Focusing on female triathletes, this study was an exploration of behaviors and attitudes that may lead to disordered eating among female triathletes. One hundred and eighty-eight female triathletes residing in the U.S. completed an Internet-based questionnaire comprised of measures for disordered eating, body size distortion and dissatisfaction, and food consumption. Statistically significant relationships were identified regarding Preoccupation with Weight and Food Consumption (r= 0.52, p=0.005), Oral Control and Food Consumption (r= 0.32, p=0.04), and Food Restriction and Food Consumption (r= −0.30, p=0.04). Body Size Distortion was also significantly correlated to Food Consumption (r= −0.19, p=0.01), especially among the Sprint distance competitors (r= −0.21, p=0.02). Based upon the findings we suggest food restriction, body size distortion, and disordered eating attitudes are apparent among female triathletes, especially those who are club level athletes and short distance competitors.
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Eating Attitudes, Body Image, and Nutrient Intake in Female Triathletes
Holly Wethington, Claudia Flowers, Michael Turner, and Rita DiGioacchino DeBate
Sex Differences in Athletic Performance
Lynda B. Ransdell and Christine L. Wells
Do women out-perform men in endurance sports? Are women as strong, pound for pound, as men? Many questions have been raised about the ability of women and men to perform physical tasks equally well. The issue of sex differences and similarities in performance has considerable significance today as women seek physically demanding careers in police-work, fire-fighting, the military, industry, and athletics. As more women participate in recreational and career opportunities formerly open only to men, knowledge about sex differences in response to physical exertion and training becomes increasingly important. In this paper we describes differences between the sexes in athletic performance.
Most performance differences are due to variations in morphological (structural) or physiological characteristics typical of women and men (Wells, 1991). Nevertheless, variations in these characteristics are often as large or larger within each sex as they are between the sexes. The same is true of physical performance. Thus, when the entire population is considered, there are extensive differences in performance within each sex, and considerable overlap in performance between the sexes.
We will base our examination of performance differences on the most outstanding performances of each sex: those exemplified by World Records in athletic events. We seek to answer such questions as: How large are sex differences in world record performances? Can existing performance differences be explained entirely by biological differences between the sexes? Or, are a large portion of these performance differ-ences attributable to sociocultural factors?
We will analyze sex differences in performance relative to the human energy system. This system allows an extraordinary range of mechanisms for neuromuscular coordination and metabolism. Because of this, the human has a virtually unlimited movement repertoire and is capable of movements requiring large bursts of energy over very brief periods of time, as well as movements requiring low levels of energy production over very long periods of time. We will progress from sports that require very high intensity and explosive quality movements such as jumping and power lifting, through the “energy spectrum” to feats of endurance such as marathon running, ultra-distance triathlon, and open-water distance swimming.
Due to our desire to focus this paper on a reasonable amount of data, our analysis will be limited as follows:
1) for sex differences in high intensity-brief duration, explosive per-formance, we will discuss the high jump, long jump, and various mea-sures of strength (powerlifting),
2) for sex differences in high intensity-short duration performance, we will present data on sprint running (100m, 400m) and swimming (100m),
3) for sex differences in moderate intensity-moderate duration performance, we will discuss middle-distance running (1500m, 5000m, 10,000m), and swimming (1500m), and
4) for differences in low intensity-long duration performance, we will discuss the marathon, the "Ironman Triathlon," and open ocean distance swimming.
