Abstract
Preventive and educational programs directed to former elite athletes in the areas of healthy living are required. This is particularly relevant as obesity and health-related problems are observed in retired athletes, especially in those whose current levels of physical activity are below the recommendations. During their sports career, elite athletes are supported by a multidisciplinary team; upon retirement, no support is provided for the transition to a different lifestyle. So far, no program has been implemented to promote sustained healthy lifestyle behaviors in the post-career transition and evidence is lacking for such an intervention. Firstly, we aim to determine if Champ4life, a 1-year lifestyle intervention targeting inactive former athletes with overweight and obesity, is effective for reducing total and abdominal fat. Secondly, our purpose is to assess the effectiveness of the intervention on the levels of physical activity and sedentary behavior, resting energy expenditure, cardio-metabolic markers, physical fitness, energy balance components, eating self-regulation markers, and quality of life over 12 months. Champ4life is an evidence- and theory-based program using a randomized control trial design (intervention vs. control group) that will be conducted on 94 inactive former elite athletes with overweight and obesity. The first four months of the Champ4Life program include a nutritional appointment and 12 weekly, 90-min sessions. Classroom sessions seek to provide participants with key information and a toolbox of behavior change techniques to initiate and sustain long-term lifestyle changes. Participants will undergo baseline, 4-month, and 12-month measurements of body composition (primary outcomes), resting energy expenditure, physical fitness, metabolic markers, energy balance related-markers, and quality of life (secondary outcome). This trial will provide evidence on the effectiveness of the Champ4life program, a pioneer lifestyle intervention for retired athletes, offering tools for sustained changes in physical activity, sedentary behavior and diet, aiming to improve body composition and overall health-related markers.
Highlights
Athletes are required to match their energy demands with an adequate energy intake to ensure good performance during their sports careers [1,2]
This paper describes the protocol for a randomized controlled trial, which aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the Champ4Life program in supporting former athletes to improve their lifestyles versus a waiting list control group that is offered the program after the 1-year follow-up
A preliminary screen will be completed to determine eligibility either by phone or at the FMH-UL in separate visits to eliminate a substantial proportion of ineligible volunteers; Debriefing session for potential participants will be provided at FMH-UL with information about the study, including clarification of possible questions; Visit 1, taking place at FMH-UL, will consist of a physician appointment and a first informed consent form required for laboratory visit 1
Summary
Athletes are required to match their energy demands with an adequate energy intake to ensure good performance during their sports careers [1,2]. In the United States, within the NFL, an obesity prevention program for retired athletes was implemented under the auspice of the Living Heart Foundation and supported by academic institutions [17] It is still unknown if a lifestyle intervention targeted at former athletes would be able to improve and sustain healthy lifestyle behaviors, such as increased PA, reduced sedentary behaviors, and better dietary choices. Understanding how energy balance (EB) is regulated under lifestyle interventions that are expected to induce weight loss is paramount for developing strategies that ensure participants’ success In this regard, interventions that support autonomous motivation for physical activity may foster increased engagement in self-regulation techniques and positively affect lifestyle health behaviors [35]. Secondary outcomes include cardio-metabolic blood biomarkers (e.g., glucose, insulin, HbA1c, lipids, liver function), adaptive thermogenesis blood-derived indices (leptin and thyroid function), weight and waist circumference, improvement in other body components (fat-free mass, water compartments), resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure, physical fitness (e.g., cardiorespiratory fitness, strength), free-living PA, sedentary time, energy balance regulation, eating self-regulation markers, and quality of life
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