and humidity to protect against heat stress, particularly in the first trimester[12].

Common misconception → correct it. "The more I sweat, the more fat I'm burning." Sweat is how your body sheds heat, so in a heated room much of the extra sweat reflects the room temperature. The weight you lose over a sweaty class is mostly water, and it comes back as you drink[8].

Protein for recovery and muscle

Protein is where barre's muscle work genuinely changes your nutrition. Working muscles to fatigue, even with light loads, is resistance training, and resistance training raises the body's use of protein for repair and adaptation. The ISSN's position stand on protein and exercise puts daily intake for most exercising people at 1.4–2.0 g per kilogram of body weight, with individual servings of around 0.25 g/kg, or 20–40 g, of high-quality protein spread evenly every 3–4 hours[13]. A meta-analysis of resistance-training studies found that the extra muscle gained from added protein levelled off at total intakes of around 1.6 g/kg a day[14].

In everyday terms, someone weighing 65 kg and aiming for 1.6 g/kg needs roughly 104 g of protein a day: about four servings of 25 g, from foods such as eggs, Greek yoghurt, milk, fish, chicken, tofu, tempeh, beans and lentils. If you eat mostly plant foods, mixing sources across the day helps cover all the essential amino acids, which the ISSN highlights as the part of protein that drives muscle building. Powders are optional: the ISSN notes that active people can meet their needs from whole foods[13]. Our protein guide goes deeper.

Common misconception → correct it. "Eating more protein will make me bulky." Protein works alongside training, and its effect is modest: in a large meta-analysis, extra protein during months of resistance training added around 0.3 kg of lean mass on average[14]. At the levels above, protein mainly tends to help you recover and keep the muscle you have, which matters even more while you're losing fat: the ISSN notes that higher intakes may help preserve lean mass during periods of eating less[13].

Barre and fat loss: an honest energy budget

Many people come to barre partly for how it might change their body, and it can contribute, as long as expectations match the evidence. Physical activity is a genuine part of weight management. The American College of Sports Medicine's position stand on weight loss found that 150–250 minutes a week of moderate activity helps prevent weight gain and, on its own, produces only modest weight loss, with more activity or changes to diet needed for more[15]. The same review found that resistance training adds little to weight loss itself, and may increase lean mass and the loss of fat mass[15]. Barre's muscle work belongs in that second group.

In practice, barre is a modest, steady line in your energy budget: a class adds a little to the energy you use, and what you eat sets the rest, which is why the eating side does most of the work for fat loss. Our fat-loss fundamentals guide shows how the two sides fit together.

About "toning". It's the word most linked with barre, and it describes something real. When people say they want to look toned, they usually mean they'd like to see a little more muscle shape with a little less fat over it. Barre can help with the muscle half: training muscles to fatigue, even with light loads, can build muscle over time, as a meta-analysis comparing light and heavy loads found[16]. The fat half follows your overall energy balance, and fat tends to come off across the whole body.

Spot reduction. The studies here are small, and they point the same way. In one, six weeks of abdominal exercises five days a week improved abdominal muscular endurance while abdominal fat stayed about the same[17]. In another, twelve weeks of very high-repetition, light leg pressing with one leg reduced total fat mass, and the fat came off the upper body and trunk, while the trained leg's fat stayed about the same[18]. So high-repetition thigh work builds endurance in the thighs, and fat loss follows your whole-body energy balance.

Common misconception → correct it. "Barre will give me long, lean muscles." It's lovely imagery, and worth a kind correction. Where a muscle attaches to your skeleton is fixed, so the muscle keeps its visible length; training changes how much muscle you carry, how strong it is and how long it can keep working. What people describe as "long and lean" is usually trained muscle with relatively little fat over it, and bodies differ in where they carry fat. Barre can build muscular endurance, some strength and flexibility, and help you feel at home in your body. Those are worth having whatever your shape.

Eating enough when you train often

Some people end up at a class most days, often while also trying to lose weight. That combination is worth handling with care. The International Olympic Committee's 2023 consensus on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs) describes a syndrome of harmful health and performance effects, in women and men, when energy intake falls short of what exercise demands, and highlights its links with mental health[19].

