al., 2022 ). A number of limited qualitative investigations combine both male and female athletes within their studies of wrestling, judo, and taekwon-do ( Pettersson et al., 2012 , 2013 ; Sitch & Day, 2015 ); however, there is a lack of research on elite-level female athletes. The aim of this mixed
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“Horrible—But Worth It”: Exploring Weight Cutting Practices, Eating Behaviors, and Experiences of Competitive Female Taekwon-Do Athletes. A Mixed Methods Study
Karen A. Smith, Robert J. Naughton, Carl Langan-Evans, and Kiara Lewis
Media Representations of Bipolar Disorder Through the Case of Suzy Favor Hamilton
Rachel Vaccaro and Ted M. Butryn
particular theoretical framework, the analysis leans on the work several scholars who have used feminist (and more recently postfeminist) ‘sensibilities’ ( Cooky, 2018 ) to examine media representations of high-level female athletes. More specifically, we found the work of Fink, Kane, and LaVoi ( 2014
Impact of Iron Depletion Without Anemia on Performance in Trained Endurance Athletes at the Beginning of a Training Season: A Study of Female Collegiate Rowers
Diane M. DellaValle and Jere D. Haas
The objective of this study was to determine the impact of iron depletion without anemia on performance in a sample of female collegiate rowers at the beginning of a training season (August 2008, January 2009, and September 2009). One hundred sixty-five female collegiate rowers from 5 colleges and universities in central New York State participated in a screening of iron status. Blood hemoglobin (Hgb), serum ferritin (sFer), and soluble transferrin receptor were measured to determine prevalence of iron depletion and anemia. Rowers’ habitual moderate and vigorous physical activity, as well as their best time to complete a 2-km simulated race during the previous 3 months, were self-reported. Sixteen rowers (10%) were identified as anemic (Hgb <12.0 g/dl). Using a sFer cutoff of <20.0 μg/L, 30% (n = 44) of the nonanemic rowers were identified as iron depleted without anemia and reported 2-km times ~21 s slower (p < .004) than rowers with normal iron status. Given the high prevalence of iron depletion reported in this and other studies, screening for low iron stores at the start of a training program in female athletes involved in an endurance sport may be clinically useful. In this study, irondepleted rowers (sFer <20–25 μg/L) reported a decrease in performance time compared with those with normal iron stores.
Effect of Iron Injections on Aerobic-Exercise Performance of Iron-Depleted Female Athletes
Peter Peeling, Tanya Blee, Carmel Goodman, Brian Dawson, Gary Claydon, John Beilby, and Alex Prins
This investigation examined the effect of intramuscular iron injections on aerobic-exercise performance in iron-deficient women. Sixteen athletes performed a 10-min steady-state sub maximal economy test, a VO2max test, and a timed test to exhaustion at VO2max workload. Subjects were randomly assigned to an iron-supplemented group (IG) receiving intramuscular iron injections or to a placebo group (PG). Twenty days after the first injection, exercise and blood testing were repeated. A final blood test occurred on Day 28. Post supplementation, no differences were found between the groups’ sub maximal or maximal VO2, heart rate, or blood lactate (P > 0.05). Time to exhaustion was increased in the IG (P < 0.05) but was not greater than that of the PG (P > 0.05). The IG’s serum ferritin (SF) was significantly increased on Days 20 and 28 (mean ± standard error: 19 ± 3 to 65 ± 11 to 57 ± 12 µg/L; P < 0.01), with a percentage change from baseline significantly greater than in the PG (P < 0.01). It was concluded that intramuscular iron injections can effectively increase SF without enhancing sub maximal or maximal aerobic-exercise performance in iron-depleted female athletes.
Influence of Artistic Gymnastics on Iron Nutritional Status and Exercise-Induced Hemolysis in Female Athletes
Thaiz Mattos Sureira, Olga Silverio Amancio, and Josefina Aparecida Pellegrini Braga
This study evaluates the relationship between body iron losses and gains in artistic gymnastics female athletes. It shows that despite the low iron intake and exercise-induced hemolysis, iron deficiency or iron-deficiency anemia does not occur, but partial changes in the hematological profile do. The hypothesis that gymnasts’ nutritional behavior contributes to anemia, which may be aggravated by exercise-induced hemolysis, led to this cross-sectional study, conducted with 43 female artistic gymnasts 6–16 yr old. The control group was formed by 40 nontraining girls, paired by age. Hemogram, serum iron, ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor, haptoglobin, total and fractional bilirubin, Type I urine, and parasitologic and occult fecal blood tests were evaluated. The athletes presented mean hematimetric and serum iron values (p = .020) higher than those of the control group. The bilirubin result discarded any hemolytic alteration in both groups. The haptoglobin results were lower in the athlete group (p = .002), confirming the incidence of exercise-induced hemolysis. Both groups presented low iron intake. The results suggest that artistic gymnastics practice leads to exerciseinduced hemolysis and partially changes the hematological profile, although not causing iron deficiency or iron-deficiency anemia, even in the presence of low iron intake.
