College Athletes

It is well known that nutrition can enhance athletic performance. Athletes who usually consume a balanced diet tend to perform better than those who have a poor diet. However, many athletes are unaware of how important nutrition is and how it can affect health and performance. College athletes need training to perform well, but they also need a quality diet. Many college students are faced with barriers that can affect how healthy they actually eat, such as lack of time because of busy schedules, limited finances, and lack of preparation skills (Rash; 2008). Athletes often have a misconception of the roles that proteins, vitamins, and minerals play in the body and how much of each nutrient is required. Usually their macronutrient and micronutrient

Some people believe there are certain sports that are better performed by athletes with lean bodies. Because of this societal pressure, these athletes seem to be at greater risk for the development of eating disorders These athletes may develop poor nutritional behaviors such as skipping meals, binging or purging, the use of diet pills or laxatives, and excessive exercise, resulting in low energy availability (Marquez, 2013). The low energy availability seems to be the start of the disordered eating continuum, so it may be the common mechanistic factor underlying the eating disorder onset. Disordered eating is a part of the female athlete triad and is believed to be the cause of the presence of the other two components of the FAT, amenorrhea and decreased bone density. Disordered eating can also lead to chronic fatigue, anemia, depleted glycogen stores, and psychological problems such as anxiety, depression and low

Amenorrhea is the absence of menstruation for three or more months. This condition can be subcategorized into primary or secondary types. Primary amenorrhea is a delay in the age of menarche with an absence of menstruation+ by the age of 15. However, secondary amenorrhea occurs when females have a loss of three or more consecutive menstruations post-menarche and are not pregnant. Amenorrhea can be caused by diseases, genetic abnormalities, energy deficiency, and stress (Nazem, 2012). Functional hypothalamic amenorrhea is the type of amenorrhea most common in female athletes that is caused by changes in energy availability. Menstrual irregularity results from the suppression of the secretion of hypothalamic gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH), which leads to a reduced secretion of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). This prevents ovarian stimulation, and causes a fall in the levels of estrogens and progesterone. Hormonal alterations may also cause various problems, including negative effects on BMD, damage to soft tissue, inhibition of immune and thyroid function, and changes in renal function (Marquez,