Utilizing the Low Energy Availability in Females Questionnaire (LEAF-Q) to Assess Female Athlete Triad in Collegiate Athletes

BACKGROUND: The female athlete triad has a high prevalence in female athletes and is made up of three components: low energy availability, decreased bone mineral density and menstrual dysfunction. The triad is often recognized in the later stages in endurance sports such as cross country, track, and rowing, which causes significant health issues. The focus of this study is to use the Low Energy Availability in Females Questionnaire (LEAF-Q) to assess risk for the triad amongst all female collegiate endurance and non-endurance athletes, as previous studies have focused solely on endurance athletes. METHODS: A total of 51 female collegiate athletes attending Nova Southeastern University who compete in basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, rowing, and volleyball filled out the LEAF-Q on REDCap in a self-reported format. Athletes who completed the survey were divided into endurance or non-endurance groups. Independent t-tests were utilized to examine differences between endurance and non-endurance athletes for injuries, GI issues, and menstrual scores. RESULTS: An average score of 8.36 was obtained from the LEAF-Q, with a value greater than or equal to 8 meaning an individual is at risk for the triad. Between the non-endurance athletes versus the endurance athletes, 60.0% of the non-endurance athletes and 58.3% of the endurance athletes were found to be at risk of the triad. No significant differences in injuries per athlete (p = 0.135), GI issues (p = 0.352), and menstrual (p = 0.738) scores were found which means both types of athletes had similar results of being at risk of the triad. CONCLUSION: According to our findings, non-endurance athletes are at a similar risk of the triad compared to endurance athletes. Further research should be conducted on a larger number of female athletes from a variety of universities to increase the significance of the findings and to further the knowledge of the female athlete triad for athletes, coaches, and parents.