Biomedical subjects

Monica Klungland Torstveit

Publications and source records attributed to Monica Klungland Torstveit.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

The female athlete triad: are elite athletes at increased risk?

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to examine the percentage of elite athletes and controls at risk of the female athlete triad. METHODS: A detailed questionnaire, which included questions regarding training and/or physical activity patterns, menstrual history, oral contraceptive use, weight history, eating patterns, dietary history, and the Body Dissatisfaction (BD) and Drive for Thinness (DT) subscales of the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI), was prepared. The questionnaire was administered to the total population of female elite athletes in Norway representing the national teams at the junior or senior level, 13-39 yr of age (N = 938) and non-athlete controls in the same age group (N = 900). After exclusion, a total of 669 athletes (88%) and 607 controls (70%) completed the questionnaire satisfactorily. RESULTS: A higher percentage of controls (69.2%) than athletes (60.4%) was classified as being at risk of the Triad (P < 0.01). A higher percentage of controls than athletes reported use of pathogenic weight-control methods and had high BD subscale scores (P < 0.001). However, more athletes reported menstrual dysfunction and stress fractures compared with controls (P < 0.05). A higher percentage of both athletes competing in leanness sports (70.1%) and the non-athlete control group (69.2%) was classified as being at risk of the Triad compared with athletes competing in non-leanness sports (55.3%) (P < 0.001). Furthermore, a higher percentage of athletes competing in aesthetic sports (66.4%) than ball game sports (52.6%) was classified as being at risk of the Triad (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: More athletes competing in leanness sports and more non-athlete controls were classified as being at risk of the Triad compared with athletes competing in non-leanness sports.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

The female athlete triad exists in both elite athletes and controls.

PURPOSE: To examine the prevalence of the female athlete triad (the Triad) in Norwegian elite athletes and controls. METHODS: This study was conducted in three phases: (part I) screening by means of a detailed questionnaire, (part II) measurement of bone mineral density (BMD), and (part III) clinical interview. In part I, all female elite athletes representing the national teams at junior or senior level, aged 13-39 yr (N = 938) and an age group-matched randomly selected population-based control group (N = 900) were invited to participate. The questionnaire was completed by 88% of the athletes and 70% of the controls. Based on data from part I, a stratified random sample of athletes (N = 300) and controls (N = 300) was selected and invited to participate in parts II and III of the study. 186 athletes (62%) and 145 controls (48%) participated in all parts of the study. RESULTS: Eight athletes (4.3%) and five controls (3.4%) met all the criteria for the Triad (disordered eating/eating disorder, menstrual dysfunction, and low BMD). Six of the athletes who met all the Triad criteria competed in leanness sports, and two in nonleanness sports. When evaluating the presence of two of the components of the Triad, prevalence ranged from 5.4 to 26.9% in the athletes and from 12.4 to 15.2% in the controls. CONCLUSION: Our results support the assumption that a significant proportion of female athletes suffer from the components of the Triad. In addition, we found that the Triad is also present in normal active females. Therefore, prevention of one or more of the Triad components should be geared towards all physically active girls and young women.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

PubMed2004

Bone mineral density in Norwegian premenopausal women.

The aims of this study were: 1) to determine bone mineral density (BMD) in different age groups, 2) to determine the prevalence of low BMD, and 3) to determine the possible association between BMD and a number of risk factors in Norwegian premenopausal women. BMD of the lumbar spine (L(2)-L(4)), total body, and the hip (total femur, femur neck, and trochanter) were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (Prodigy, Lunar) in 145 randomly selected women aged 13-39 years. Information on other factors thought to influence BMD was obtained through questionnaire and a clinical interview. The group aged 25-29 years had the highest mean BMD in the total body, lumbar spine, and total femur while the group aged 13-19 years had the highest mean BMD in the femur neck and the trochanter. The mean BMD values of Norwegian premenopausal women were 3.4-5.1% higher than US/European reference data (P<0.05). Five percent of the study sample aged 20-39 years were defined with low BMD (Z-score <-2) using the standard values from this study. Weight-bearing physical activity, body weight, body height, and age were positively associated with BMD, whilst menstrual dysfunction and previous pregnancy were associated with lower BMD in some of the measurement sites. The results show that the factors associated with BMD are extensive, and the strategies to prevent low BMD have to be multifactorial. A follow-up study should be conducted on the study sample to investigate actual mean BMD values and BMD changes through time.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

PubMed2004

[Are young Norwegian women sufficiently physically active?].

