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The Female Athlete Lucozade Sport Education Programme Irish Female Sports Successes • Sonia O’Sullivan: Olympic Silver medallist 2000 (Athletics) • Katie Taylor: World Champion 2007, 2008 (Boxing) • Sinead Jennings: World champion 2001 (LW Rowing) • Maria Coleman: No. 2 world ranking (Sailing) • Angela Farrell: 1st all-women’s crew to sail around world Presentation Outline • Physical considerations: – – – – Cardiovascular and strength Flexibility Body composition Hormonal factors • The female athlete triad • Nutrition • The Ageing Athlete Physical Differences Different doesn’t mean better or worse. It just means different. Female Athletes: All Shapes & Sizes What do these women have in common? They all participate in SPORT! Cardiovascular Differences • Generally, women have smaller heart, lungs, blood volume and haemoglobin concentration (10% lower) than men – this limits aerobic metabolism. • Females have the same proportional capacity as males to improve their cardiovascular fitness. • Women have lower VO2max values than male in general (3l/min vs. 2l/min) • Female athletes burn more fat when exercising. • Cardio training study (Spina 1993) – males and females 60y old (9mts training) Strength Differences • Women tend to have less muscle mass due to lower levels of testosterone (1/10th of men) – this limits strength and power. • Upper body – 40/50% weaker than men. • Lower body – 30% weaker. • Females have the same proportional capacity as males to improve their strength levels through training. Strength • American Males: - 18 -22kg more muscle - 3 – 6kg less fat - males taller, wider frame • Relatively - strength differences between males are females are not too dissimilar when accounting for Lean body mass relative to strength. • Male muscle greater capacity for anaerobic metabolism and producing power • Female muscle - more resistance to fatigue and recovers faster (Fulco 1999, Hakkinen 1993, Linnamo 1998) Importance of Strength Training for Females • Enhances bone remodelling (prevent osteoporosis) • Increases joint stability and prevent injury • Increases functional strength for sports • Increases lean body mass • Increases metabolic rate • Increases self esteem and confidence Body Composition In general, female athletes (even lean ones!) have a higher proportion of body fat than male athletes. Females – 20-25% body fat Males – 15 – 20% body fat Extra fat stores - good for swimming (buoyancy) and long endurance events Flexibility • Females are more flexible than males • Greater range of motion in hip and elbow joint (Alter 1996) • Due to different bone structure, females smaller tendons, ligaments and muscles allowing greater potential for flexibility. • Good for sports like gymnastics, dance, rock climbing. • Prevents over reach injuries but can be problems with joint laxity especially people who are hyper mobile. Injury Risk • Higher incidence (3-5times greater) of ACL injuries in females playing soccer & basketball. • Due to smaller ACL’s, different Q angle of the knee (angle greater in women), they over rely on quad strength, tendency to land more flat footed and with straighter knees. • Also maybe due to failure in developing basic coordination skills at an early age. • Careful 2-3d before menstrual cycle (sacroiliac joint predisposed to injury in high impact elastic strength exercises. Hormonal Factors • Male sex hormone testosterone: responsible for muscularity and male shape • Female sex hormones: progesterone and oestrogen: responsible for female attributes and regulation of menstrual cycle (and fertility) Exercise and the Menstrual Cycle Olympic medals have been won at all stages of the cycle • Awareness of pre-menstrual symptoms – Personal diary, look for patterns • Flexibility of training programmes • Regulation of the menstrual cycle and minimising symptoms Exploding the Myths • Women can train as hard as men • Women can have the same % training improvement as men • The menstrual cycle does not limit a woman’s ability to train hard or to compete as hard as a man • Pain thresholds are not a male domain The Female Athlete Triad Disordered Eating Amenorrhoea Osteoporosis At Risk? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Sports in which performance is subjectively scored Endurance sports emphasising a low body weight Sports requiring contour-revealing clothing for competition Sports using weight categories for participants Sports emphasising a pre-pubertal look Disordered Eating • Refers to a wide spectrum of disordered eating (restricting food intake, bingeing, purging, anorexia, bulimia) • The precipitating event for the Triad • Can be very difficult to recognise • May lead to poor nutritional status, reduced immunity from infections and poor sports performance Behavioural Signs Suggestive of Disordered Eating (Thompson & Sherman, 1993) • • • • • • • Preoccupation with food and weight Repeatedly expressed concerns about being fat Increased criticism of one’s body Unnecessary use of laxatives/diuretics Trips to the bathroom following meals Compulsive, excessive exercise Complaining of always being cold Physical signs of Anorexia Amenhorrea Dehydration, especially in the absence of training and competition Fatigue beyond that normally expected in training or competition Gastrointestinal problems bloating, post prandial distress. Hyperactivity Physical Signs of anorexia (cont.) Hypothermia (cold intolerance) Lanugo (fine hair on face and arms) Muscle