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. 2023 Mar 21;15(6):1502.
doi: 10.3390/nu15061502.

Body Composition, Energy Availability, Risk of Eating Disorder, and Sport Nutrition Knowledge in Young Athletes

Meghan K Magee  1   2 , Margaret T Jones  1   2   3 , Jennifer B Fields  4 , Julie Kresta  5 , Chinguun Khurelbaatar  6 , Christopher Dodge  6 , Brandon Merfeld  6 , Abby Ambrosius  6 , Makenna Carpenter  6 , Andrew R Jagim  1   6   7
Affiliations

Body Composition, Energy Availability, Risk of Eating Disorder, and Sport Nutrition Knowledge in Young Athletes

Meghan K Magee et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Young athletes may be at risk for low energy availability (LEA) or dietary habits that are indicative of eating disorders. Thus, the purpose of the current study was to investigate the prevalence of LEA among high school athletes and examine those at risk for eating disorders. A secondary aim was to examine relationships between sport nutrition knowledge, body composition, and LEA.

Methods: 94 male (n = 42) and female (n = 52) mean ± SD age: 18.09 ± 2.44 y; height: 172.6 ± 9.8 cm; body mass: 68.7 ± 14.5 kg; BMI: 22.91 ± 3.3 kg·m-2) athletes completed a body composition assessment and electronic versions of the abridged sports nutrition knowledge questionnaire (ASNK-Q), brief eating disorder in athletes questionnaire (BEDA-Q), and the low energy availability for females questionnaire (LEAF-Q; females only).

Results: 52.1% of female athletes were classified as being at risk for LEA. Moderate inverse relationships existed for computed LEAF-Q scores and BMI (r = -0.394; p < 0.01). A total of 42.9% of males (n = 18) and 68.6% of females (n = 35) were at risk for eating disorders, with females being at greater risk (p < 0.01). Body fat percentage was a predictor (β = -0.095; p = -0.01) for eating disorder risk status. For every 1 unit increase in body fat percentage, athletes were 0.909 (95% CI: 0.845-0.977) times less likely to be classified as at risk for an eating disorder. Male (46.5 ± 13.9) and female (46.9 ± 11.4) athletes scored poorly on the ASNK-Q, with no differences between sex (p = 0.895).

Conclusions: Female athletes were at a greater risk for eating disorders. No relationships existed between sport nutrition knowledge and %BF. Female athletes with a higher %BF had a lower risk for an eating disorder and risk for LEA.

Keywords: athletes; disordered eating; eating disorder; energy availability; nutrition knowledge.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.

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