Clinical trial NCT03007459: The Health of Competitive Fitness Athletes
Official title: The Health of Competitive Fitness Athletes, a Cohort Study of Female Fitness Athletes and Physical Active Control's During and After Three Months of Fitness Contest Dieting
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Conditions: Resting Metabolic Rate
Bone Mineral Density, Low, Susceptibility to
Body Image
Perfectionism
Depression
Eating Disorder
Exercise-Related Amenorrhea
Exercise Addiction
Binge Eating
Dietary Amenorrhea
Dietary Deficiency
Keywords: Body composition
Bone mineral density
Binge Eating
Eating Disorder
Exercise Dependency
Depression
Perfectionism
Body building
Drive for Muscularity
Drive for leanness
Lead sponsor: Norwegian School of Sport Sciences
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: National Dairy Council
First posted: 2017-01-02
Enrollment: 47
Sex: FEMALE
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 40
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Observational model: CASE_CONTROL
Time perspective: PROSPECTIVE
Sampling method: NON_PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: Female, fitness athletes are being recruited through social media, Fitness team leaders and the Norwegian national federation for Bodybuilding and Fitness.

Physically active, female controls are being recruited through social media, training facilities and through colleagues at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences

Brief summary: Fitness athletes emphasize the value of staying lean, muscular and defined, and motivates and inspires followers through social media. We want to study the effect of such lifestyle on selected aspects of psychological and physical health in female fitness athletes, and compare the outcomes to a healthy, physically active female population.

Detailed description: Little is known about the mental and physical health effect from following the modern, idealized fitness lifestyle. The lifestyle is characterized by selective and restrictive eating behavior, strength training and use of supplements. The athletes emphasize the value of staying lean, muscular and defined, and motivates and inspires followers through social media. This study will recruit and observe a group of competitive female fitness athletes over their typical 3 month dieting period when preparing for contest. Before their contest diet is initiated, the athletes will be screened on selected aspects of psychological and physical health. The screening is repeated two weeks prior to their first seasonal contest, and then finally one month post-contest season. During the diet period of 3 months, the athletes answers brief questionnaires by email on eating- and training behavior and on mood, while also reporting dietary intake by telephone interview.

Recreational physically females, not planning to do any fitness contest, will be recruited to serve as a parallel control group. They will perform the same physical and psychological screening, and answer the same questionnaires throughout the fitness contest diet period.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Fitness athletes: planning to compete in fitness sport during spring or fall 2017
* Controls: being regular physically active (exercise \>2 times/week during last year) with a BMI between 17,5-30

Exclusion Criteria:

* Controls: having competed in fitness sports previously or planning to do in the future, or working as a personal trainer.
* Not able to meet at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences for baseline and follow up screenings.
* Being pregnant or nursing
* Metabolic related diseases

Primary outcomes:
measure: Body composition
timeFrame: Pre-test (3 months before contest), mid-test (2 weeks before contest) and post-test (one month post-contest)
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Resting Metabolic Rate
timeFrame: Pre-test (3 months before contest), mid-test (2 weeks before contest) and post-test (one month post-contest)
measure: Bone Mineral Density
timeFrame: Pre-test (3 months before contest), mid-test (2 weeks before contest) and post-test (one month post-contest)
measure: Perfectionism
timeFrame: Pre-test (3 months before contest), mid-test (2 weeks before contest) and post-test (one month post-contest)
measure: Depression
timeFrame: Pre-test (3 months before contest), mid-test (2 weeks before contest) and post-test (one month post-contest)
measure: Eating disorders
timeFrame: Pre-test (3 months before contest), mid-test (2 weeks before contest) and post-test (one month post-contest)
measure: Eating behavior; binge eating
timeFrame: Pre-test (3 months before contest), mid-test (2 weeks before contest) and post-test (one month post-contest)
measure: Eating behavior; restrictive eating and sensation of hunger
timeFrame: Pre-test (3 months before contest), mid-test (2 weeks before contest) and post-test (one month post-contest)
measure: Menstrual Status, self-reported
timeFrame: Pre-test (3 months before contest), mid-test (2 weeks before contest) and post-test (one month post-contest)
measure: Dietary intake, weighed diet registration
timeFrame: Pre-test (3 months before contest), mid-test (2 weeks before contest) and post-test (one month post-contest)
measure: Exercise dependency
timeFrame: Pre-test (3 months before contest), mid-test (2 weeks before contest) and post-test (one month post-contest)
measure: Reason for Exercise
timeFrame: Pre-test (3 months before contest), mid-test (2 weeks before contest) and post-test (one month post-contest)
measure: Depression
timeFrame: Each 2nd week during the 3 month contest dieting period (between pre-test and mid-test)
measure: Dietary intake, 24-hour recall interview
timeFrame: Each 2nd week during the 3 month contest dieting period (between pre-test and mid-test)
measure: Menstrual cycle, self reported
timeFrame: Each 2nd week during the 3 month contest dieting period (between pre-test and mid-test)
measure: Eating disordered behavior
timeFrame: Each 2nd week during the 3 month contest dieting period (between pre-test and mid-test)
measure: Eating behavior; binge eating behavior
timeFrame: Each 2nd week during the 3 month contest dieting period (between pre-test and mid-test)
measure: Eating behavior; restrictive eating and sensation of hunger
timeFrame: Each 2nd week during the 3 month contest dieting period (between pre-test and mid-test)
measure: Training volume, self reported
timeFrame: Each 2nd week during the 3 month contest dieting period (between pre-test and mid-test)
measure: Training history, self reported
timeFrame: Retrospective
measure: Dietary Supplements
timeFrame: Pre-test (3 months before contest), mid-test (2 weeks before contest) and post-test (one month post-contest), and each 2nd week during the 3 month contest dieting period (between pre-test and mid-test)
measure: Eating disorders, history
timeFrame: Retrospective
measure: Drive for Muscularity
timeFrame: Pre-test (3 months before contest), mid-test (2 weeks before contest) and post-test (one month post-contest)
measure: Drive for Leanness
timeFrame: Pre-test (3 months before contest), mid-test (2 weeks before contest) and post-test (one month post-contest)
measure: Body Weight, history
timeFrame: Retrospective
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Oslo
country: Norway
facility: Norwegian School of Sports Sciences
Study officials:
affiliation: Professor
name: Jorunn K Sundgot-Borgen, Professor
role: STUDY_DIRECTOR
References:
citation: Mathisen TF, Engen KM, Sundgot-Borgen J, Stensrud T. Evaluation of a short protocol for indirect calorimetry in females with eating disorders and healthy controls. Clin Nutr ESPEN. 2017 Dec;22:28-35. doi: 10.1016/j.clnesp.2017.09.003. Epub 2017 Oct 5.