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Hydration, eating attitudes and behaviors in age and weight-restricted youth American football players
This 2021 study investigated the hydration status of young American football players and aimed to summarize their eating patterns. The study recruited 63 youth football players competing in different leagues. There is one league that requires players to regulate their weight, while another league imposes an age restriction. On average, the players arrived to the sports activities hypohydrated (with lower hydration levels than the body’s metabolic demands). Their body mass did not change by much during events. In terms of diet, the players ate 2 (± 1) meals and 1 (± 1) snack before events. The Children’s Eating Attitude Test (ChEAT) revealed that 21.6% of the young athletes were at risk for abnormal eating attitudes. There were reports of binge eating, vomiting, excessive exercise, and drastic weight loss among these football players. In summary, young American football players arrived at their sports session mildly hypohydrated and consumed enough fluids during activity to maintain water balance (euhydration). Some of these players showed abnormal eating attitudes and unhealthy weight loss methods. [NPID: american football, sports, sports psychology, disordered eating, eating disorder, binge eating, athletes, hydration, weight loss]
Year: 2021
