RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Eating behaviours, menstrual history and the athletic career: a retrospective survey from adolescence to adulthood in female endurance athletes
JF BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine
JO BMJ OPEN SP EX MED
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP e001489
DO 10.1136/bmjsem-2022-001489
VO 9
IS 1
A1 Suvi Ravi
A1 Maarit Valtonen
A1 Johanna K Ihalainen
A1 Elina Holopainen
A1 Silja Kosola
A1 Saara Heinonen
A1 Ben Waller
A1 Urho M Kujala
A1 Jari Parkkari
YR 2023
UL http://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/9/1/e001489.abstract
AB Aim To evaluate differences in menstrual and pubertal history and trends in eating behaviours among women with and without a competitive sports background. Additionally, we investigated if menstrual history and eating behaviours are associated with sports career-related factors.Methods This retrospective study was conducted on 100 women with a competitive endurance sports background and their age-matched, gender-matched and municipality-matched controls (n=98). Data were collected using a questionnaire using previously validated instruments. Generalised estimating equations were used to calculate associations of menstrual history and eating behaviours with outcome variables (career length, participation level, injury-related harms and career termination due to injury).Results Athletes reported higher rates of delayed puberty and menstrual dysfunction than controls. No differences between the groups were observed in the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire short form (EDE-QS) scores at any age. Previous disordered eating (DE) was associated with current DE in both groups. Among athletes, higher EDE-QS scores during the sports career were associated with a shorter career (B=−0.15, 95% CI −0.26 to –0.05). Secondary amenorrhoea was associated with lower participation level (OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.27 to 0.95), injury-related harms during the career (OR 4.00, 95% CI 1.88 to 8.48) and career termination due to injury (OR 1.89, 95% CI 1.02 to 3.51).Conclusion The findings indicate that DE behaviours and menstrual dysfunction, specifically secondary amenorrhoea, have a disadvantageous relationship with a sports career in women competing in endurance sports. DE during the sports career is associated with DE after the career.The data are not publicly available due to containing information that could compromise the privacy and consent of the participants, but anonymised data are available on reasonable request from the corresponding author.