Risk for the Female Athlete Triad in adolescent synchronized swimmers

Clijsen, Ron and Kersting, Marina and Duquet, William (2008) Risk for the Female Athlete Triad in adolescent synchronized swimmers. In: 13th Congress of the European College of Sport sciences, July 2008, Estoril, Portugal.

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Abstract

Objectives: The aim of the study was to examine adolescent synchronized swimmers for risk factors of the Female Athlete Triad and to investigate correlations between menstrual disorders (MD) and energy balance (EB) on the one hand, and anthropometric parameters on the other hand. Relevance: Until now only two surveys in connection with the risk for the Female Athlete Triad in synchronized swimmers have been carried out, although prevalence has increased in aesthetic sports (1, 2, 3). Early recognition is of high importance. Methods: 20 juniors of the Swiss Synchronized Swimming National Team (SY) (Mean age+SD = 16.4+1.2 years) were tested. Examination included anamnesis of menstrual cycles by questionnaires, determination of EB during a practice camp, measurements of 8 skin folds (SKF) and calculations of body fat percentage (%BF) and somatotype (S). MD were defined as polymenorrhea (cycle length (CL) < 25 days), oligomenorrhea (CL >35 <90 days) and amenorrhoea (no menstruation >3-6 months). Subjects were divided into athletes with eumenorrhea (ATHLEu; n=9) and athletes with MD (ATHLMD; n=11). For statistics p>0.05 was fixed. Results: Athletes were 164.3+5.3 (M+SD) cm tall, weighed 51.8+6.3 (M+SD) kg and had 22.1+3.7 (M+SD) % body fat. Altogether 55% of SY showed MD distributed over 10% polymenorrhea, 30% oligomenorrhea and 15% amenorrhea. Mean EB was -1132+607.9 (M+SD) kcal/day, mean EB of ATHLMD (-1259.5+663.5 (M+SD) kcal/day) was lower than mean EB of ATHLEU (-976.1+527 (M+SD) kcal/day). There was no correlation between MD and EB (rpbis=0.232). Significant correlations were found between MD and SKFBiceps (rpbis=0.524), MD and SKFPectoral (rpbis=0.452), and MD and S (rpbis=0.454), but not between MD and %BF (rpbis=0.415). Conclusion: The prevalence of MD found in SY is higher than that found in the literature (3). The conclusion may be drawn that adolescent synchronized swimmers show an elevated risk for MD and the Female Athlete Triad.

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