1. Running Head: NUTRITION AND BODY IMAGE 1
Southern Utah University Female Distance Team-Nutrition and Body Image
Aubrey Bryson, Jessica Elliott, and Jasmyn Hildebrandt
Southern Utah University
Authors Note
Aubrey Bryson, Jessica Elliott, and Jasmyn Hildebrandt are in the Department of
Agriculture and Nutrition Sciences, Southern Utah University.
Correspondences to this article review should be addressed to Aubrey Bryson, Jessica
Elliott, and Jasmyn Hildebrandt, 351 W University Boulevard, Department of Agriculture and
Nutrition Sciences, Southern Utah University, Cedar City, Utah 84720
Contact: runaubster@gmail.com, jesselliott483@gmail.com, and jkapree23@gmail.com

2. NUTRITION AND BODY IMAGE 2
Southern Utah University Female Distance Team-Nutrition and Body Image
Assessment was completed on Southern Utah University Women’s distance team with
key informant, Head Coach Eric Houle. A survey was given to the athletes to assess their eating
and knowledge of nutrition. In this study it was observed that the participants lacked knowledge
of the Female Athlete Triad, which incorporates energy deficit, leading to amenorrhea and
osteoporosis. Within collegiate running there is pressure to have an ideal body image, and this
holds true with the Southern Utah University women’s distance team. Many of the athletes feel
pressure to look a certain way due to nutritional advice and information offered by Coach Houle.
The women often alter their eating habits in order to gain an unrealistic body type that doesn’t fit
their natural frame and build.
Background
Information in the background section was obtained in an interview with Coach Houle on
(date), as well as from surveys distributed to the Southern Utah University female distance
runners asking specific questions about their eating habits. The Southern Utah University female
distance team is comprised of eighteen women aged 18-24. These women average 6-14 miles of
running per day. This includes easy distance runs that average 7:15 minutes per mile or lower.
Also, high intensity workouts are done 2-4 times per week. Included in physical activity are
weight and plyometric training. Averaged amount of energy being expended per day is 2,500-
3,500 calories. The average caloric intake of the Southern Utah University female distance
runners is lower than necessary to maintain a healthy weight. In running, it is crucial for athletes
to obtain enough fuel and hydration to perform adequately, and in the running world, there is a
huge push to be as light as possible to obtain desired running goals. However, this “ideal body
weight” can be unrealistic and detrimental to the runner in the long run. Signs of unhealthy

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eating practices and distorted body images on the SUU female distance team are seen. Personal
goals, pressure from coaches and other outside sources, as well as unrealistic views on increasing
performance fuel these practices. There is a lack of knowledge and resources to help aid in
correct eating habits and practices.
Female Athlete Triad
There is concern that many of the female athletes at SUU are suffering from some level
of the female athlete triad. According to our survey, almost 100% of the women indicated
abnormal menstrual cycles. An energy deficit, mentioned in the background section, is a great
concern as well in athletes surveyed. Laframboise, Borody, and Stern displayed how sports have
helped females increase self-confidence and self-esteem, while reducing participation in risky
behaviors like drug abuse and teen pregnancy. However, with the pressure on females to display
the perfect body type and ideal body shape, the risk of eating disorders has increased. This, in
turn, has led to problems with amenorrhea and low bone mineral density. Females can lie
anywhere in this spectrum on a scale from healthy to a disease state, depending on how serious
their condition is (2013).
The central component of the Female Athlete Triad is energy deficit. When there is an
energy deficit, it can lead to the other three conditions of the triad. Kransdorf, Vegunta, and Files
declared that when energy availability is near resting metabolic rate, which is when calories are
below 30 kilocalories per kilogram lean body mass, a hormone called the luteinizing hormone
(LH) is disrupted (2014). The LH helps regulate the menstrual cycle and ovulation in women.
Laframboise et al. further expounded on the hormone disturbance. When an athlete is consuming
low energy, their physiological and neuroendocrine system will change in their body. This causes
the hypothalamus gland to stop producing Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH), which in

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turn stops the release of the luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone from the
pituitary gland (2013).
The lack of hormones being produced due to low energy intake leads to menstrual
dysfunction. The lack of these hormones halts the production of estrogen and progesterone in the
ovaries causing abnormal menses. This causes functional hypothalamic amenorrhea, a term used
for a lack of a menstrual cycle. Functional hypothalamic amenorrhea can then lead to low bone
mineral density due to the imbalance of hormones in the body (2013).
Pollock et al. discussed that with low energy intake and lack of a menstrual cycle, synthesis
of collagen and insulin-like growth in the bone is suppressed. If not taken care of, stress fractures
can occur, as well as osteoporosis. Bone mineral density in women in their early 30 years depletes
1% per year leading up to menopause, and then 5% after that. It is stated that female athletes with
amenorrhea mimic bone mineral loss in the same way, making their bones weak and susceptible
to injury (2010). Laframboise et al. stated that stress fractures appear 25-63% in the tibia with
female athletes struggling with the Female Athlete Triad (2013).
Coaching Influence on Athletes
One of the many reasons female athletes develop the Female Athlete Triad, is due to
pressure from outside sources, including the coach and staff. Coaches may not have accurate
knowledge in nutritional due to personal bias or incorrect knowledge. Blom, Watson, and Spadaro
stated that the coach-athlete interactions have been shown to influence the athletes’ perceptions of
their sport satisfaction and enjoyment. Also, with positive feedback from their coach, athletes
perceived themselves as a more confidant and highly motivated (2010). This interaction can also
produce a negative effect when coaches pressure athletes to meet weight requirements or give
negative feedback about performance. The women’s track coaches, unknowingly and

