The association between sport nutrition knowledge, nutritional intake, energy availability, and training characteristics with the risk of an eating disorder amongst highly trained competitive road cyclists

Abstract

Abstract Purpose To determine the association between sport nutrition knowledge, nutritional intake, energy availability, and training characteristics with the risk of an eating disorder amongst highly trained competitive cyclists. Methods Using an observational cohort study design, 36 male cyclists (age = 23.1 ± 3.9 years) provided information on personal characteristics, training history and functional threshold power. The cyclists completed the sports nutrition knowledge questionnaire (SNKQ) and brief eating disorder in athletes questionnaire (BEDA-Q) before submitting a three-day food diary to quantify energy and macronutrient intake, and calculate energy availability. Results The estimated lean body mass, years training, weekly on-bike training and functional threshold power were 57.6 ± 3.9 kg, 5.9 ± 3.0 years, 16.4 ± 3.2 h and 355 ± 33 W, respectively. The mean score for the SNKQ was 60.0 ± 8.4% whilst the BEDA-Q score was 4.3 ± 4.1 AU. Training and rest day energy availability was 16 ± 18 kcal·kg eLBM−1 and 44 ± 14 kcal·kg eLBM−1, respectively. Associations between SNKQ with energy intake (r = 0.13, P = 0.553) and availability (r = 0.21, P = 0.345) were trivial to small. There was a large, negative association between SNKQ and BEDA-Q (r = –0.55, P = 0.006) suggesting that for every correct answer on the SNKQ, the BEDA-Q score reduced by 0.3 AU. All other association with the BEDA-Q were trivial to small (r = –0.29–0.27, all P > 0.05). Conclusion The results indicate that sport nutrition knowledge and energy intake was insufficient to match their training demand on training days. The large, negative association between SNKQ and BEDA-Q suggests that those highly trained cyclists with less sport nutrition knowledge may be at a greater risk of an eating disorder.