The Effect of Nutrition Education Sessions on Energy Availability, Body Composition, Eating Attitude and Sports Nutrition Knowledge in Young Female Endurance Athletes
The Effect of Nutrition Education Sessions on Energy Availability, Body Composition, Eating Attitude and Sports Nutrition Knowledge in Young Female Endurance Athletes
This study investigates the effects of a series of nutrition education sessions conducted by a registered dietitian on energy availability, various anthropometric measurements, eating attitudes, and sports nutrition knowledge in young female endurance athletes aged 15-18 years (football, basketball, volleyball) who engage in training for more than 10 hours per week (n=83).
Participants were randomly divided into two groups with 45 individuals receiving six physical nutrition education lectures, and the remaining 38 participants receiving no nutrition education. Participants completed the The low energy availability in females questionnaire (LEAF-Q), Eating Attitude Test (EAT-26) and Sports Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire (SNKQ). Energy and nutrient intakes were evaluated thorough 3-day food records, while exercise energy expenditure was assessed using 3-day activity logs. All of the questionnaires were repeated after a 6-months period.
At baseline, the prevalence of LEA among athletes was determined to be 63.8%. In the intervention group, energy availability (EA) and SNKQ scores increased, and LEAF-Q scores decreased significantly (p < 0.05). However, there was no significant change in EAT-26 scores between the two groups. Energy intake, weight, fat free mass and resting metabolic rate has been increased significantly in the intervention group (p < 0,05). These findings suggest that nutrition education proves beneficial in enhancing dietary intake, positively influencing body composition and improving nutrition knowledge, ultimately contributing to increased energy availability in female athletes over the short term.
Inclusion Criteria:
Non-contraceptive using Competitive female endurance athletes 14-18 years of age training minimum 6 hours a week not taking a break from sports for more than 3 months due to injury
Exclusion Criteria:
Pregnancy or planned pregnancy chronic diseases (e.g. diabetes, crohn's disease, thyroid dysfunction) Use of any medication that may disturb hormonal balance