ED in Female Athletes. Analise Henry, Jason Toy, Nick Andrade

Transcription

1 ED in Female Athletes Analise Henry, Jason Toy, Nick Andrade

2 Overview - Etiology/Psychopathology - Signs/Symptoms - What is the Female Athlete Triad - Screening - Which female athletes are most affected - Understanding ED of an female athlete - Prevention - Treatment/Intervention

3 Etiology/Psychopathology Sports that emphasize appearance, weight requirements, or muscular appearances When an athlete has the belief that a lower body weight will improve their performance performance Competitive edge Athletes may also experience low self-esteem which can cause an eating disorder Some coaches have been known to focus on success and performance rather than the athlete as a person recommending diets with no true knowledge

4 Signs/Symptoms Physical Significant changes in weight/body composition Evidence of water loading or unusual dress Frequent injury/longer recovery time Decreased or erratic athletic performance Menstrual Cycle Delayed onset of first period Missed or cessation of periods Psychological/Behavioral Weight control methods: Frequent dieting Diet pills, diuretics, laxatives, caffeine Restricting food intake Exercising beyond necessary for sport performance Avoiding certain foods

5 Signs/Symptoms Psychological/Behavioral Behavioral Changes around meal time Avoiding eating in public Disappearing after meals to use the bathroom Denial of hunger Preoccupation with body, food, or exercise Checking reflection in mirrors, windows Touching body parts to check size/shape Obsession with numbers i.e. calories/mileage Claims of feeling fat at normal weight

6 Signs/Symptoms Psychological/Behavioral Emotion/Mood Disturbances Irritability, moodiness, or flat effect Increased impatience, crankiness, isolation shame/guilt after eating Intense fear of weight gain/becoming fat

7 Female Athlete Triad Definition: Syndrome focusing on interaction of: energy availability, reproductive function, and bone health Disordered eating, Osteoporosis, Amenorrhea, REDS: relative energy deficiency in sport FAT has recently been established under the umbrella term REDS (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport)

8 Screening Eating Disorders are often underdiagnosed in female athletes Detecting an eating disorder early in its stages is crucial and the highest priority Eating Attitude Tests and Eat-26 are the most used questionnaires Subtlety is key Eating Disorder Examination Interviews are also administered face to face Face to face maybe more precise but also may be more confrontational

9 Who s Most Affected? Sport-Environmental pressures (pressures that come with being in a sport) Practice constantly, altering the eating habits they currently have Athletes in weight, appearance, diving, leanness- demanding sports Gymnastics, running, swimming, dance Higher risk for RED(S): Relative Energy Deficiency in Sports Female Athlete Triad Emphasizes this syndrome effects all athletes not just females

10 Pressures Female Athletes Face There is more of a need to focus on understand eating disorders in female athletes rather than looking at the statistical data Environment of female athletes can affect their identity, relationship, body image, and self esteem Elite athletes are put on pedestal which puts more pressure on how they perceive themselves Role models of achievement Aesthetic and strength based demands pressures from coaches allow room for eating disorders (Tan, 2014)

11 Pressures of Elite Gymnasts Face Elite gymnasts usually train intensively starting during childhood and early adolescence ED risk is highest at this point due to pressures Dealing with high performance environment and physical growth and maturation Different gymnastic disciplines involving performance and aesthetic pressure Tumbling focuses more on powerful physiques Rhythmic gymnastics are typically taller and slim in size Acrobatic gymnasts work in teams Bases are strong, tall, and powerful Tops are usually short, light (Tan, 2014)

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14 Prevention Female athletes need to be educated early on what a healthy diet may be and understand healthy steps to monitor weight for performance. Sports organizations could make diet questionnaires mandatory so diagnosis of eating disorders is caught early Family, coaches, and teammates should show support of the athletes diet Development of interventions and prevention of eating disorders that are sex and sport specific is being studied (Coelho,2014)

15 Treatment/Intervention The NCAA says treatments do not differ from any other eating disorder treatment -Behavioral approaches -Cognitive approaches Treatment specialists for student athletes are recommended at NCAA schools Specialists need to be considerate of the importance sports plays in a student athletes life (Thompson, 2017)

16 Content Questions 1. What are two pressures female athletes face in their sport environment, and what do you think would be an effective way to not put so much pressure on them? 2. What is the highest priority of dealing with eating disorders and female athletes? 3. Name 3 Signs/Symptoms of eating disorders in female athletes. Provide examples of each.

17 References Wagner, A. J., Erickson, C. D., Tierney, D. K., Houston, M. N., & Welch Bacon, C. E. (2016). The Diagnostic Accuracy of Screening Tools to Detect Eating Disorders in Female Athletes. Journal Of Sport Rehabilitation, 25(4), doi: /jsr Carlin Anderson & Trent A. Petrie (2012) Prevalence of Disordered Eating and Pathogenic Weight Control Behaviors Among NCAA Division I Female Collegiate Gymnasts and Swimmers, Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 83:1, , DOI: / Tan, J., Bloodworth, A., McNamee, M., & Hewitt, J. (2014). Investigating eating disorders in elite gymnasts: Conceptual, ethical and methodological issues. European Journal Of Sport Science, 14(1), doi: / Coelho, G. M. de O., Gomes, A. I. da S., Ribeiro, B. G., & Soares, E. de A. (2014). Prevention of eating disorders in female athletes. Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine, 5,

18 References Oon Ai Tan, J., Calitri, R., Bloodworth, A., & McNamee, M. J. (2016). Understanding Eating Disorders in Elite Gymnastics. Clinics In Sports Medicine, 35(2), doi: /j.csm R. Thompson (2017, November 15). Mind, Body and Sport: Eating disorders. Retrieved March 05, 2018, from