The Impact of Sports Nutrition Knowledge on the Physical Effects of Low Energy Availability in Female Cross Country Runners

2020 ◽  
Vol 120 (9) ◽  
pp. A87
Author(s):  
A. Olcott ◽  
C. Anstrom
Keyword(s):  
Nutrition Knowledge ◽  
Sports Nutrition ◽  
Low Energy ◽  
Energy Availability ◽  
Physical Effects ◽  
Cross Country ◽  
Cross Country Runners ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Low Energy Availability

Perspectives of Female Collegiate Cross Country Runners on Eating Behaviors and Attitudes Toward Health: A Qualitative Study

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurie Stickler ◽  
Trisha Armstrong ◽  
Alyssa Polso ◽  
Melissa Smith
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Eating Behaviors ◽  
Collegiate Athletes ◽  
Low Energy ◽  
Energy Availability ◽  
Nutritional Knowledge ◽  
Cross Country ◽  
Cross Country Runners ◽  
Low Energy Availability

Context:Low energy availability has been identified through research as the cornerstone of the female athlete triad, yet reasons for nutritional choices among female collegiate athletes are poorly understood.Objective:To explore the perspectives of female collegiate cross country runners on eating behaviors and attitudes toward health.Design:Phenomenologic qualitative study with individual, semistructured interviews.Methods:Ten collegiate female cross country runners, ages 18–22, participated in the study. All interviews were audiotaped then transcribed. Three researchers independently coded data and developed themes and subthemes before meeting and negotiating findings.Results:The following four themes were identified: health behaviors, nutritional knowledge, internal and external factors, and health attitudes.Conclusions:This study contributes to understanding “the why” behind health behaviors of female collegiate cross country runners. This developmental understanding may assist in interpreting the behavioral causes of low energy availability; thus, both management and prevention of the triad may be aided by this information.

scholarly journals Nutritional Intake, Sports Nutrition Knowledge and Energy Availability in Female Australian Rules Football Players

Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 971 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominique Condo ◽  
Rachel Lohman ◽  
Monica Kelly ◽  
Amelia Carr
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Nutrition Knowledge ◽  
Sports Nutrition ◽  
Low Energy ◽  
Nutritional Intake ◽  
Football Players ◽  
Energy Availability ◽  
Australian Rules Football ◽  
Low Energy Availability

This study aimed to assess nutritional intake, sports nutrition knowledge and risk of Low Energy Availability (LEA) in female Australian rules football players. Victorian Football League Women’s competition (VFLW) players (n = 30) aged 18–35 (weight: 64.5 kg ± 8.0; height: 168.2 cm ± 7.6) were recruited from Victoria, Australia. Nutritional intake was quantified on training days using the Automated 24 h Dietary Assessment Tool (ASA24-Australia), and sports nutrition knowledge was measured by the 88-item Sports Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire (SNKQ). The risk of LEA was assessed using the Low Energy Availability in Females Questionnaire (LEAF-Q). Daily mean carbohydrate intake in the current investigation was 3 g⋅kg−1⋅d−1, therefore, below the minimum carbohydrate recommendation for moderate exercise of approximately one hour per day (5–7 g⋅kg−1⋅d−1) and for moderate to intense exercise for 1–3 h per day (6–10 g⋅kg−1⋅d−1) for 96.3% and 100% of players, respectively. Daily mean protein intake was 1.5 g⋅kg−1⋅d−1, therefore, consistent with recommendations (1.2–2.0 g⋅kg−1⋅d−1) for 77.8% of players. Daily mean calcium intake was 924.8 mg⋅d−1, therefore, below recommendations (1000 mg⋅d−1) for 65.5% of players, while mean iron intake was 12.2 mg⋅d−1, also below recommendations (18 mg⋅d−1) for 100% of players. Players answered 54.5% of SNKQ questions correctly, with the lowest scores observed in the section on supplements. Risk of LEA was evident in 30% of players, with no differences in carbohydrate (p = 0.238), protein (p = 0.296), fat (p = 0.490) or energy (p = 0.971) intakes between players at risk of LEA and those not at risk. The results suggest that female Australian rules football players have an inadequate intake of carbohydrate and calcium and low sports nutrition knowledge. Further investigation to assess the risk of LEA using direct measures is required.

scholarly journals Risk of Low Energy Availability among Female and Male Elite Runners Competing at the 26th European Cross-Country Championships

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 873
Author(s):  
Filipe Jesus ◽  
Inês Castela ◽  
Analiza M Silva ◽  
Pedro A. Branco ◽  
Mónica Sousa
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Female Athletes ◽  
Low Energy ◽  
Multidisciplinary Teams ◽  
Energy Availability ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Bowel Movements ◽  
Cross Country ◽  
Low Energy Availability ◽  
Normal Menstruation

Low energy availability (LEA) causes impaired physiological functioning. Cross-country running is a weight-sensitive sport, making athletes more prone to LEA. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of elite European cross-country athletes at risk of LEA using the LEA in Females Questionnaire (LEAF-Q) and to analyze demographic and physical characteristics that are associated with LEA. Athletes ≥ 18 years competing at the 26th European Cross-Country Championships (n = 602) were invited to complete a questionnaire (sociodemographic, training, anthropometric characteristics, and LEAF-Q). A total of 207 valid surveys were collected (83 females, 22.1 (4.0) years, and 124 males, 22.3 (4.1) years), and 16 surveys were excluded. A high prevalence of athletes at risk of LEA (64.3%) was observed, being higher in females than in males (79.5 and 54.0% respectively, p < 0.001). More than half of athletes (54.1%, n = 112) reported bowel movements once a week or more rarely, while 33 female athletes (41.3%) did not report normal menstruation. Overall, cross-country athletes are at high risk of LEA. Moreover, a high prevalence of gastrointestinal and menstrual impairments was reported. Hence, athletes should be followed by multidisciplinary teams to inform, prevent, and treat LEA and its effects.

