NCT06801210

The Weight of Victory: Exploring Short- and Long-term Health Outcomes in Former Male & Female Elite Athletes from Weight-sensitive Sports

The Weight of Victory: Exploring Short- and Long-term Health Outcomes in Former Male & Female Elite Atheltes from Weight-sensitive Sports

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: —
• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 1,500 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Norwegian School of Sport Sciences · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The health of former elite athletes has been identified as a critical research gap where there is limited knowledge about both short- and long-term consequences after ending their careers. The transition phase from an active elite career to everyday life has been shown to be particularly problematic, yet this issue has been little studied among former Norwegian elite athletes. Furthermore, questions remain regarding the health of athletes from weight-sensitive sports, such as weight-class, aesthetic, and certain endurance sports. These athletes face specific challenges related to maintaining a certain physique and frequent changes in body weight during their active careers. This group has been shown to be vulnerable to a range of problematic health outcomes related to low energy availability, and little is known about the long-term effects of a career involving this. Therefore, the overall purpose of the project is to map the mental and physical health of former elite athletes. At the same time, there will be a particular focus on the differences between weight-sensitive and less weight-sensitive sports, different types of sports, gender, as well as previous dieting and eating behaviors.

Detailed description

The project will be a quantitative cross-sectional study that includes former elite athletes from both weight-sensitive and less weight-sensitive sports, as well as a sample from the general population for comparison. Information will be collected via an electronic questionnaire that surveys a range of physical and mental health variables among the participants. In addition, behavioral variables related to impulse control, eating and dieting patterns, and weight regulation will be assessed. Furthermore, the project is expected to contribute new knowledge by identifying health challenges and the explanatory variables for these challenges among former elite athletes. Thus, the project can inform the development of targeted preventive measures, interventions, and policy changes that can improve health and quality of life both during and after athletes' careers and be of significant importance for future athletes.

Conditions

• Musculoskeletal Health
• Fertility
• Mental Health
• Quality of Life
• Body Image
• Disordered Eating

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-01-30
• Primary completion: 2025-06-01
• Completion: 2025-06-30
• First posted: 2025-01-30
• Last updated: 2025-01-30