Association Between Dietary Intake, Energy Availability, and Recovery in Young Sub-Elite Moroccan Football Players

Background: energy availability is recognized as an important factor for health and performance in athletes, yet data in male football players and its relation to post-exercise recovery remain limited. Objective: This study aimed to examine the associations between daily energy intake (EI), energy availability (EA) and recovery outcomes in football players. Methods: Nineteen outfield U21 players (n=19) from a national championship in Morocco were monitored over four in-season weeks. On one training day, one rest day and one official match day per week, players completed 24 h dietary recalls, from which EI and macronutrient intake were quantified using Nutrilog software. Exercise energy expenditure (EEE) was estimated from the Compendium of Physical Activities, and EA was calculated as (EI - EEE)/fat-free mass. Internal load was assessed using session rating of perceived exertion (RPE), subjective recovery with the Perceived Recovery Status (PRS) scale 24 h post-session, and neuro-muscular recovery via countermovement jump (CMJ) height. Results: Mean daily EI did not differ significantly between match, training and rest days (p = 0.066), whereas EA was significantly lower on training days compared with match and rest days (both p ≤ 0.003). Higher EA was strongly associated with lower RPE (ρ = −0.597, p < 0.001) and modestly with higher PRS (ρ = 0.273, p = 0.001), while its association with CMJ was small and non-significant (ρ = 0.124, p = 0.132). Higher EI showed a moderate inverse correlation with RPE (ρ = −0.404, p < 0.001) and a small positive correlation with PRS (ρ = 0.173, p = 0.035), but no significant association with CMJ. Across EA categories, RPE, PRS and CMJ all differed significantly (p ≤ 0.014). Conclusions: Inadequate fueling relative to training demands leads to reduced EA, particularly on training days, and is associated with a lower recovery profile. Monitoring EA alongside simple field-based markers such as RPE and PRS may help practitioners identify periods of suboptimal fueling and adjust nutritional strategies accordingly.