weakness Overuse injuries Stress fractures Weight significantly lower than necessary for adequate sports performance Significant weight loss beyond that necessary for adequate sports performance Psychological signs of anorexia Claims of “feeling fat” despite being thin Anxiety Avoidance of eating and eating situations Compulsiveness and rigidity, especially regarding eating and exercise Depression Psychological signs of anorexia (2) Exercising while injured Insomnia Obsessiveness and pre-occupation with weight and eating Resistance to weight gain or maintenance Restlessness Psychological signs of anorexia (3) Restrictive dieting Social withdrawal Unusual weighing behaviour Excessive or obligatory exercise beyond that required for a particular sport or coach Where to get help Untreated eating disorders CAN be lifethreatening • Refer athlete to their GP, or a sports medicine professional, dietician, or (sports) psychologist • Eating Disorders clinics at major hospitals Web sites • E.G. Help for Eating Disorders in Ireland http://www.bodywhys.ie/index.htm The Female Athlete Triad Disordered Eating Amenorrhoea Osteoporosis Amenorrhoea • Primary: absence of menstruation by the age of 16 • Secondary: absence of 3 or more consecutive cycles after menarche or less than 6-9 periods annually • Associated with: – “Energy drain” – failing to match energy expenditure with adequate food intake – High training volumes – Possible eating disorders • May lead to osteoporosis and increased cardiac risk if untreated Osteoporosis • Bones become thin and fragile • Bone is laid down during childhood, achieves maximum density by late 20s, and then declines • Linked to female triad/amenorrhea in young women and hormonal changes at menopause • Exercise is important to prevent it but excessive exercise can produce the opposite effect Normal Bone Osteoporotic Bone Avoiding osteoporosis • Avoid the Female Athlete Triad • Refer females who have not reached menarche by 16yrs to Dr • Ensure adequate Calcium in diet • Avoid excessive smoking, caffeine & alcohol • Get regular weight-bearing exercise Nutrition for the Female Athlete • Females generally require less daily calories than males (smaller body size and less active tissue). • Some athletes may have poor energy intake and/or food selections with low levels of macronutrients, especially calcium, iron, B vitamins and zinc. Calcium Recommended Intake mg/day Girls (12-15yrs) 1,000 Girls (16-18yrs) 800 Women 800 Post menopause 1000 Pregnancy >1,200 300 mg calcium is found in: – 200 ml milk – 1 tub (200 g) yoghurt – 40 g hard cheese – 80 g sardines/salmon – 1.5 cups beans – 250 g tofu Iron Recommended Intake mg/day Children Adolescents Women Pregnancy Athletes 6-8 10-13 12-16 >22 >16 2 mg iron is found in: – – – – – – 50 g lean beef 250 g chicken 20 g liver ½ cup spinach ½ cup dried beans 30 g fortified cereal The Ageing Athlete • Certain fitness components are affected by age (Speed, Elastic Power/Strength). • World record times – 5% faster for men aged 40y compared to 45y old age group, equivalent of 7% in women. • 50y olds declined most (another 3-6%) • Up to the age 80y – best performances declined at a rate of 1% each year. The Effect of Ageing on Performance • Performances go down with age mainly because of a decrease in muscle mass especially after the age of 45. • Muscle protein re-pairing and the repair processes become slower and less effective noted by a decrease in physical strength. • Injured athletes (45y) recover 15 – 18% slower than a 30y old. Skin thickness reduces by 30% by age 50 – more cuts, lacerations. • Bone density naturally decreases by 10% by the age of 50y. However…… It’s not all doom and gloom!!!! • Strength is one of the fitness components that doesn’t decline as fast if you work at it. You can reach peak strength levels in your 30’s and maintain strength levels well into the 40’s • Cognitive functioning and skill work never really declines (its something you keep relatively well all your life). • Marathon runners – usually mature in 30’s, 40’s then times decline 2% per year up to the age of 80. Pregnancy & Exercise • Consult your doctor before you undertake any exercise regime. • Best exercise to do while pregnant is non weight bearing – cycling, swimming, water aerobics and walking (mild to moderate intensity). Sit ups not a good idea. • Avoid exercises that increases your risk of falling, contact sports or injuries that you might sustain to the stomach – high impact sprinting and jumping activities are not suitable. Exercise & Pregnancy • After 3mts avoid doing exercises on your back – weight of baby may interfere with blood circulation. • Avoid long periods of standing. • If weather is hot exercise in the morning or evening to prevent over-heating. • Drink plenty and eat a well balanced diet. • If at any stage you feel unwell, dizzy, abdominal pain – stop exercising immediately. Returning to sport after Pregnancy • Slowly get back into training, give yourself enough time to recover first. • Avoid undergoing maximal fitness tests initially. • Walking is a good start. • Endurance exercise is best for losing weight and follow this up with toning exercises – (tummy and pelvic floor exercises). Summary • All women can participate and gain benefits from sport, just like men • Female athletes, like male athletes, come in all shapes and sizes, and it is possible to find a sport to suit all types • Education about proper nutrition and safe practices for women in sport is paramount Thank you!