The risk of low energy availability in Chinese elite and recreational female aesthetic sports athletes

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Kun Meng, Beijing Sport University; Junqiang Qiu, Beijing Sport University; Dan Benardot, Emory University; Amelia Carr, Deakin University; Longyan Yi, Beijing Sport University; Jieting Wang, Beijing Sport University; Yiheng Liang, Beijing Sport University
• Language: English
• Date: 2020-03-04
• Publisher: BMC Publishing
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2020 BioMed Central Ltd.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12970-020-00344-x
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
• Volume: 17
• Issue: 1
• Start Page: 13
• End Page: 13
• Grant/Funding Information: Funding was provided by the National Key R&D Program of China (2018YFC2000600).
• Keywords: Eating disorder; Prevalence; Athletes; Adolescent; Humans; Feeding and Eating Disorders; Gymnastics; Dancing; Sports; Sports Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Body Composition; China; Aesthetic sports; Surveys and Questionnaires; Bone Density; Bone mineral density; Cross-Sectional Studies; Amenorrhea; Low energy availability; Asian Continental Ancestry Group; Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport; Young Adult; Risk Factors; Female; Female athletes; Hormones
• Research Categories: Education, Physical; Health Sciences, Nutrition; Health Sciences, Pathology; Chemistry, Biochemistry

Abstract

Background: Low energy availability (LEA) is a medical condition observed in athletes, with a higher prevalence in aesthetic sports. For the first time, this study evaluated the relative prevalence of LEA in female elite athletes (ELA) and recreational athletes (REA) in aesthetic sports in China. Methods: Female athletes from 6 sports (trampolining, rhythmic gymnastics, aerobics, dance sport, cheerleading and dance) were recruited, including ELA (n = 52; age = 20 ± 3) on Chinese national teams and REA (n = 114; Age = 20 ± 2) from Beijing Sport University. Participants completed 2 online questionnaires to assess LEA and eating disorder risk. These included the Low Energy Availability in Females Questionnaire (LEAF-Q), which provided information on injury history, gastrointestinal function and menstrual history, and the Eating Disorder Inventory-3 Referral Form (EDI-3 RF). For a sub-group of elite athletes (n = 14), body composition, bone mineral density, and blood serum were also quantified. Results: A total of 41.6% of participants (n = 69) were at increased risk of LEA, and 57.2% of participants (n = 95) were classified as high in eating disorder risk. For ELA vs. REA, there was a significantly higher prevalence of LEA risk (55.8% vs. 35.1%; p = 0.012) and amenorrhea (53.8% vs. 13.3%; p < 0.001). Elite athletes at increased risk of LEA had significantly lower estradiol (p = 0.021) and whole-body BMD (p = 0.028). Pearson correlations indicated that the whole-body BMD (r = - 0.667, p = 0.009) correlated negatively with LEAF-Q score. Conclusions: Results of this study indicate that there is a risk of LEA in female Chinese athletes within aesthetic sports, and significantly higher prevalence of increased LEA risk observed in ELA than in REA. Chinese coaches and sports medicine staff working elite female athletes in aesthetic sports should develop strategies to reduce the prevalence of LEA.