Understanding Nutrition During Training

Understanding the Female Athlete Triad

Dame Kelly Holmes has been running conferences that specifically address the Female Athlete Triad, as she comments, "It is important that every coach is aware of the implications surrounding the Female Athlete Triad. Too many girls are trying to lose weight, because they think it will make them perform better......."

The Female Athlete Triad affects numerous sportswomen and female fitness trainers - particularly those training regularly at high intensities. In fact it has been estimated that as many as 60% of all female athletes will suffer from it at some time in their careers. Professor Anne Loucks is a world leading authority on the condition, she explains that, "Some athletes with the Triad do not practice disordered eating behaviours or restrict their diets and some amenorrheic (stopped periods) athletes do not have the Triad." This for active women, coaches and personal trainers is a very important consideration.

Disordered eating

Disordered eating (or Eating Disorder) refers to a situation whereby the athlete/fitness trainer (Note: in this aspect of the Triad men can be equally affected) develop a negative or compromised relationship with food and their appearance, specifically their weight and body fat levels.

Spanish researchers discovered that disordered eating was extremely high in a group of 283 elite female Spanish athletes, compared to non-athlete controls. For example, 20.14% had bulimia nervosa - which is a cycle of eating and the forced throwing up of food (this was five times greater than the non-athlete control group).

The biological and psychological reasons for disordered eating

Biologically it is argued that neurotransmitters (involved in brain chemistry and function and transmit signals within it) in the brain are out of balance in those with eating disorders. Additionally numerous psychological disordered eating traits have been identified, for example:

• Coming from a family that has difficulty expressing emotion and resolving conflict
• Difficulties coping with stress
• Low self-esteem

Anorexia and bulimia are psychiatric illnesses with specifically diagnosed traits. However, doctors have also defined 'sub-clinical eating disorders'. These manifest in people who display some of the traits of the two eating disorders - these may be detrimental to health and are particularly likely to be found in sports and fitness participants. This is because women (and men) who participate in these activities are often subject to great external(and self-imposed internal) pressure to conform to a certain body shape and 'look', for example gymnasts and dancers. It's possible that these athletes may also become convinced that less weight and ridiculously low body fat levels will bring them success.

Disordered Eating - warning signs

• Preoccupation with food and calories
• Feeling and expressing that a person is fat when they are not
• Sick or sick smell in the bathroom
• Mood swings
• Excess use of laxatives
• Secret eating
• Unwillingness to eat in front of others
• Large weight swings in a short space of time

Men and disordered eating

Men who undergo extreme weight loss to improve sport performance, such as boxers or martial artists who need to make specific weight categories can develop sub-clinical eating disorders. Their desire to 'make weight' by restricting excessive calorie restriction turns from being an end in itself to a means to an end.

Avoiding Disordered Eating

• Have your dietary needs assessed by a nutrition expert. Research shows that those who control their own eating habits un-supervised are more likely to develop some kind of disordered eating
• Work with coaches/instructors who do not put unrealistic pressure on you to conform to a certain body type or achieve unhealthy low body fat levels (under 15% for elite sportswomen and 6% for elite sportsmen)
• Increase calorie consumption commensurately with increases in training volume
• If injured or ill don't significantly reduce calorie consumption because of not training - this may result in not getting all the nutrients needed to repair the injury or recover from the illness. Take expert advice.
• Choose a fitness or sports activity that reflects your body type. Doing this will prevent a 'mismatch' between training and aspirations for your body. To give an example, it would be unrealistic for a large framed woman to achieve the slight frame of a gymnast.
• If your sport or fitness activity does require you to lose weight - don't attempt to drop more than 1kg (2lbs) a week.
• When cutting back on calories (and only if essential) - take these from fat and in particular, saturated fat sources
• Avoid 'fad diets'

If you suspect you or someone you know is suffering from disordered eating then contact your local GP. They will tell you where you can get help - many hospitals, for example, run specific clinics. You can also contact 'b-eat' (formerly the Eating Disorders Association) on: www.b-eat.co.uk.

Allyson Felix

Double world champion and Olympic gold medal sprinter Allyson Felix despite her slim frame (1.68m and 57Kg) eats over 3000 calories a day. "I've always had difficulty keeping weight on especially since I came to Bobby Kersee (her coach), because we do so much running. So I have to make sure I get enough calories. I try to keep track of these and aim for 3000 a day. I think of it (diet) in those terms."

Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis literally means a thinning of the bones and predominantly affects post-menopausal women - and athletes and fitness enthusiasts affected by the Female Athlete Triad. Simply put, the combination of large amounts of physical activity coupled with disordered eating can lead to a reduction in crucial vitamins and minerals involved in bone growth and maintenance, notably, vitamin D, magnesium and calcium. Bone density levels are largely 'set' in early life and adolescence - thus a young athlete or fitness enthusiast could be setting themselves up for poor - and much reduced bone resilience - in latter life if they are suffering from the Female Athlete Triad. On an immediate level of concern, stress fractures are more common in athletic young women suffering from the condition.

Avoiding osteoporosis

Most of the factors noted for avoiding disordered eating apply to avoiding osteoporosis. A healthy diet and realistic attitude toward weight and appearance are crucial. Paradoxically, exercise bolsters bone strength, producing reactions in bone structures that promote stronger bone health. However, without the 'right' nutrition and a realistic training programme to accompany this, bones will not reap the benefits.

Menstrual Dysfunction

Female athletes and serious fitness trainers can have their periods delayed, occur irregularly and/or stop completely (Amenorrhea).

Athletes in the widest sense of the term tend to have their first periods later than non-athletes. One piece of research discovered the discrepancy to be 13 years and 4 months for athletes and 13 years for non-athletes. And the gap was greater - 7 months, for young women involved in sports where appearance and low body fat levels were emphasised. It was also discovered that athletes suffered from menstrual irregularities to a much greater extent than non-athlete - 7.3% to 2%.

In a similar study involving 30 Canadian and 15 Greek gymnasts with an average age of 14.7 and 14.5 respectively the figures were even more alarming with 79% of the Greek and 34% of the Canadian gymnasts not having had a period compared to a non-athlete control group.

Amenorrhea reduces the amount of the female sex hormone oestrogen in the body and this can lead to osteoporosis, and infertility.

Periods will normally return within 3 months if training load and an optimum diet is followed. It is however, recommended that female athletes and fitness trainers consult with their doctor if they have not had a period for 6 months. With thanks to Dame Kelly Holmes and On Camp with Kelly supported by Aviva for the help with this article: For more go to: www.oncampwithkelly.co.uk

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