Psychologists’ narrations have identified how difficult it is to treat individuals with eating disorders. Moreover, the further the illness has progressed, the greater is the resistance to treatment. Therefore, prevention is critical in reducing the prevalence of these disorders among female athletes. The individuals having the most contact with athletes, and thus constituting the first line of defense against this problem, are coaches. Yet, information about nutrition and proper weight control and how these topics should be properly communicated to athletes is frequently not part of a coach’s training, and consequently may not be part of a coach’s knowledge base. This study was designed to evaluate the perceived versus actual knowledge about nutrition and weight control held by high school coaches of girls’ teams (̲n = 42). Two questionnaires, designed by the investigators, were administered sequentially. The first requested perceptions on various nutritional and weight control issues. The second was a quiz on actual knowledge of nutrition and weight control. Ninety-one percent of the coaches rated their nutrition knowledge as average or above, while only 40 percent had taken any formal classes in nutrition. On the actual quiz, only 14 percent of the coaches knew what percentage of simple carbohydrates should constitute athletes’ diets, while less than half (40%) were able to identify sources of complex carbohydrates. Eleven percent of the coaches thought athletes should have a high protein diet, while almost all of them (80%) believed that muscle is gained by eating proteins. Furthermore, only eight percent were able to identify sources of low fat protein. In regard to issues of weight control, 40 percent of the coaches thought athletes would improve performance by losing weight, 33 percent had impressed on their team the need to lose several times, and 28 percent had spoken to individual athletes about the need to lose weight several times. The predominant method for monitoring weight loss in athletes was visual inspection (37%) rather than actual measurement. Moreover, 77 percent of the coaches thought weight loss had to exceed 15 percent to reflect an anorectic condition, suggesting a possible need for earlier intervention by coaches. Since 82 percent of the coaches incorrectly thought body image distortions occur equally among male and female adolescents, it seems they are unaware of the greater risk for eating disorders among female athletes. While this study represents a small sampling of coaches, the observed lack of congruence between perceived and actual knowledge regarding nutrition and weight control must be addressed if prevention of eating disorders among athletes is to become a reality.
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High School Coaches’ Perceptions of and Actual Knowledge about Issues Related to Nutrition and Weight Control
V.G. Overdorf and K.S. Silgailis
Mechanisms Underlying Menstrual Cycle Effects on Exercise Performance: A Scoping Review
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is presumed that estrogen may affect skeletal muscle physiology by binding to intracellular receptors or more rapidly via membrane-bound receptors ( Ekenros et al., 2017 ; Lemoine et al., 2003 ; Wiik et al., 2009 ). Therefore, estrogen could promote protein synthesis by upregulating intracellular
Hormonal Responses and Jump Performance Across a Season in Collegiate Women Basketball Players
Paul E. Luebbers, Matthew J. Andre, Andrew C. Fry, Luke A. Olsen, Keith B. Pfannestiel, and Dimitrije Cabarkapa
A range of physiological responses occurs during acute and chronic exercise, among them changes in testosterone (T) and cortisol (C) concentrations. In humans, T is required for protein synthesis, glycogen replenishment, and preventing protein breakdown, while C works antagonistically to T by
The Caffeine Supplementation in a Moderate-Intensity Aerobic Exercise in Obese Asian Women
Dian Listiarini, Wara Kushartanti, and Novita Intan Arovah
measured using a paper-based 24-hr food recall, which took 10–15 min to complete. The data then were inputted by the researcher into the Nutri survey application to assess carbohydrate intake, protein intake, fat intake, and total energy intake. The method has been demonstrated as valid and reliable in a
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Carl Langan-Evans, Colum Cronin, Mark A. Hearris, Kirsty J. Elliott-Sale, and James P. Morton
much an advocate of a food first balanced diet—I’ll take collagen and stuff, as it’s meant to be good for females if you’re picking up a niggle. I also take are vitamin D . . . . I have omega 3 in the morning and if I need it iron. I also take a probiotic for my stomach. I’ll also use protein powder
Are Coaches of Female Athletes Informed of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport? A Scoping Review
Jennifer Hamer, Ben Desbrow, and Chris Irwin
) ( Logue et al., 2020 ). Prolonged periods Q or repeated acute 4 (during the day) bouts of LEA can impair metabolic rate, menstrual function, bone health, immunity, protein synthesis, cardiovascular function, and mood ( Mountjoy, Sundgot-Borgen, et al., 2018 ). Without early intervention, individuals risk
Japanese Female Professional Soccer Players’ Views on Second Career Development
Kozue Ando, Takahiro Sato, Emma V. Richardson, Takafumi Tomura, Yu Furuta, Haruka Kasahara, and Takahiko Nishijima
relation to athletic performance: When I was close to the age of 30, I felt that I was interested in studying about the relationships between food intake and athletic performance. I am assessing time schedule when and how I should take protein, calcium so on. I checked the place of production and nutrition
Risk of Low Energy Availability in New Zealand National Team and U20 Female Football Representatives
Isabella Coombes and Claire E. Badenhorst
including, but not limited to, declines in metabolic rate, menstrual/reproductive function, bone health, immune function, protein synthesis, and cardiovascular health ( Mountjoy et al., 2023 ). Despite the adverse health and performance consequences of REDs, the assessment of LEA (the causal factor) in
The Symptoms Experienced by Naturally Menstruating Women and Oral Contraceptive Pill Users and Their Perceived Effects on Exercise Performance and Recovery Time Posttraining
Kelly L. McNulty, Paul Ansdell, Stuart Goodall, Kevin Thomas, Kirsty J. Elliott-Sale, Glyn Howatson, and Kirsty M. Hicks
), 1108 – 1113 . https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2019-101486 Gaskins , A.J. , Wilchesky , M. , Mumford , S.L. , Whitcomb , B.W. , Browne , R.W. , Wactawski-Wende , J. , … Schisterman , E.F. ( 2012 ). Endogenous reproductive hormones and C-reactive protein across the menstrual cycle: The
We are Courageous: Speaking Out Boldly and Acting for Change: Women in Sport and Exercise Academic Network Conference, 20–22 June, 2023
Milly Blundell, Tori Sprung, and Zoe Knowles
-reactive protein), as well as physiological responses (heart rate, oxygen consumption, pulmonary ventilation and blood lactate) and perceptual responses (ratings of perceived exertion) to a 5-min bout of submaximal treadmill running at ventilatory threshold were assessed before, 24 hr and 48 hr after a muscle
