In bodyweight skills, extra fat is weight you carry on a long lever, so leaner athletes have an edge. But eating too little for the training you do (low energy) quietly costs bones, hormones, mood, sleep, injuries and the performance you're cutting for. Under 18: don't cut; get stronger and let your body follow. Adults: cut slowly, keep protein high, and stop if energy, sleep, mood or injuries slide.
P Evidence: promising. Good studies, but small or few. Use it and keep checking.
S Evidence: strong. Large trials or many studies, pointing the same way.
Sources
In 104 schoolchildren, body-fat percentage (with age) best predicted pull-up and hang scores (Folsom-Meek et al. 1992, 🟡) · low energy availability harms health and performance in male and female athletes (IOC consensus on REDs, Mountjoy et al. 2023, 🟢) · "elite calisthenics athletes are sub-10% body fat": Nicky Lyan (🟠, an observation, not a target).
Not medical, legal or financial advice.