Ballet has a documented history here. A review of dance physiology reported that female dance students and professional ballerinas often ate well below recommended energy intakes, and that the combination of disordered eating, missed periods and weak bones is seen as commonly in dancers as in other athletes[20]. Barre borrows ballet's movements, and it works best paired with eating enough to recover from them.

Practical guard rails: eat regular meals with protein and carbohydrate on training days, keep any fat-loss deficit moderate, and notice your body's signals. NHS guidance lists doing too much exercise and sudden weight loss among the causes of missed periods, and advises seeing a GP if your periods become irregular or you miss three in a row[21]. Persistent exhaustion, one niggle after another, or food and body image starting to feel stressful are all good reasons to talk to your GP too. Our guide to energy availability and RED-S goes deeper.

Where Strathlon fits

Where Strathlon fits. Barre is its own sport in Strathlon's sports list, under Gymnastics & Fitness: browse to it, or search for it (searching "ballet fitness" finds it too). It has one session type, Barre Class, set to 45 minutes by default, and practice sessions only, so every barre session you plan is a class. Your barre sessions sit on the days you choose, and on the Nutrition tab a day with a barre session uses the Sport Training target type, alongside Training and Rest. Each session adds a modest, conservatively estimated amount of energy to that day's calorie allowance, based on the published energy cost of comparable body-weight conditioning and scaled to your body weight: the same honest picture this guide describes. A one-off class goes in with + Add activity on the Plan tab. Once you have allowed Strathlon to read workouts from Apple Health, a Barre workout you record on Apple Watch, or in any app that saves a barre workout to Apple Health, is matched to that day's planned barre session. Barre also still appears under Gym classes, and logging it either way works.

Common questions

Do I need to eat before a barre class?

Usually your normal meals already cover it, because a typical class is 45 to 60 minutes at a modest intensity. If you're hungry, a banana or a yoghurt is plenty. For an early class, going fasted or having a small snack are both reasonable: research comparing the two found similar performance either way over shorter sessions.

Should I have a sports drink or electrolytes in class?

For a normal class in a comfortable room, water to thirst is enough. Sports drinks are designed for longer or hotter sessions where carbohydrate and electrolytes start to matter, and in an ordinary class they mainly add sugar. After a heated class where you've sweated heavily, salty food or an electrolyte drink helps replace the sodium you lost along with the fluid.

What should I eat after barre?

Your next normal meal, with a decent portion of protein, is usually all you need: sports-nutrition guidance puts the emphasis on your daily protein total, spread across the day. If your next meal is hours away, a snack with some protein (yoghurt, milk, an egg sandwich) bridges the gap.

How much protein do I need if I do barre?

The International Society of Sports Nutrition puts most exercising people at 1.4–2.0 g of protein per kilogram of body weight a day, in servings of around 20–40 g spread every 3–4 hours. A meta-analysis found the extra muscle from added protein levelled off at about 1.6 g/kg a day. For a 65 kg person that's roughly 100 g a day across four servings. Whole foods cover it for most people, and powders are optional.

Can barre help me lose fat from my thighs or stomach?

Barre can strengthen those muscles and build their endurance, and it adds a little to the energy you use. Fat loss follows your whole-body energy balance: small studies of targeted training found that exercising one area improved its endurance, while any fat lost came off elsewhere in the body. Pair barre with sensible eating; our fat-loss fundamentals guide covers the food side.

How many calories does a barre class burn?

Fewer than the effort suggests. The closest entries in the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities (general body-weight resistance exercises and general Pilates) sit at around three times resting energy use, about the same as an unhurried walk. They are the nearest measured guide we found for a barre class. The real figure depends on your body weight and the pace of the class. Strathlon adds a modest, conservatively estimated amount to your day's allowance for each planned barre session, scaled to your body weight.

