Question

⦁ Explain the main differences in characteristics of an athlete diagnosed as suffering from anorexia nervosa compared with bulimia nervosa.

⦁ State the factors that may increase the risk of developing an eating disorder in young female athletes.

⦁ Examine the potential effect of eating disorders on physiological function and endurance exercise performance in female runners.

Answer 1

Anorexia nervosa - It is an eating disorder characterized by

• inability to gain weight
• A fear of gaining weight

Bulimia nervosa - it is an eating disorder characterized by

• Binge eating
• Indulge in activities to help loss weight - diuretics, laxatives, fasting

Both these disorder are eating disorders and there is an altered sense of self ( in terms of body image)

The difference between anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa

	anorexia nervosa	bulimia nervosa
Growth status	Stunted	not affected
electrolyte	hypomagnesemia, hypophosphatemia, hypokalemia on feeding	hypomagnesemia, hypokalemia with hypochloremic alkalosis
Gastrointestinal	bloating, constipation delayed gastric empty	constipation delayed gastric empty, early satiety, flatulence, gastroesophageal reflux,
Metabolic	hypoglycemia, hypotriglyceridemia	Fluid retention and edema
nutritional deficiency	Protein-energy malnutrition, micronutrient deficiency	Variable
Skeletal	Osteopenia, osteoporosis	-
Dental	-	Dental caries present
Cardiovascular	Orthostatic hypotension, bradycardia,	Cardiac arrhythmia and palpitation
Endocrine	Cold insensitivity	-

Answer: 2

Risk factors for eating disorders in athletes are:

1. Female gender
2. Genetic predisposition is seen
3. Personality traits
   1. Highly sensitive to others opinion ( good as well as bad)
   2. Perfectionism
   3. Low self-esteem
4. Food obsession
5. A traumatic event in the childhood
   1. Physical or sexual abuse
   2. Emotional trauma
   3. Bullying in the school
   4. Death of a loved one
6. Diet can be a trigger
7. If the sport requires the athlete to be in a particular size and shape
8. If winning is associated with more than the glory
9. Increase awareness of body image
10. High expectations of parents and coaches

Answer 3:

Effect of eating disorder on female athletes

• Reduce muscle mass
• Poor eating habits and use of laxatives and purging will lead to electrolyte imbalance
• Osteoporosis and osteopenia can lead to a stress fracture - this can affect performance and disrupt the training session
• Cardiac arrhythmias can make it difficult for the athlete to perform
• All these effects can affect the athlete's ability to concentrate.