Female Artistic Gymnasts Research Articles

A three-year epidemiological study of injuries affecting young female gymnasts

Objectives. The purpose of this study was to determine the rate and distribution of injuries affecting beginning- and advanced-level competitive female gymnasts over a three-year period. Of particular interest, was the comparison of risk and severity of injury among these groups during training and competition. Design. Prospective cohort. Setting. Regional university and community-based gymnastics club in the Pacific Northwest. Participants. Seventy nine female artistic gymnasts, ages 7–18 years, representing USA Gymnastics competitive levels 4–10. Main outcome measures. Injury incidence. A log-linear model was used to estimate the relative risk (RR) of injury in competition versus training and among beginning versus advanced level gymnasts. Chi square analysis using Fisher's exact test was used to compare the distribution of injuries by event, anatomical location, type and time loss. Results. During the study, 60 of 79 gymnasts sustained 192 injuries while 19 gymnasts remained injury-free. The overall injury rate was 2.5 injuries/1000 h. The RR of injury during competition relative to practice was 2.69 (95% CI: 1.53, 4.75; p≤0.001). This was mostly driven by the advanced group; when stratified by competition level and compared to all practice injuries, the RR of injury during competition was 0.47 (95% CI: 0.07, 3.42) for the beginning group, and 4.34 (95% CI: 2.39, 7.88; p=0.035) for the advanced group. Chi square analyses showed a variant injury distribution for injury location, event, and time loss depending on competitive group and whether injury occurred during practice or competition. Notably, a greater proportion of severe injuries, as measured by time loss, affected advanced- than beginning-level gymnasts (Fisher's exact p-value=0.003) and occurred in competition relative to practice (Fisher's exact p-value=0.007). Conclusions. The findings of this study suggest that advanced-level competitive female gymnasts experience a higher risk and severity of injury compared to their beginning-level counterparts, especially during competition.

Effects of 16 weeks of training prior to a major competition on hormonal and biochemical parameters in young elite gymnasts.

The aim of this study was to investigate the response to 16 weeks of training on selected hormonal and biological parameters in seven international competition level female artistic gymnasts (14.5 +/- 1.2 years). Data were collected at the beginning of the first training week (W1) and in the 16th week (W16). Assessments also included anthropometric measurements, dietary intake for 7 days and Tanner staging. No gymnast had reached menarche and the puberty stages corresponded to Tanner's pubertal stage 2. The gymnasts were smaller than average for their age group, with a height:weight ratio above the 50th percentile. Energy intake was about 31% lower than recommendations. Significant decreases in IGF-I, IGFBP3, IGF-I:C ratio and triglyceride values and increases in uric acid and creatinine levels were noted. Cortisol values were high regardless of the period. This training provided evidence for alterations in resting somatotropic and adrenocorticotropic parameters.

A prospective study of bone mass and body composition in female adolescent gymnasts

Objective: To examine changes in bone and body composition of adolescent female artistic gymnasts (GYM; n = 7), level 5+, compared with nongymnast controls (CON; n = 10) over 3 years. Study design: Areal bone mineral density (aBMD; g/cm2), bone mineral content (BMC; g) and bone area (cm2), of the total body (TB), total proximal femur (TPF), trochanter (Tr), femoral neck, lumbar spine (LS), and distal radius were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Fat-free soft tissue mass (FFST; g), fat mass (g), and percent body fat (%FAT) were also assessed. Results: No initial differences in height or weight between GYM and CON were observed, and both groups demonstrated parallel increases in these parameters over time (P <.05; h2 ≥0.15). At baseline, GYM possessed significantly lower %FAT and higher aBMD at all sites (except TB; P <.05; h2 ≥0.15). Over 3 years, GYM increased more than CON (P <.05; η 2 ≥0.15) in TB, Tr, and TPF aBMD, TB and LS BMC, and FFST. Conclusion: Female adolescents participating in competitive artistic gymnastics training over 3 years have enhanced rates of aBMD, BMC and FFST accrual. (J Pediatr 2002;141:211-6)

Long-Term training induces specific adaptations on the physique of rhythmic sports and female artistic gymnasts

The purpose of the present study was to observe the specific adaptations, induced by long-term training, on the physique of rhythmic sports (RSG) and artistic gymnasts (GYM). Two hundred females (N = 200) aged 8–17 years (RSG: n = 60; GYM: n = 60; CONTROL: n = 80) participated in the study. Measurements of height, body mass, sitting height, armspan, skinfold thickness, circumferences, and diameters were obtained. The MANOVA and the Scheffe post hoc test indicated that GYM athletes were shorter in height (p < .01), lower in body mass (p < .01), had lower values in fat content (p < .001), had narrow bi-iliac breadth (p < .001), but presented higher values in the upper limb circumferences (p < .01) as compared to the females of the control and the RSG groups. On the other hand, RSG athletes had leaner upper limbs than nonathletes (p < .01), presented broad shoulders (p < .05), and had a prevalence in the lower limbs against the trunk (p < .05). Significant differences were also observed in circumferences between the right and left legs (p < .05) in RSG elite athletes. Apart from the differences between athletes and non-athletes, these observations suggest that long-term training affects the muscle mass of the upper limbs in GYM gymnasts, due to the dynamic structure of supporting exercises. In addition, the significant differences between left and right legs (thigh and calf circumferences), only in RSG elite gymnasts, point out the unilateral adaptations for the thigh of the raised prevalent working leg and for the calf of the supported leg due to one-sided specific training demands.

