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Completed

NCT Number: NCT03007459

The Health of Competitive Fitness Athletes

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.

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Key information

Conditions

Resting Metabolic Rate Behavior Behavioral Symptoms Binge Eating Body Image Bone Mineral Density, Low, Susceptibility to Bulimia Depression Dietary Amenorrhea Dietary Deficiency Eating Disorder Exercise Addiction Exercise-related Amenorrhea Feeding and Eating Disorders Hyperphagia Malnutrition Mental Disorders Nutrition Disorders Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Perfectionism Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms, Digestive

Age range

18 year–40 year

Sex eligibility

Female

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Norwegian School of Sports Sciences

Oslo, 0806, Norway

About this study

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.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

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

Treatment and study plan

Psychological health

Other

Observing and measuring baseline, and changes in, psychological health through a fitness contest preparation period

Physiological health

Other

Observing and measuring baseline, and changes in, physiological health through a fitness contest preparation period

Primary outcomes

  1. Body composition

    Time frame: Pre-test (3 months before contest), mid-test (2 weeks before contest) and post-test (one month post-contest)

    Baseline values, change from pre-test to mid-test, and finally change from mid- to post-test, for lean body mass and fat mass, measured with Dual Xray absorptiometry (DXA)

Secondary outcomes

  1. Resting Metabolic Rate

    Time frame: Pre-test (3 months before contest), mid-test (2 weeks before contest) and post-test (one month post-contest)

    Baseline values, change from pre-test to mid-test, and finally change from mid- to posttest, for resting metabolic rate, measured with indirect calorimetry

  2. Bone Mineral Density

    Time frame: Pre-test (3 months before contest), mid-test (2 weeks before contest) and post-test (one month post-contest)

    Baseline values, change from pre-test to mid-test, and finally change from mid- to post-test, for bone mineral density measured with Dual Xray absorptiometry (DXA)

  3. Perfectionism

    Time frame: Pre-test (3 months before contest), mid-test (2 weeks before contest) and post-test (one month post-contest)

    Comparing scores on perfectionism between case and controls, and individual changes in scores through study period, with Child Adolescent Perfectionism Scale (CAPS 22 items)

  4. Depression

    Time frame: Pre-test (3 months before contest), mid-test (2 weeks before contest) and post-test (one month post-contest)

    Baseline values, change from pre-test to mid-test, and finally change from mid- to post-test, for scores on depressive mood, measured with Becks Depression Inventory (BDI)

  5. Eating disorders

    Time frame: Pre-test (3 months before contest), mid-test (2 weeks before contest) and post-test (one month post-contest)

    Baseline values, change from pre-test to mid-test, and finally change from mid- to post-test, for scores on Eating disorder examination questionnaire (EDE-q)

  6. Eating behavior; binge eating

    Time frame: Pre-test (3 months before contest), mid-test (2 weeks before contest) and post-test (one month post-contest)

    Baseline values, change from pre-test to mid-test, and finally change from mid- to post-test, for scores on Binge Eating Scale (BES)

  7. Eating behavior; restrictive eating and sensation of hunger

    Time frame: Pre-test (3 months before contest), mid-test (2 weeks before contest) and post-test (one month post-contest)

    Baseline values, change from pre-test to mid-test, and finally change from mid- to post-test, for scores on Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ-21)

  8. Menstrual Status, self-reported

    Time frame: Pre-test (3 months before contest), mid-test (2 weeks before contest) and post-test (one month post-contest)

    Baseline status, change from pre-test to mid-test, and finally change from mid- to post-test, for self-reported menstruation health (Low Energy Availability in Females questionnaire, LEAF)

  9. Dietary intake, weighed diet registration

    Time frame: Pre-test (3 months before contest), mid-test (2 weeks before contest) and post-test (one month post-contest)

    Change in dietary intake. Baseline status, change from pre-test to mid-test, and finally change from pre- to post-test, evaluated with weighed dietary registration and analysed with national analytical software (Kostholdsplanleggeren.no)

  10. Exercise dependency

    Time frame: Pre-test (3 months before contest), mid-test (2 weeks before contest) and post-test (one month post-contest)

    Baseline status, change from pre-test to mid-test, and finally change from pre- to post-test, evaluated with Exercise Dependency Scale (EDS)

  11. Reason for Exercise

    Time frame: Pre-test (3 months before contest), mid-test (2 weeks before contest) and post-test (one month post-contest)

    Baseline status, change from pre-test to mid-test, and finally change from pre- to post-test, evaluated with Reason for Exercise Inventory (REI)

  12. Depression

    Time frame: Each 2nd week during the 3 month contest dieting period (between pre-test and mid-test)

    Changes in reported state of depression during the dieting period of fitness athletes, measured with BDI

  13. Dietary intake, 24-hour recall interview

    Time frame: Each 2nd week during the 3 month contest dieting period (between pre-test and mid-test)

    Changes in energy and nutrient intake during the dieting period of fitness athletes, measured with dietary 24-hour recall interview and analysed with national analytical software (Kostholdsplanleggeren.no)

  14. Menstrual cycle, self reported

    Time frame: Each 2nd week during the 3 month contest dieting period (between pre-test and mid-test)

    Self reported menstrual bleeding's during the dieting period of fitness athletes (LEAF)

  15. Eating disordered behavior

    Time frame: Each 2nd week during the 3 month contest dieting period (between pre-test and mid-test)

    Changes in eating behavior during the dieting period of fitness athletes, measured with the behavioral aspects of EDE-q

  16. Eating behavior; binge eating behavior

    Time frame: Each 2nd week during the 3 month contest dieting period (between pre-test and mid-test)

    Changes in eating behavior during the dieting period of fitness athletes, measured with BES

  17. Eating behavior; restrictive eating and sensation of hunger

    Time frame: Each 2nd week during the 3 month contest dieting period (between pre-test and mid-test)

    Changes in eating behavior during the dieting period of fitness athletes, measured with TFEQ-21

  18. Training volume, self reported

    Time frame: Each 2nd week during the 3 month contest dieting period (between pre-test and mid-test)

    Reporting number of training sessions pr week and type of exercise (endurance related exercise or strength training)

  19. Training history, self reported

    Time frame: Retrospective

    Reporting experience with training, giving details on specific sport activity and typical intensity

  20. Dietary Supplements

    Time frame: 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)

    Reporting usage of dietary supplements during the dieting period

  21. Eating disorders, history

    Time frame: Retrospective

    Reporting previous eating disorder and whether treatment were recieved or not

  22. Drive for Muscularity

    Time frame: Pre-test (3 months before contest), mid-test (2 weeks before contest) and post-test (one month post-contest)

    Baseline status, change from pre-test to mid-test, and finally change from pre- to post-test, evaluated with Drive for Muscularity (DM) (McCreary & Sasse 2000)

  23. Drive for Leanness

    Time frame: Pre-test (3 months before contest), mid-test (2 weeks before contest) and post-test (one month post-contest)

    Baseline status, change from pre-test to mid-test, and finally change from pre- to post-test, evaluated with Drive for Leanness (DL) (Smolak & Murnen 2008)

  24. Body Weight, history

    Time frame: Retrospective

    Reporting lowest and highest bodyweight after 18 yr's of age (excluding periods of pregnancy)

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Norwegian School of Sport Sciences

Other

Collaborators

  • National Dairy Council

Registry information

Official study 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

Important dates

Study start
2016
Primary completion
2017
Study completion
2017
First posted
Jan 2, 2017
Registry last updated
Mar 29, 2018

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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