Body Composition, Energy Availability, Risk of Eating Disorder, and Sport Nutrition Knowledge in Young Athletes
Young athletes may be at risk for low energy availability (LEA) or dietary habits that are indicative of eating disorders. Thus, the purpose of the current study was to investigate the prevalence of LEA among high school athletes and examine those at risk for eating disorders. A secondary aim was to...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-03-01
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| Series: | Nutrients |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/6/1502 |
| _version_ | 1797609641654353920 |
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| author | Meghan K. Magee Margaret T. Jones Jennifer B. Fields Julie Kresta Chinguun Khurelbaatar Christopher Dodge Brandon Merfeld Abby Ambrosius Makenna Carpenter Andrew R. Jagim |
| author_facet | Meghan K. Magee Margaret T. Jones Jennifer B. Fields Julie Kresta Chinguun Khurelbaatar Christopher Dodge Brandon Merfeld Abby Ambrosius Makenna Carpenter Andrew R. Jagim |
| author_sort | Meghan K. Magee |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Young athletes may be at risk for low energy availability (LEA) or dietary habits that are indicative of eating disorders. Thus, the purpose of the current study was to investigate the prevalence of LEA among high school athletes and examine those at risk for eating disorders. A secondary aim was to examine relationships between sport nutrition knowledge, body composition, and LEA. Methods: 94 male (<i>n</i> = 42) and female (<i>n</i> = 52) mean ± SD age: 18.09 ± 2.44 y; height: 172.6 ± 9.8 cm; body mass: 68.7 ± 14.5 kg; BMI: 22.91 ± 3.3 kg·m<sup>−2</sup>) athletes completed a body composition assessment and electronic versions of the abridged sports nutrition knowledge questionnaire (ASNK-Q), brief eating disorder in athletes questionnaire (BEDA-Q), and the low energy availability for females questionnaire (LEAF-Q; females only). Results: 52.1% of female athletes were classified as being at risk for LEA. Moderate inverse relationships existed for computed LEAF-Q scores and BMI (r = −0.394; <i>p</i> < 0.01). A total of 42.9% of males (<i>n</i> = 18) and 68.6% of females (<i>n</i> = 35) were at risk for eating disorders, with females being at greater risk (<i>p</i> < 0.01). Body fat percentage was a predictor (β = −0.095; <i>p</i> = −0.01) for eating disorder risk status. For every 1 unit increase in body fat percentage, athletes were 0.909 (95% CI: 0.845–0.977) times less likely to be classified as at risk for an eating disorder. Male (46.5 ± 13.9) and female (46.9 ± 11.4) athletes scored poorly on the ASNK-Q, with no differences between sex (<i>p</i> = 0.895). Conclusions: Female athletes were at a greater risk for eating disorders. No relationships existed between sport nutrition knowledge and %BF. Female athletes with a higher %BF had a lower risk for an eating disorder and risk for LEA. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T06:04:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-73d6bdb5c67a45418857bf1bd36a0d75 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6643 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T06:04:13Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nutrients |
| spelling | doaj.art-73d6bdb5c67a45418857bf1bd36a0d752023-11-17T13:06:40ZengMDPI AGNutrients2072-66432023-03-01156150210.3390/nu15061502Body Composition, Energy Availability, Risk of Eating Disorder, and Sport Nutrition Knowledge in Young AthletesMeghan K. Magee0Margaret T. Jones1Jennifer B. Fields2Julie Kresta3Chinguun Khurelbaatar4Christopher Dodge5Brandon Merfeld6Abby Ambrosius7Makenna Carpenter8Andrew R. Jagim9Frank Pettrone Center for Sports Performance, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USAFrank Pettrone Center for Sports Performance, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USAExercise Science and Athletic Training, Springfield College, Springfield, MA 01109, USAExercise Physiology and Human Performance, Texas A&M University-Central Texas, Killeen, TX 76549, USAExercise & Sport Science, University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, La Crosse, WI 54601, USAExercise & Sport Science, University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, La Crosse, WI 54601, USAExercise & Sport Science, University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, La Crosse, WI 54601, USAExercise & Sport Science, University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, La Crosse, WI 54601, USAExercise & Sport Science, University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, La Crosse, WI 54601, USAFrank Pettrone Center for Sports Performance, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USAYoung athletes may be at risk for low energy availability (LEA) or dietary habits that are indicative of eating disorders. Thus, the purpose of the current study was to investigate the prevalence of LEA among high school athletes and examine those at risk for eating disorders. A secondary aim was to examine relationships between sport nutrition knowledge, body composition, and LEA. Methods: 94 male (<i>n</i> = 42) and female (<i>n</i> = 52) mean ± SD age: 18.09 ± 2.44 y; height: 172.6 ± 9.8 cm; body mass: 68.7 ± 14.5 kg; BMI: 22.91 ± 3.3 kg·m<sup>−2</sup>) athletes completed a body composition assessment and electronic versions of the abridged sports nutrition knowledge questionnaire (ASNK-Q), brief eating disorder in athletes questionnaire (BEDA-Q), and the low energy availability for females questionnaire (LEAF-Q; females only). Results: 52.1% of female athletes were classified as being at risk for LEA. Moderate inverse relationships existed for computed LEAF-Q scores and BMI (r = −0.394; <i>p</i> < 0.01). A total of 42.9% of males (<i>n</i> = 18) and 68.6% of females (<i>n</i> = 35) were at risk for eating disorders, with females being at greater risk (<i>p</i> < 0.01). Body fat percentage was a predictor (β = −0.095; <i>p</i> = −0.01) for eating disorder risk status. For every 1 unit increase in body fat percentage, athletes were 0.909 (95% CI: 0.845–0.977) times less likely to be classified as at risk for an eating disorder. Male (46.5 ± 13.9) and female (46.9 ± 11.4) athletes scored poorly on the ASNK-Q, with no differences between sex (<i>p</i> = 0.895). Conclusions: Female athletes were at a greater risk for eating disorders. No relationships existed between sport nutrition knowledge and %BF. Female athletes with a higher %BF had a lower risk for an eating disorder and risk for LEA.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/6/1502eating disorderdisordered eatingenergy availabilityathletesnutrition knowledge |
| spellingShingle | Meghan K. Magee Margaret T. Jones Jennifer B. Fields Julie Kresta Chinguun Khurelbaatar Christopher Dodge Brandon Merfeld Abby Ambrosius Makenna Carpenter Andrew R. Jagim Body Composition, Energy Availability, Risk of Eating Disorder, and Sport Nutrition Knowledge in Young Athletes Nutrients eating disorder disordered eating energy availability athletes nutrition knowledge |
| title | Body Composition, Energy Availability, Risk of Eating Disorder, and Sport Nutrition Knowledge in Young Athletes |
| title_full | Body Composition, Energy Availability, Risk of Eating Disorder, and Sport Nutrition Knowledge in Young Athletes |
| title_fullStr | Body Composition, Energy Availability, Risk of Eating Disorder, and Sport Nutrition Knowledge in Young Athletes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Body Composition, Energy Availability, Risk of Eating Disorder, and Sport Nutrition Knowledge in Young Athletes |
| title_short | Body Composition, Energy Availability, Risk of Eating Disorder, and Sport Nutrition Knowledge in Young Athletes |
| title_sort | body composition energy availability risk of eating disorder and sport nutrition knowledge in young athletes |
| topic | eating disorder disordered eating energy availability athletes nutrition knowledge |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/6/1502 |
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