Effect of Improving Physical Conditions and Female Athlete Literacy Behaviors: Intervention Study

The female athlete triad is characterized by low energy availability, menstrual dysfunction, and low bone density. Female athletes are largely unaware of the triad and its consequences. Female athlete literacy is a new concept that refers to the ability to access, understand, and use sports science information relevant to female athletes. We constructed a female athlete conditioning program to disseminate knowledge about the triad; screen for physical conditions such as body composition, bone density, menstrual status, and energy balance; and improve female athlete literacy. The purpose of this study was to determine whether this program improves physical conditions and qualitative change of female athlete literacy behaviors among Japanese female soccer players. The program was evaluated during the intervention and 6 months later. Body composition, bone density, energy balance, and qualitative stage for female athlete literacy behaviors on topics such as self-conditioning, energy balance, body weight, and menstrual management were measured. The qualitative change in the stage for female athlete literacy behaviors, body weight, lean body mass, and bone density improved after the program; percent body fat significantly decreased. Energy intake significantly increased after the program, whereas exercise expenditure and energy availability did not change. This study demonstrated that a female athlete conditioning program improves body composition, energy intake, and bone density, as well as qualitative stage for female athlete literacy behaviors. These findings suggest that improving female athlete literacy may be useful for maintaining good health and improving physical conditioning among female athletes.