Fast and Slow Jump Training Methods Induced Similar Improvements in Measures of Physical Fitness in Young Females
Rohit K. Thapa, Bhargav Sarmah, Utsav Chaware, José Afonso, Jason Moran, Helmi Chaabene, and Rodrigo Ramirez-Campillo
al., 2014 , 2015 ; Ramirez-Campillo et al., 2019 ). For example, in linear sprinting, GCT is approximately ∼200 ms during Step 1 and ∼120 ms from Step 10 onward ( Blauberger et al., 2021 ). Standing long jump (SLJ) and triple-hop jump involve GCT exceeding 250 ms ( Davey et al., 2021 ), while CODS tests
Effects of COVID-19 Lockdown on Body Composition and Physical Performance of Elite Female Football Players
Rodrigo Villaseca-Vicuña, Jorge Pérez-Contreras, Pablo Merino-Muñoz, Esteban Aedo-Muñoz, José A. González Jurado, and Santiago Zabaloy
performance in the prelockdown period compared to the postlockdown, including in the medium- to high-speed running demands and sprint-speed distances. García-Aliaga et al. ( 2021 ) concluded that COVID-19 affected the physical performance of these elite teams. Conversely, Cohen et al. ( 2020 ) compared pre
Effect of Training Model on the Physical Condition of Young Female Football Players
Salvador Pérez-Muñoz, Gema Alonso García, Laura Benito García, and Alberto Rodríguez-Cayetano
field itself. The tests that were performed were the SportComp Coordination test ( Ruiz-Pérez et al., 2017 ), speed 30 m test with and without ball, the Modified Agility Test (MAT-T) and the Suttle Sprint and Dribble test with ball (MATWB and SSDTWB) and without ball (MAT and SSDT), intended to measure
Match Acceleration and Deceleration Patterns in Female Collegiate Soccer Players
Jessica L. Trapp, Alicja B. Stannard, Julie K. Nolan, and Matthew F. Moran
The ability to rapidly change speeds in soccer match situations is critical for improved on-field performance ( Mohr et al., 2003 ). With the average match sprint duration of female professional soccer players being only 2.3 s ( SD = 1.5) and with significant sprint durations denoted between
Research Across the Female Life Cycle: Reframing the Narrative for Health and Performance in Athletic Females and Showcasing Solutions to Drive Advancements in Research and Translation
Kelly L. McNulty, Bernadette C. Taim, Jessica A. Freemas, Amal Hassan, Carly Lupton Brantner, Chimsom T. Oleka, Dawn Scott, Glyn Howatson, Isabel S. Moore, Kate K. Yung, Kirsty M. Hicks, Matthew Whalan, Ric Lovell, Sam R. Moore, Suzanna Russell, Abbie E. Smith-Ryan, and Georgie Bruinvels
Over the last few decades, there has been an unprecedented growth in the number of females in sport and exercise, including an exponential rise in female participation, alongside an increased interest and investment in female sport. This success in many aspects underscores the demand for and importance of female-specific research to optimize health, participation, and performance of athletic females. It has also brought awareness to the numerous inequities that exist between females and males. Indeed, the prevailing narrative within sport and exercise science focuses on the disparity of research in females compared with males, which has led to a lack of a critical mass of high-quality data on athletic females. While acknowledging the current gap and the need for further higher quality data, there is still a body of knowledge pertaining to athletic females spanning over a century. This existing literature, amid its criticisms, offers a valuable foundation to build upon for current translation and to inform future research. Thus, it is essential to acknowledge, interpret, and apply prior learnings from previous work, while also considering any limitations. This commentary proposes a reframing of the current narrative that there is an absence of useful data in athletic females, to one that recognizes both the strides made and how past findings can be integrated into practice today as well as inform future research directions. It also addresses the opportunities that remain, and how a more comprehensive and pragmatic body of knowledge can be developed and translated to better serve athletic females in the future.
Are There Sex Differences in Anaerobic Performance Following a Dynamic Warm-Up? A Randomized, Counterbalanced, and Crossover Design Study
Kara Fulawka, Alexander Schleper, Lucas Forsyth, Trisha Scribbans, Robert Anzalone, and Rodrigo Villar
. However, body mass accounts for most of the difference in PPO, decreasing significantly when corrected for body mass and fat-free mass (FFM; Mageean et al., 2011 ). Females typically show lower MP ( Maud & Shultz, 1986 ) and higher FI ( Mageean et al., 2011 ) while performing sprinting tasks on a cycle
Factors Influencing Hard Running Distances in National Collegiate Athletics Association Division I Women’s Soccer Players
Isaac A. Sam, Amanda A. Anderson, Emma L. Johnson, and Hyung Suk Yang
the overall distances players cover in a match tend to stay relatively stable, there is a noticeable increase in hard runs, which include intense sprints and high-speed activities ( Bush et al., 2015 ). These increases in hard runs have been associated with increases in the physical demands of soccer
Jumping Test for Assessing Peak Power in Female Volleyball and Football Players
Marcin Krawczyk, Mariusz Pociecha, Paulina Kozioł, Aleksandra Stepek, and Gabriela Gębica
et al., 2016 ). Explosive power is essential for the skills that are very important in football (e.g., jumping, sprinting, and changing direction) ( Can, Yasar, Bayrakdaroglu, & Yildiz, 2019 ) and for jumping ability in volleyball ( Martinez, 2017 ). To develop effective training programs aimed at
