The mission of the Symposium of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE) is to provide a university-wide forum for Central Washington University (CWU) students, encouraging equity, diversity, and inclusivity, representing all disciplines and experience levels, to present their mentored research, scholarship, and creative works in a juried environment that meets professional conference standards and expectations.
The 2022 SOURCE program is hybrid. Pre-recorded virtual talks are colored green and can be watched anytime. Live/in-person sessions with Zoom access can be found in the daily schedule. Thank you for joining us!
To vote for the 2023 SOURCE poster, click here To learn more about SOURCE or give to support the students of Central visit, https://www.cwu.edu/source Connect on social media with @CentralWashU, @cwusource, #SOURCE2022, #CWUTogether
Distance runners may be at risk for disordered eating (DE) habits and low energy availability (LEA) due to increased energy expenditure with or without decreased energy intake, which leads to negative health and performance outcomes, such as menstrual dysfunction. Purpose: This study investigated risk of DE, LEA, and estimated the prevalence of menstrual dysfunction (MD) among female collegiate runners. Methods: Female runners (n = 325) who compete on an NCAA Division I, II, or III cross-country and/or track team completed an online questionnaire (45 questions). This included the Low Energy Availability in Females Questionnaire (LEAF-Q) which examined incidence of stress fractures, occurrence and frequency of menstrual cycles within the previous 12 months, contraceptive use, and gastrointestinal function. The Disordered Eating Screening Assessment (DESA-6) was included to examine risk of DE. Runners with MD (oligomenorrhea and amenorrhea) were defined as reporting < 9 cycles within the previous 12 months. Those taking hormonal birth control were excluded from this analysis. Results: A high prevalence of athletes were at risk for LEA (56.6%), with 184 athletes scoring > 8 on the LEAF-Q. 42.5% were at risk for DE, and 13.2% of athletes reported menstrual dysfunction. Conclusion: Consistent with previous literature, a substantial percentage of athletes were found to be at risk for DE and LEA. These findings, along with a high prevalence of MD, demonstrate that collegiate female runners are at risk for health and performance consequences associated with LEA and DE.