Longitudinal bone mineral density changes in female child artistic gymnasts.

Changes in bone mineral density (BMD), and related factors, in female child artistic gymnasts (n = 9) and their age- (+/-0.3 years), height- (+/-2.8 cm), and weight- (+/-1.7 kg) matched controls (n = 9) were prospectively examined. It was hypothesized that gymnasts would possess higher BMD at baseline, 6, and 12 months later and have greater gains in BMD over 1 year compared with controls. BMD (g/cm2) of the total proximal femur (TPF), Ward's triangle (WT), trochanter (Troch), femoral neck (FN), lumbar spine (LS, L1-L4), and total body (TB) were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Physical activity was measured by a 7-day recall; daily dietary intakes of energy and nutrients were estimated from 3-day records. Serum osteocalcin and urinary pyridinium cross-links were measured by radioimmunoassay and high performance liquid chromatography, respectively. Gymnasts versus controls possessed significantly higher BMD at all sites measured. Although not significantly different (p > 0.05), gymnasts compared with controls had moderately larger percentage changes in Troch (% Delta = 8.6 +/- 3.0 vs. 3.8 +/- 5.1%, d = 0.41), FN (% Delta = 6.1 +/- 1.2 vs. 3.9 +/- 1.6%, d = 0.55), LS (% Delta = 7.8 +/- 1.1 vs. 6.8 +/- 1.6%, d = 0.26), and TB BMD (% Delta = 5.6 +/- 0.8 vs. 3.4 +/- 0.7%, d = 0.98) as evidenced by the magnitude of the effect sizes (d). Gymnasts versus controls possessed a lower percentage body fat (p < 0.01) and engaged in more hours of very hard activity (p < 0.0001). Calcium, as a percentage of adequate intake, decreased over 12 months (p < 0.01), and urinary cross-links significantly decreased over 6 months in both groups. Female child gymnasts possess higher BMD at the TPF and related sites, LS, and TB compared with nongymnast controls, and 1 year of gymnastics training moderately increases Troch, FN, LS, and TB BMD for gymnasts compared with controls. These findings lend support to the idea that gymnastics training in childhood helps maximize peak BMD.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BONE MINERAL DENSITY, ENERGY INTAKE AND MENSTRUAL STATUS IN ELITE FEMALE GYMNASTS

1187 The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between nutrient intake and menstrual status on bone mineral density (BMD) in young female elite artistic gymnasts. The measurements were obtained on 33 gymnasts from the United States National Junior and Senior teams. Data were collected on nutrient intake, menstrual status, percent body mass, percent lean mass, and arm, leg, rib, pelvis, spine, trunk, and total BMD. Mean age, height and weight of the subjects were 15.09 yr. (± 1.33), 151.35cm (±7.10), and 46.83kg (±8.27), respectively. Gymnasts who had achieved menses had significantly higher BMD at areas of the arm (p=.013), leg (p=.044), rib (=.045), spine (p=.006), and trunk (p=.015) than those gymnasts who had not achieved menses. Gymnasts had significantly lower average kcal intakes when compared to the RDAs (p=.000). Those gymnasts who achieved menarche consumed significantly fewer kcals than those who had not achieved menses in both average kcal intake determined from the food records (p=.010) and timeline average kcal intake (p=.009). Furthermore, those gymnasts who had achieved menses had significantly higher percent body fat measures than those who had never menstruated. These data suggest that the presence of estrogen and other contributing factors may lead to increases in BMD. Supported by USOC-SST-GYM1-97

The spine--a problem area in high performance artistic gymnastics. A retrospective analysis of 24 former artistic gymnasts of the German A team

24 former female artistic gymnasts of the German national team were examined for spinal deformities after the end of their athletic career. In 3 cases we found osseous lesions of the spine without neurological complications. However, emphasis was on spinal changes due to stress. During their athletic career 15 gymnasts complained of low back pain which persisted in 7 of them after finishing their athletic activities. The lumbar radiographs revealed bilateral spondylolysis at L5 in 6, unilateral spondylolysis in 1, spondylolisthesis at L5/S1 in 3, degenerative changes of the intervertebral joints in 5, retrolisthesis at L5/S1 in 2, and scoliosis in 6 cases.