Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, and Energy Restricted Diets in Female Athletes

doi:10.3390/sports4040050

Review

. 2016 Oct 21;4(4):50.

doi: 10.3390/sports4040050.

Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, and Energy Restricted Diets in Female Athletes

Lynn Cialdella-Kam¹, Danielle Kulpins², Melinda M Manore³

Affiliations

¹ School of Medicine, Department of Nutrition, Case Western Reserve University, WG 48, 2109 Aldebert Rd., Cleveland, OH 44106-4954, USA. lynn.kam@case.edu.
² School of Medicine, Department of Nutrition, Case Western Reserve University, WG 48, 2109 Aldebert Rd., Cleveland, OH 44106-4954, USA. dmk121@case.edu.
³ School of Biological and Population Sciences, Nutrition and Exercise Science, Oregon State University, 103 Milam Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA. melinda.manore@oregonstate.edu.

PMID: 29910298
PMCID: PMC5968895
DOI: 10.3390/sports4040050

Review

Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, and Energy Restricted Diets in Female Athletes

Lynn Cialdella-Kam et al. Sports (Basel). 2016.

. 2016 Oct 21;4(4):50.

doi: 10.3390/sports4040050.

Authors

Lynn Cialdella-Kam¹, Danielle Kulpins², Melinda M Manore³

Affiliations

¹ School of Medicine, Department of Nutrition, Case Western Reserve University, WG 48, 2109 Aldebert Rd., Cleveland, OH 44106-4954, USA. lynn.kam@case.edu.
² School of Medicine, Department of Nutrition, Case Western Reserve University, WG 48, 2109 Aldebert Rd., Cleveland, OH 44106-4954, USA. dmk121@case.edu.
³ School of Biological and Population Sciences, Nutrition and Exercise Science, Oregon State University, 103 Milam Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA. melinda.manore@oregonstate.edu.

PMID: 29910298
PMCID: PMC5968895
DOI: 10.3390/sports4040050

Abstract

Female athletes who follow a diet that fails to meet energy and nutrient needs are at risk for musculoskeletal injuries, menstrual disturbances, and poor sports performance. Common nutritional concerns for the female athlete include low energy availability (EA) (i.e., energy intake from food remaining for metabolic processes after accounting for energy expended during exercise) and inadequate dietary intakes (i.e., not meeting sports nutrition guidelines) of carbohydrates, protein, essential fatty acids (EFAs), B-vitamins, calcium, iron, and vitamin D. Low EA and the associated nutrient deficiencies are more common in athletes who compete in weight-sensitive sports (i.e., aesthetic, gravitational, and weight category sports) because low body fat and mass confer a competitive advantage. Other athletes at risk for energy and nutrient deficits include athletes following a vegetarian or gluten-free diet (GFD). Careful dietary planning can help an athlete meet energy and nutrient needs. This review covers the nutrition issues associated with low EA and special diets (i.e., vegetarian and GFD) and describes strategies to help female athletes meet their energy and nutrient needs.

Keywords: active females; amenorrhea; bone health; disordered eating; energy availability; sports performance.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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References

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1. Lis D.M., Stellingwerff T., Shing C.M., Ahuja K.D., Fell J.W. Exploring the popularity, experiences, and beliefs surrounding gluten-free diets in nonceliac athletes. Int. J. Sport Nutr. Exerc. Metab. 2015;25:37–45. doi: 10.1123/ijsnem.2013-0247. - DOI - PubMed
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1. Manore M.M., Kam L.C., Loucks A.B. The female athlete triad: Components, nutrition issues, and health consequences. J. Sports Sci. 2007;25:S61–S71. doi: 10.1080/02640410701607320. - DOI - PubMed

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[1] Sundgot-Borgen J., Meyer N.L., Lohman T.G., Ackland T.R., Maughan R.J., Stewart A.D., Muller W. How to minimise the health risks to athletes who compete in weight-sensitive sports review and position statement on behalf of the Ad Hoc Research Working Group on Body Composition, Health and Performance, under the auspices of the IOC Medical Commission. Br. J. Sports Med. 2013;47:1012–1022. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2013-092966. - DOI - PubMed

[2] Sundgot-Borgen J., Meyer N.L., Lohman T.G., Ackland T.R., Maughan R.J., Stewart A.D., Muller W. How to minimise the health risks to athletes who compete in weight-sensitive sports review and position statement on behalf of the Ad Hoc Research Working Group on Body Composition, Health and Performance, under the auspices of the IOC Medical Commission. Br. J. Sports Med. 2013;47:1012–1022. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2013-092966. - DOI - PubMed

[3] Larson-Meyer D.E. Vegetarian Sports Nutrition. Human Kinetics; Champaign, IL, USA: 2007. pp. 1–263.

[4] Larson-Meyer D.E. Vegetarian Sports Nutrition. Human Kinetics; Champaign, IL, USA: 2007. pp. 1–263.

[5] Lis D.M., Stellingwerff T., Shing C.M., Ahuja K.D., Fell J.W. Exploring the popularity, experiences, and beliefs surrounding gluten-free diets in nonceliac athletes. Int. J. Sport Nutr. Exerc. Metab. 2015;25:37–45. doi: 10.1123/ijsnem.2013-0247. - DOI - PubMed

[6] Lis D.M., Stellingwerff T., Shing C.M., Ahuja K.D., Fell J.W. Exploring the popularity, experiences, and beliefs surrounding gluten-free diets in nonceliac athletes. Int. J. Sport Nutr. Exerc. Metab. 2015;25:37–45. doi: 10.1123/ijsnem.2013-0247. - DOI - PubMed

[7] Leitzmann C. Vegetarian nutrition: Past, present, future. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2014;100:496S–502S. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.113.071365. - DOI - PubMed

[8] Leitzmann C. Vegetarian nutrition: Past, present, future. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2014;100:496S–502S. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.113.071365. - DOI - PubMed

[9] Manore M.M., Kam L.C., Loucks A.B. The female athlete triad: Components, nutrition issues, and health consequences. J. Sports Sci. 2007;25:S61–S71. doi: 10.1080/02640410701607320. - DOI - PubMed

[10] Manore M.M., Kam L.C., Loucks A.B. The female athlete triad: Components, nutrition issues, and health consequences. J. Sports Sci. 2007;25:S61–S71. doi: 10.1080/02640410701607320. - DOI - PubMed

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Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, and Energy Restricted Diets in Female Athletes

Affiliations

Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, and Energy Restricted Diets in Female Athletes

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

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Publication types

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