17th Annual Student Research Conference
Human Potential and Performance
Survey of Bone Health Dietary Practices and Stress Fractures in Female Track Athletes
Abbie E. Smith
Dr. Jerry Mayhew, Faculty Mentor
Female athletes struggle with maintaining bone integrity throughout their competitive careers. The purpose of this study was to compare the bone health maintenance habits of college female track athletes that have never developed a stress fracture with those that have. Seventeen female varsity track athletes were assessed for body composition and completed a bone health and diet survey. Runners that had a history of stress fractures tended to be significantly shorter, lighter individuals, and consumed a daily supplement. Although not significantly different between the groups, body percent fat tended to be lower in those athletes who have developed a stress fracture. Although the small sample size may not provide for a generalization, it may appear that there are direct correlations among the body size, diet, and stress fractures of a female athlete.
Keywords: Stress Fracture, Diet, Calcium, Females
Topic(s):Exercise Science
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 17-3
Location: VH 1000
Time: 10:30