Performance Level and Sexual Harassment Prevalence among Female Athletes in the Czech Republic
Kari Fasting, Celia Brackenridge, and Nada Knorre
This article investigates whether there is a relationship between the sport performance level of female athletes inside the sport (at clubs, competitions, or training events) and outside sport (in family or community settings) and the likelihood that they will be victims of sexual harassment. The study sample consisted of 595 women from the Czech Republic and was divided into three performance groups: elite, non-elite/competing, and exercisers. No significant differences were found between the groups in relation to overall cases of sexual harassment, but when their experiences of sexual harassment inside and outside sport were examined, the picture changed. The chances of being harassed by someone in sport increased with performance level, from 29.7% among the exercisers to 55.2% among the elite-level athletes. However, the highest proportion of women experiencing sexual harassment was seen in the group of the exercises outside of sport (73%). This article discusses the prevalence of sexual harassment in relation to the gender order in Czech society.
Fat-Free Mass Using Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis as an Alternative to Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry in Calculating Energy Availability in Female Adolescent Athletes
Ivy Evangelista Ramos, Gabriela Morgado Coelho, Haydée Serrão Lanzillotti, Elisabetta Marini, and Josely Correa Koury
for the calculation. EA is defined as the residual energy available to support an athlete’s body functions. Low EA (L-EA) is a primary mechanism of the female athlete’s triad that predisposes athletes to menstrual irregularities and low bone mineral density ( Nattiv et al., 2007 ), and is considered a
Features and Effects of Athlete Burnout Among Top Amateur Female Rugby Union Players
Kirsty Martin and Hee Jung Hong
). This is particularly important for female players as previous research has found that female athletes, when compared with males, were more likely to seek social support as a coping strategy in response to performance-related stress ( Crocker & Graham, 1995 ; Vealey et al., 1998 ). Connectedness with
“I Feel Pressure:” Exploring the Phenomenon of Body Image Formation in Collegiate Female Athletes Within the Context of Social Comparison Theory
Ashley Gibson Bowers, Christina L.L. Martin, John Miller, Brent Wolfe, and Nancy Magee Speed
The purpose of the study was to examine female athletes’ perceptions of their body image as a result of comparing themselves to others. Social comparison theory (Festinger, 1954) was used as the theoretical basis for understanding the effects of body image among intercollegiate female athletes. Using a qualitative analysis, the authors individually interviewed 20 female collegiate athletes attending a Division I university and thematically coded their responses. The findings suggest that coaches and teammates significantly contribute to body image pressures in female athletes, as participants were sensitive to the comments and perceptions of these groups. Finally, athletes perceived that the external population (those outside of coaches and teammates) evaluated athletic talent based on actual body image.
Lower Extremity Biomechanics Differ in Prepubescent and Postpubescent Female Athletes during Stride Jump Landings
Chris J. Hass, Elizabeth A. Schick, John W. Chow, Mark D. Tillman, Denis Brunt, and James H. Cauraugh
Epidemiological evidence suggests the incidence of injury in female athletes is greater after the onset of puberty and that landing from a jump is a common mechanism of knee injury. This investigation compared lower extremity joint kinematics and joint resultant forces and moments during three types of stride jump (stride jump followed by a static landing; a ballistic vertical jump; and a ballistic lateral jump) between pre- and postpubescent recreational athletes to provide some insight into the increased incidence of injury. Sixteen recreationally active postpubescent women (ages 18–25 years) and 16 recreationally active prepubescent girls (ages 8–11 years) participated in this study. High speed 3D videography and force plate data were used to record each jumper’s performance of the stride jumps, and an inverse dynamic procedure was used to estimate lower extremity joint resultant forces and moments and power. These dependent variables were submitted to a 2 × 3 (Maturation Level × Landing Sequence) MANOVA with repeated measures on the last factor. The findings indicated that postpubescents landed with the knee more extended (4.4°) and had greater extension moments (approximately 30% greater hip and knee extension moments) and powers (40% greater knee power). Further, the post-pubescent athletes had greater knee anterior/posterior forces as well as medio-lateral resultant forces. The differences found between the two groups suggest there may be anatomical and physiological changes with puberty that lead to differences in strength or neuromuscular control which influence the dynamic restraint system in these recreational athletes. A combination of these factors likely plays a role in the increased risk of injury in postpubescent females.
