Negative energy balance is highest in female athletes retiring from competitive career

Introduction: Evidence suggests that a negative energy balance rather than engaging in competitive sports serves as a trigger factor in the pathogenesis of athletic amenorrhea. The purpose of this study was to evaluate energy balance of adolescent females competing in different types of sport. Methods: Energy intake (EI) and energy expenditure (EE) were calculated in females (16.3 ± 2.0 years, students at elite school of sports) engaged in endurance (E, n = 16), power (P, n = 22) or team sports (T, n = 12) using 4-day dietary reports and 7-day activity protocols. Results were compared to data of athletes retired from competitive career (R, n = 8) and age-matched controls (C, n = 12). Voluntary restricted eating was assessed by questionnaires. Analysis was carried out using descriptive statistics and ANOVA (&#61537; =0.05). Results: There were no differences in EI between athletes (E = 9.15 ± 2.3 MJ/d, P = 9.65 ± 3.0 MJ/d, T = 9.98 ± 2.5 MJ/d) and controls (C = 9.22 ± 1.8 MJ/d) though athletes exhibited significant higher total EE (p < 0.05). Retired athletes showed lowest EI (6.49 ± 1.5 MJ/d) resulting in a conspicuously higher energy deficit (−3.47 ± 1.6 MJ/d) compared to athletes (−1.78 ± 3.3 MJ/d) and controls (−0.22 ± 1.9 MJ/d). Negative energy balance was not associated with EE during training (r2 = 0.27). Frequent dieting or restricted eating was reported by 50% of controls, 43% of active and 63% of retired athletes respectively. Negative energy balance shown in athletes was accompanied by inadequate intakes of both vitamin D and calcium. Discussion: Restricted eating was common among female adolescents. Data suggest that not only competitive athletes, but particularly females having abandoned from competitive career to be a population at risk for developing eating disorders. Conclusion: Young female athletes seem to be vulnerable for developing unhealthy eating patterns in order to maintain weight. Establishing screening tools in special athletic schools or colleges to detect females at early stages of disordered eating and to prevent symptoms of female athlete triad would be desirable.