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unintentionally, are often producing negative effects, particularly when it concerns their athlete’s
body weight and performance.
Pressure for Certain Weight Range
Coach Houle feels that the lighter the runner is, the faster they will be. This is true for an
athlete at optimal body weight, but some runners drop below their ideal body weight. At first,
they see results and are able to run faster, but eventually the lack of energy leads to injury and
slower times. Wiita and Stombaugh discussed how many endurance athletes and their coaches
believe that having a lower body weight will produce faster times. Many female athletes attempt
to control weight without sufficient intake, which then leads to disordered eating, which can
eventually lead to the Female Athlete Triad. Runners may feel that to be successful they need to
be lean. Their research shows that body mass index and weight do not play a role in female
athlete runner performances. Athletes are also susceptible to the influence of their teammates
and their appearance. They try to obtain the same slim figure their peers have (1996). According
to our survey, many of the athletes mentioned that they felt they were a healthy body weight, but
were considered overweight for a collegiate athlete.
Measurement of Healthy Body Weight
Nevill, Winter, Ingham, Watts, Metsios, and Stewart identify that Body Mass Index
(BMI) is not a valid measurement of adiposity in athletic populations, and discuss that an
adjustment should be made (2010). Due to muscle mass of athletes, BMI may indicate they are
overweight when in reality they are in a healthy range. The current standard used to assess health
of SUU athletes, by Coach Houle, is the body mass index. The other defining method, used by
Coach Houle, is to take post-season weight and subtract ten percent to determine ideal body
weight. According to our survey, his recommended way to lose weight is to eat low calorie

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vegetables all day. Healthy options for weight loss are not promoted and disordered eating habits
generally occur. There are many resources available at SUU to help athletes achieve a healthy
body weight, without using the BMI method. Nutrition professors at Southern Utah University
may be a resource for teaching athletes correct nutrition habits. Other resources at Southern Utah
University include a Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) scan, BodPod, SenseWear arm
bands and bio-electric impedance machines. These can more accurately determine muscle mass,
bone density, and healthy body weight for athletes.
Assessment of Eating Habits
Coach Houle assesses eating habits with seasonal weight checks and daily pulse checks.
He stated in our interview that pulse will manifest any stress that the body is under, including
disordered eating. Other assessment tools he uses are visual appearance, skin tone, and personal
interaction. He stated in our interview that he has done this long enough that he can tell when
something is off with one of his athletes. Results from the survey showed that most athletes feel
they are practicing healthy eating habits, however, most are not receiving adequate calories.
According to Wiita et al. athletes are significantly low in selected nutrients, particularly calcium,
potassium, and sodium (1996). These are all critical to an athlete’s health, performance and
safety. According to the survey, many runners limit their intake of meat, which is essential for
adequate iron status.
Summary and Conclusion
Overall, there are many concerns with the nutrition status and body image of the
Southern Utah University women’s distance team. Many of these concerns stem from long held
beliefs of the coaching staff as well as the athletic environment of running. The pressure to
perform and to maintain a certain desired weight caused many athletes to practice unhealthy

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eating habits. These pressures often lead to the Female Athlete Triad, which can have long term
serious health consequences. Better nutrition information and assessment methods are needed to
maintain a healthy lifestyle for these women athletes.
References
Blom, Lindsey C., Spardaro, Nina, & Watson, Jack C. II. (2010). The Impact of a Coaching
Intervention on the Coach-Athlete Dyad and Athlete Sport Experience. Athletic Insight,
Inc, 12(3),
Kransdorf, Lisa N., Vegunta, Suneela, & Files, Julia A. (2013). Everything in Moderation: What
the Female Athlete Triad Teaches Us About Energy Balance. Journal of Women’s
Health, 22(1): 790-792.
Laframboise, Michelle A., Borody, Cameron, & Stern, Paula. (2013). The female athlete triad: a
case series and narrative overview. J Can Chiropractic Association, 57(4), 316-326

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Nevill, AM, Winter EM, Ingham, S, Watts, A, Metsios GS, & Stewart, AD. (2010). Adjusting
Athletes’ Body Mass Index to Better Reflect Adiposity in Epidemiological Research. J.
Sports Sci, 28(9), 1009-16
Pollock, Noel, Grogan, Claire, Perry, Mark, Pedlar, Charles, Cooke, Karl, Morrissey, Dylan, &
Dimitriou, Lygeri. (2010). Bone-Mineral and other Features of the Female Athlete Triad
in Elite Endurance Runners: A Longitudinal and Cross-Sectional Observational Study.
International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 20(1), 418-426
Wiita, Barbara G, & Stombaugh, Isabelle A. (1996). Nutrition Knowledge, Eating Practices, and
Health of Adolescent Female Runners: A 3-Year Longitudinal Study. International
Journal of Sport Nutrition, 1(6), 414-425