BACKGROUND: The physical activity level of girls and young women is not known in Norway, hence the aim of this survey was to study physical activity and compare it with national recommendations for physical activity. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A questionnaire including the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was administered to a representative sample of women aged 13-39 years (n=900). The response rate was 69%; 549 women were included in the study. RESULTS: The physical activity level and intensity of exercise decreased with increasing age. 52 % percent of those aged 13-19 met the recommendations for adolescents: at least one hour of activity per day, including walking or other activities of at least moderate intensity. 63% percent of women in the age group 20-39 were physically active during the last week, on average at least 30 minutes every day at moderate intensity. In the age bracket 20-29 and 30-39 years, 72%, and 57%, respectively met the recommendations. INTERPRETATION: The activity level decreased with increasing age. Every second adolescent girl and four in ten young women were not as physically active as recommended.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

[Eating disorders among athletes].

Over the past 20 years, a number of studies have been published that generally suggest a higher frequency of eating disorders among athletes than among non-athletes. Participation in competitive sport has also been considered an important factor related to the development of eating disorders. Taken together, most studies have suggested that eating disorders are particularly prevalent in sports that emphasise leanness or low body weight. However, some studies suggest a similar or lower prevalence of eating disorders compared with controls or athletes at a lower competitive level. Athletes constitute a unique population and the impact of factors such as training, eating pattern, extreme diets, restriction of food intake and psychopathological profile among them must be evaluated differently from that among non-athletes. A concerted effort by coaches, athletic trainers, parents, athletes and healthcare personnel is optimal in order to recognise, prevent and treat eating disorders in athletes.

Anorexia Nervosa↗

PubMed2004

Prevalence of eating disorders in elite athletes is higher than in the general population.

OBJECTIVE: The objectives of the study were to examine the prevalence of anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), anorexia athletica (AA), and eating disorders not otherwise specified (ED-NOS) in both male and female Norwegian elite athletes and a representative sample from the general Norwegian population. DESIGN: A 2-step study including self-reported questionnaire and clinical interview. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: The entire population of Norwegian male and female elite athletes (n=1620) and controls (n=1696) was evaluated for the presence of eating disorders (EDs). MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENT: Based on the results of the questionnaire, all athletes and controls classified as at risk for EDs, and a representative sample of athletes and controls classified as healthy participated in the clinical part of the study to determine the number of subjects meeting the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV criteria for EDs. RESULTS: More athletes (13.5%) than controls (4.6%; P<0.001) had subclinical or clinical EDs. The prevalence of EDs among male athletes was greater in antigravitation sports (22%) than in ball game (5%) and endurance sports (9%; P<0.05). The prevalence of EDs among female athletes competing in aesthetic sports (42%) was higher than that observed in endurance (24%), technical (17%), and ball game sports (16%). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of EDs is higher in athletes than in controls, higher in female athletes than in male athletes, and more common among those competing in leanness-dependent and weight-dependent sports than in other sports. A collaborative effort among coaches, athletic trainers, parents, physicians, and athletes is optimal for recognizing, preventing, and treating EDs in athletes.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

[Bone adaptation to mechanical loading].

BACKGROUND: In general, regular physical activity has a strong effect in promoting health and preventing diseases. Bone health is promoted through regular weight-bearing physical activity that uses muscular strength and power and exerts force on the skeleton above normal levels. Some theories have been advanced to explain the relationship between mechanical loading and the bone tissue's biological response. The aim of this review is to review some of these theories and discuss how bone adapts to mechanical loading. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The literature was identified on Medline. In addition, relevant books were examined. RESULTS: The mechanostat theory is widely accepted. It is based on the assumption that bone structure changes through a feedback system in which changes in peak mechanical strain drive bone cells to change bone structure. Other theories suggest that bone formation depends upon the number of strain cycles, strain distribution and strain rate, not only the strain magnitude as suggested in the mechanostat theory. INTERPRETATION: The magnitude of the loading, type of activity, the rate of the activity, and the number of repetitions seem to be important factors associated with the effect of physical activity on bone.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

PubMed2002

[Does exercise improve the skeleton of young women?].

BACKGROUND: High bone mineral density (BMD) at menopause can reduce the risk for osteoporotic fractures later in life, hence it is important to identify factors that can increase or maintain BMD during the premenopausal years. Physical activity is considered a major factor. This review examines how physical activity affects BMD in premenopausal women. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The literature was identified on Medline. In addition, relevant books were examined. RESULTS: Research indicates that weight-bearing exercises that involve high-magnitude loading can maintain or increase BMD in premenopausal women, especially in the loaded bones. Low to moderate intensive training and non-weight bearing exercise show minor or no effect on BMD. INTERPRETATION: In every day life, effective physical activity or training to maintain or increase bone mass in young women ought to include short-term high mechanical load, preferably with unusual load distribution, which also is fast and dynamic. Physical activity in young women seems to be an important factor in reducing the risk of osteoporotic fractures later in life.

Adult↗