The Trojan Lifetime Champions Health Survey: development, validity, and reliability

Interassociation Consensus Statement on Sports Nutrition Models for the Provision of Nutrition Services From Registered Dietitian Nutritionists in Collegiate Athletics

Collegiate athletic programs are increasingly adding nutrition services to interdisciplinary sports medicine and sports performance departments in response to scientific evidence highlighting nutrition's integral role in supporting athletic performance and overall health. Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) specializing in sports dietetics (ie, sports RDNs) and credentialed Board-certified Specialists in Sports Dietetics (CSSDs) are the preferred nutrition service providers for these programs. Their extensive training and proficiency in medical nutrition therapy, education and behavioral counseling, food-service management, exercise physiology, physical performance, and administration, as defined by the "Standards of Practice and "Standards of Professional Performance" for Registered Dietitian Nutritionists in Sports Nutrition and Human Performance," make these practitioners uniquely qualified to deliver the breadth of care required in the collegiate setting. Therefore, this document, guided by a multidisciplinary panel, introduces 4 sports nutrition models through which any collegiate athletic program can deliver sports RDN-directed nutrition services. In each model, the most effective staffing and scope of service are indicated and reviewed. In addition, recommended organizational structures for sports RDNs are provided that best support the delivery of the model's nutrition services in a variety of collegiate athletic programs and organizational settings. Lastly, future research initiatives and nutrition interventions to help improve the standard of care through these sport nutrition models are explored.

Life span exercise among elite intercollegiate student athletes

Background:

Despite prominent public attention, data on life span health and exercise outcomes among elite, competitive athletes are sparse and do not reflect the diversity of modern athletes.

Hypothesis:

Life span exercise behavior differs between National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) student athletes and a nonathlete control group. Sustained exercise is associated with improved cardiopulmonary health outcomes.

Study Design:

Cross-sectional, descriptive epidemiology study.

Level of Evidence:

Level 3.

Methods:

A total of 496 students and alumni (age range, 17-84 year) at a large, NCAA Division I university, including student athletes and an age- and sex-matched nonathlete control group, completed anonymous, self-report health and exercise questionnaires. Age-stratified, cross-sectional analysis evaluated previous week’s total exercise volume (ExVol), self-rated exercise importance (ExImp), and compliance with American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) exercise guidelines for healthy adults. The association of ACSM guideline compliance with lifetime cardiopulmonary health outcomes was also assessed.

Results:

Current student athletes reported significantly greater ExVol (P < 0.001. Cohen d = 0.99, probability of clinically important difference [pCID] >99.5%), ExImp (P < 0.001, d = 1.96, pCID = 96%), and likelihood of compliance with ACSM guidelines (odds ratio [OR], 95% confidence interval [CI] = 30.6, 11.0-84.6) compared with nonathletes. No significant differences were found between alumni student athletes and nonathletes. Alumni student athletes demonstrated substantially lower ExVol (P < 0.001, d = –0.94, pCID >99.5%) and guideline compliance (OR = 0.09, 95% CI = 0.05-0.19) compared with current student athletes, whereas nonathletes had similar exercise behavior across the life span. Among alumni, ACSM guideline compliance was associated with significant attenuation of cardiopulmonary health concerns (P = 0.02, d = –0.50, pCID = 14%) independent of intercollegiate athletic participation.

Conclusion:

Although current NCAA Division I student athletes demonstrated significant, clinically important differences in exercise behavior compared with nonathletes, no group differences were evident later in life. Irrespective of collegiate athletic status, healthy exercise behavior among alumni was associated with cardiopulmonary health benefits.

Clinical Relevance:

To realize life span health benefits, it is imperative that student athletes maintain consistent patterns of healthy exercise beyond retirement from competitive sports.

Holistic life-span health outcomes among elite intercollegiate student-athletes

CONTEXT

Competitive sports are recognized as having unique health benefits and risks, and the effect of sports on life-span health among elite athletes has received increasing attention. However, supporting scientific data are sparse and do not represent modern athletes.

OBJECTIVE

To assess holistic life-span health and health-related quality-of-life (HRQL) among current and former National Collegiate Athletic Association student-athletes (SAs).

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING

A large Division I university.

PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS

Population-based sample of 496 university students and alumni (age 17-84 years), including SAs and an age-matched and sex-matched nonathlete (NA) control group.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

Participants completed anonymous, self-report questionnaires. We measured the Short-Form 12 (SF-12) physical and mental component HRQL scores and cumulative lifetime experience and relative risk of treatment for joint, cardiopulmonary, and psychosocial health concerns.

RESULTS

Older alumni (age 43+ years) SAs reported greater joint health concerns than NAs (larger joint summary scores; P = .04; Cohen d = 0.69; probability of clinically important difference [pCID] = 77%; treatment odds ratio [OR] = 14.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.6, 126). Joint health for current and younger alumni SAs was similar to that for NAs. Older alumni reported greater cardiopulmonary health concerns than younger alumni (summary score P < .001; d = 1.05; pCID = 85%; OR = 5.8, 95% CI = 2.0, 16) and current students (P < .001; d = 2.25; pCID >99.5%; OR = 7.1, 95% CI = 3.3, 15), but the risk was similar for SAs and NAs. Current SAs demonstrated evidence of better psychosocial health (summary score P = .006; d = -0.52; pCID = 40%) and mental component HRQL (P = .008; d = 0.50; pCID = 48%) versus NAs but similar psychosocial treatment odds (OR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.39, 1.9). Psychosocial health and mental component HRQL were similar between alumni SAs and NAs. No differences were observed between SAs and NAs in physical component HRQL.

CONCLUSIONS

The SAs demonstrated significant, clinically meaningful evidence of greater joint health concerns later in life, comparable cardiopulmonary health, and differences in life-span psychosocial health and HRQL profiles compared with NAs. These data provide timely evidence regarding a compelling public issue and highlight the need for further study of life-span health among modern athletes.