Takeaways

  • A barre class has a modest energy cost. Its nearest Compendium entries sit around 3 METs, about the same as an unhurried walk, however hard a long hold feels.
  • Everyday meals cover a class. A 45–60 minute class at this intensity runs well on your normal meals; gels, sports drinks and special snacks are optional.
  • Eat around a class for comfort. A small snack if you're hungry, fasted mornings if that suits you, and your next normal meal for recovery.
  • Drink to thirst, and plan for heat. In heated studios, aim to keep sweat losses under about 2% of body weight and replace sodium after heavy sweating.
  • Protein is the nutrient barre changes most. Around 1.4–2.0 g/kg a day in servings of 20–40 g supports the muscle work. Gains from extra protein levelled off near 1.6 g/kg.
  • Food does most of the fat-loss work. Barre builds muscular endurance and adds a little to your energy use. Fat comes off across the body as your overall balance allows.
  • Eat enough when you train often. Under-fuelling a busy week can harm health and performance. Missed periods or constant exhaustion are reasons to see a GP.
  • Plan the class and let the numbers follow. Strathlon files a barre day under Sport Training and adds a modest, body-weight-scaled amount to that day's allowance.
  • References

If you remember one thing, make it this: barre builds muscular endurance, flexibility and a steady habit of moving, and it asks very little of your kitchen. Eat balanced meals, keep protein steady, drink water and take care in the heat. Strathlon's part is small and honest: put barre on the days you choose and count each class for what it costs.

References

Numbered sources for the specific figures, effect sizes and named studies above. Where a claim reflects agreed guidance from a professional body, the citation is to its position stand or consensus statement, with the country or international remit named. Research on barre itself is at an early stage, so the sources below cover the energy cost of comparable activities, sports-nutrition consensus and the evidence on resistance training, protein and fat loss.