scholarly journals Low energy availability, not exercise stress, suppresses the diurnal rhythm of leptin in healthy young women

2000 ◽  
Vol 278 (1) ◽  
pp. E43-E49 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. K. Hilton ◽  
A. B. Loucks
Keyword(s):  
Young Women ◽  
Diurnal Rhythm ◽  
Energy Cost ◽  
Random Order ◽  
Low Energy ◽  
Exercise Stress ◽  
Energy Availability ◽  
Carbohydrate Availability ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Low Energy Availability

Because the effect of exercise on leptin was not established, we controlled energy intake (I) and exercise energy expenditure (E) to distinguish the independent effects of energy availability (A = I − E) and exercise stress (everything associated with exercise except its energy cost) on the diurnal leptin rhythm in healthy young women. In random order, we set A = 45 and 10 kcal ⋅ kg lean body mass−1(LBM) ⋅ day−1 for 4 days during the early follicular phase of separate menstrual cycles in sedentary (S, n = 7) and exercising (X, n = 9: E = 30 kcal ⋅ kg LBM−1 ⋅ day−1) women. Low energy availability suppressed the 24-h mean ( P < 10−6) and amplitude ( P < 10−5), whereas exercise stress did not (both P> 0.2). Suppressions of the 24-h mean (−72 ± 3 vs. −53 ± 3%, P < 0.001) and amplitude (−85 ± 3 vs. −58 ± 6%, P < 0.001) were more extreme in S vs. X than previously reported effects on luteinizing hormone pulsatility and carbohydrate availability. Thus the diurnal rhythm of leptin depends on energy, or carbohydrate, availability, not intake, and exercise has no suppressive effect on the diurnal rhythm of leptin beyond the impact of its energy cost on energy availability.

scholarly journals Body Composition, Dietary Intake and the Risk of Low Energy Availability in Elite-Level Competitive Rhythmic Gymnasts

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 2083
Author(s):  
María Villa ◽  
José G. Villa-Vicente ◽  
Jesus Seco-Calvo ◽  
Juan Mielgo-Ayuso ◽  
Pilar S. Collado
Keyword(s):  
Body Composition ◽  
Dietary Intake ◽  
Body Fat ◽  
Low Energy ◽  
Energy Availability ◽  
Future Health ◽  
Elite Level ◽  
Low Energy Availability ◽  
Rhythmic Gymnasts ◽  
Recommended Level

The aim of this study was to analyze dietary intake and body composition in a group of elite-level competitive rhythmic gymnasts from Spain. We undertook body composition and nutritional analysis of 30 elite gymnasts, divided into two groups by age: pre-teen (9–12 years) (n = 17) and teen (13–18 years) (n = 13). Measures of height, weight, and bioimpedance were used to calculate body mass index and percent body fat. Energy and nutrient intakes were assessed based on 7-day food records. The two groups had similar percentages of total body fat (pre-teen: 13.99 ± 3.83% vs. teen: 14.33 ± 5.57%; p > 0.05). The energy availability values for pre-teens were above the recommended values (>40 kcal/FFM/day) 69.38 ± 14.47 kcal/FFM/day, while those for the teens were much lower (34.7 ± 7.5 kcal/FFM/day). The distribution of the daily energy intake across the macronutrients indicates that both groups ingested less than the recommended level of carbohydrates and more than the recommended level of fat. Very low intakes of calcium and vitamin D among other micronutrients were also noted. The main finding is that teenage gymnasts do not consume as much energy as they need each day, which explains their weight and development. Moreover, they are at a high risk of developing low energy availability that could negatively impact their performance and future health.

Low energy availability surrogates correlate with health and performance consequences of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport

2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (10) ◽  
pp. 628-633 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn E Ackerman ◽  
Bryan Holtzman ◽  
Katherine M Cooper ◽  
Erin F Flynn ◽  
Georgie Bruinvels ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Female Athletes ◽  
Relative Energy ◽  
Low Energy ◽  
Clinical Population ◽  
Energy Availability ◽  
Energy Deficiency ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Performance Consequences ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Low Energy Availability

Low energy availability (EA) is suspected to be the underlying cause of both the Female Athlete Triad and the more recently defined syndrome, Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S). The International Olympic Committee (IOC) defined RED-S as a syndrome of health and performance impairments resulting from an energy deficit. While the importance of adequate EA is generally accepted, few studies have attempted to understand whether low EA is associated with the health and performance consequences posited by the IOC.ObjectiveThe purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine the association of low EA with RED-S health and performance consequences in a large clinical population of female athletes.MethodsOne thousand female athletes (15–30 years) completed an online questionnaire and were classified as having low or adequate EA. The associations between low EA and the health and performance factors listed in the RED-S models were evaluated using chi-squared test and the odds ratios were evaluated using binomial logistic regression (p<0.05).ResultsAthletes with low EA were more likely to be classified as having increased risk of menstrual dysfunction, poor bone health, metabolic issues, haematological detriments, psychological disorders, cardiovascular impairment and gastrointestinal dysfunction than those with adequate EA. Performance variables associated with low EA included decreased training response, impaired judgement, decreased coordination, decreased concentration, irritability, depression and decreased endurance performance.ConclusionThese findings demonstrate that low EA measured using self-report questionnaires is strongly associated with many health and performance consequences proposed by the RED-S models.

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