The number one nutritional concern for female
athletes today is not whether they are drinking
or eating too much but whether they are getting
as much nutrition as they need, according to a
University of Idaho researcher.
Based on her review of studies on the topic,
Dr. Kathe A. Gabel advises the parents of female
athletes to be aware that it is critical for girls
to develop healthful eating habits at home and
within the sports arena.
A previously published review revealed that female
long-distance runners had the highest risk of
iron, calcium and other mineral deficiencies,
Gabel reports in this month's issue of Current
Sports Medicine Reports.
The findings of a Canadian survey showed that
many female athletes take vitamin or mineral supplements
to meet their body's dietary needs. In fact, researchers
who studied a group of female dancers found that
they consumed only about 30 percent or less of
the daily-recommended calories. These dancers
commonly displayed symptoms of the female athlete
triad: disordered eating; cessation of menstruation,
known as amenorrhea; and osteoporosis.
This triad, first recognized in 1992 by the American
College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), still remains
a concern, Gabel reports. A survey of 170 female
athletes in Southern California published earlier
this year revealed that 18 percent or more met
the criteria for disordered eating, irregular
menstrual cycles and low bone mass.
Menstrual irregularities in particular are known
to affect between 6 percent to 79 percent of female
athletes, depending on the sport and its intensity.
Causes of amenorrhea include severe emotional
stress, deficits in energy, and athletic training
that emphasizes leanness, Gabel notes.
When athletes skip meals, fast or consume fewer
calories than their bodies require, they many
deplete energy stores, potentially leading to
irregularities in their menstrual cycle, she explains,
which has been linked to subsequent low bone density.
Disordered eating has also been directly linked
to low bone density.
Susceptible female athletes should be treated
with a multidisciplinary approach involving physicians,
dietitians and psychologists, and possibly athletic
trainers and exercise physiologists as well, in
addition to coaches and parents, according to
Gabel's report.
Gable stressed the need for parents to be able
to recognize signs of disordered eating, including
changes in their child's eating habits or frequently
skipped meals. Parents should also know which
health professionals are available and "where
to go for help," she stated.
SOURCE: Current Sports Medicine Reports, August
2006.