  1. Herrmann SD, Willis EA, Ainsworth BE, Barreira TV, Hastert M, Kracht CL, et al. 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: A third update of the energy costs of human activities. Journal of Sport and Health Science. 2024;13(1):6–12. The 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, the standard reference for activity energy cost in METs, and the source for its caution that listed values are a starting point. PubMed 38242596 · PMC10818145 full text
  2. Herrmann SD, Willis EA, Ainsworth BE, et al. 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, online activity tables: codes 02056 “Body weight resistance exercises (e.g., squat, lunge, push-up, crunch), general” (3.0 METs) and 02105 “Pilates, general” (2.8 METs) under Conditioning Exercise; 03011 “Ballet exercises (plie, tendus, jetes…)” (6.3 METs) under Dancing; 17170 “Walking, 2.5 mph, firm, level surface” (3.0 METs) and 17200 “Walking, 3.5 to 3.9 mph, level, brisk, firm surface, walking for exercise” (4.8 METs) under Walking. The Compendium's activity tables, the source for the MET values closest to a barre class and for the walking comparison. Conditioning exercise codes · Dancing codes · Walking codes
  3. Bull FC, Al-Ansari SS, Biddle S, Borodulin K, Buman MP, Cardon G, et al. World Health Organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2020;54(24):1451–1462. World Health Organization (WHO, international) 2020 guidelines, the source for the MET boundaries of moderate and vigorous intensity. PubMed 33239350 · PMC7719906 full text
  4. Burke LM, Hawley JA, Wong SH, Jeukendrup AE. Carbohydrates for training and competition. Journal of Sports Sciences. 2011;29 Suppl 1:S17–27. Burke and colleagues on carbohydrate for training, the source for scaling carbohydrate to the session and for carbohydrate during sustained hard efforts of about an hour or longer. PubMed 21660838
  5. Jeukendrup A. A step towards personalized sports nutrition: carbohydrate intake during exercise. Sports Medicine. 2014;44 Suppl 1:S25–33. Jeukendrup on carbohydrate during exercise, the second source for the same. PubMed 24791914 · PMC4008807 full text
  6. Kerksick CM, Arent S, Schoenfeld BJ, Stout JR, Campbell B, Wilborn CD, et al. International society of sports nutrition position stand: nutrient timing. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2017;14:33. International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN, United States) position stand on nutrient timing, the source for the 60-minute high-intensity threshold and the emphasis on daily protein totals. PubMed 28919842 · PMC5596471 full text
  7. Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke LM. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and Athletic Performance. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 2016;116(3):501–528. Joint position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada and the American College of Sports Medicine, the umbrella source for matching food to training. PubMed 26920240
  8. American College of Sports Medicine; Sawka MN, Burke LM, Eichner ER, Maughan RJ, Montain SJ, Stachenfeld NS. American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Exercise and fluid replacement. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 2007;39(2):377–90. American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM, United States) position stand on fluid replacement, the source for the under-2% guideline, pre- and post-exercise weighing and electrolyte drinks. PubMed 17277604
  9. Aird TP, Davies RW, Carson BP. Effects of fasted vs fed-state exercise on performance and post-exercise metabolism: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports. 2018;28(5):1476–1493. Meta-analysis of fasted versus fed exercise, the source for pre-exercise eating helping prolonged aerobic exercise, with similar performance either way over shorter durations. PubMed 29315892
  10. Aragon AA, Schoenfeld BJ. Nutrient timing revisited: is there a post-exercise anabolic window? Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2013;10(1):5. Aragon and Schoenfeld on the post-exercise anabolic window, the source for the window being wider and more variable than once thought. PubMed 23360586 · PMC3577439 full text
  11. National Health Service (NHS, United Kingdom). Water, drinks and hydration. NHS guidance on water, drinks and hydration, the everyday fluid baseline. NHS Live Well
  12. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG, United States). Physical Activity and Exercise During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period: ACOG Committee Opinion, Number 804. Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2020;135(4):e178–e188. The source for the hydration and heat advice in pregnancy. PubMed 32217980 · ACOG Committee Opinion 804
  13. Jäger R, Kerksick CM, Campbell BI, Cribb PJ, Wells SD, Skwiat TM, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2017;14:20. ISSN position stand on protein and exercise, the source for the daily range, serving size and spacing, and whole-food sufficiency. PubMed 28642676 · PMC5477153 full text
  14. Morton RW, Murphy KT, McKellar SR, Schoenfeld BJ, Henselmans M, Helms E, et al. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2018;52(6):376–384. Meta-analysis of protein supplementation during resistance training, the source for the ~1.6 g/kg/day plateau and the modest average effect. PubMed 28698222 · PMC5867436 full text
  15. Donnelly JE, Blair SN, Jakicic JM, Manore MM, Rankin JW, Smith BK; American College of Sports Medicine. American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand. Appropriate physical activity intervention strategies for weight loss and prevention of weight regain for adults. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 2009;41(2):459–71. ACSM position stand on physical activity for weight loss, the source for the modest weight loss from activity alone and the role of resistance training. PubMed 19127177
  16. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and Hypertrophy Adaptations Between Low- vs. High-Load Resistance Training: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2017;31(12):3508–3523. Meta-analysis of low- versus high-load training to failure, the source for light loads building muscle when worked to fatigue. PubMed 28834797
  17. Vispute SS, Smith JD, LeCheminant JD, Hurley KS. The effect of abdominal exercise on abdominal fat. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2011;25(9):2559–64. Randomised trial of abdominal exercise, the source for improved endurance while abdominal fat stayed about the same. PubMed 21804427
  18. Ramírez-Campillo R, Andrade DC, Campos-Jara C, Henríquez-Olguín C, Alvarez-Lepín C, Izquierdo M. Regional fat changes induced by localized muscle endurance resistance training. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2013;27(8):2219–24. Trial of high-repetition, low-load training with one leg, the source for fat loss occurring away from the trained leg. PubMed 23222084
  19. Mountjoy M, Ackerman KE, Bailey DM, Burke LM, Constantini N, Hackney AC, et al. 2023 International Olympic Committee's (IOC) consensus statement on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs). British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2023;57(17):1073–1097. The 2023 International Olympic Committee (IOC, international) consensus on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport, the source for the consequences of under-eating for the training done. PubMed 37752011
  20. Koutedakis Y, Jamurtas A. The dancer as a performing athlete: physiological considerations. Sports Medicine. 2004;34(10):651–61. Review of dance physiology, the source for low energy intakes and related health problems documented in ballet. PubMed 15335242
  21. National Health Service (NHS, United Kingdom). Missed or late periods. NHS guidance on missed or late periods, the source for exercise and weight loss as causes and when to see a GP. NHS health A to Z

This is general educational information, written to sit alongside medical, dietary or coaching advice. The figures here are drawn from published consensus and framed as population-level guides: individual needs vary with body size, class style, room temperature, health status and the rest of your training, and are best personalised with a qualified professional. Anyone with a health condition or a history of disordered eating, or who is pregnant or postpartum, should consult a physician or registered dietitian before making changes. See our Terms for more.

← All guides · Barre strength and conditioning · How much protein you need · Eating for results · Fat-loss fundamentals · Understanding your stats · Home