Female Physique Research Articles

Menstrual cycle disorders as an early symptom of energy deficiency among female physique athletes assessed using the Low Energy Availability in Females Questionnaire (LEAF-Q)

Physique competitions are weight-sensitive sports in which stage presentation, aesthetic appearance and posing ability of the athletes are judged rather than physical performance. The aim of this study was to assess low energy availability among female physique athletes by using the LEAF-Q. The study involved 104 females who were physique athletes. Monthly cycle disorders were reported in 58.65% of the women, that is periods stopped for three consecutive months or longer (amenorrhea). This situation occurred before the research was conducted in 43.27% of athletes and during the research in 15.38%. The physique athletes claimed that menstruation changes occurred when there was an increased exercise intensity, frequency or duration. Absence from training due to injury was reported by 27.88% of the women. The LEAF-Q identified 46.15% of the physique athletes as at risk (score ≥ 8) of low energy availability and the physiological consequences related to RED-S. Women who had menstrual cycle disorders were younger and did more training per week. Among women with menstrual disorders, cramps or stomach ache which cannot be related to menstruation occurred more frequently (p = 0.004). Absence from training or lack of participation in competition due to injuries occurred more frequently in the score ≥ 8 group (p = 0.024) thank the ≤ score 8 group. In the score ≥ 8 group menstruation changes, that is less bleeding or cessation of menstruation (p = 0.035), occurred more frequently when there was an increase in exercise intensity, frequency or duration (p = 0.002).

Nutrition, Training, Supplementation, and Performance-Enhancing Drug Practices of Male and Female Physique Athletes Peaking for Competition.

Escalante, G, Barakat, C, Tinsley, GM, and Schoenfeld, BJ. Nutrition, training, supplementation, and performance-enhancing drug practices of male and female physique athletes peaking for competition. J Strength Cond Res 37(8): e444-e454, 2023-The purpose of this descriptive investigation was threefold: (a) to assess the nutrition, training, supplement, and performance-enhancement drug practices of male and female physique competitors 30 days before competition; (b) to examine the specific water and macronutrient manipulation performed by competitors during the last 3 days before competition; and (c) to assess physiological responses to precontest preparation including body composition, body fluids, resting heart rate, and blood pressure. Competitors reported performing moderately high volume, moderate to high repetition, split-body resistance training programs performed on most days of the week; the programs included the use of a variety of advanced training methods. A majority of competitors included cardio to expedite fat loss, and most reported performing cardio in a fasted state despite a lack of objective evidentiary support for the practice. Competitors substantially restricted calories and consumed protein in amounts well above research-based guidelines (>3 g·kg -1 ·d -1 ); carbohydrate and lipid intake were highly variable. Water was substantially reduced in the final 3 days before competition. Competitors used a variety of dietary supplements throughout the study period, many of which are not supported by research. Both male and female competitors reported using performance enhancing drugs (∼48 and ∼38%, respectively) including testosterone derivatives, selective androgen receptor modulators, and human growth hormone. More research is warranted to elucidate safer and more effective peak week practices for physique competitors.

Self-loving in the epidemic years: Carmen Machado’s rhetoric of woundedness

This article explores Carmen Machado’s Her Body and Other Parties (2017) as articulating generative unmaking of bodies. Mobilizing that which I examine as rhetoric of woundedness, a thread of Latina rhetoric wherein wounds are strategically positioned to emphasize flesh as space of conflict, Machado writes body horrors to provoke dis-ease in audiences. Specifically, Machado highlights pervasive discursive discomforts that decentralize narratives about women’s body (un)wellness. It is important to note, however, that Machado’s attention to the corporal becomes, in part, rejection of body, a de-composition of physicality—sometimes reached through sexual ecstasy, other times through violence and epidemics—to re-compose self. Such a tactic recalls conversations advanced in Cherríe Moraga’s writings and Yvonne Yarbro-Bejarano’s embodied theories, both included in Carla Trujillo’s landmark anthology, Chicana Lesbians: The Girls Our Mothers Warned Us About (1991). Moraga and Yarbro-Bejarano investigate textual dismemberment of female physique to re-imagine and reclaim body for enactments of Chicana desire. What marks Machado as distinct is her resistance to reclaim body. Often, Machado’s characters manifest phantom states that quarantine body from toxic physical and social spaces. Concurrently, characters lose rights to body due to self-hate within that toxicity. Machado’s characters find clarity only when freed from physicality, at which point they may re-compose themselves according to their testified truths. I see this distinction as a progression of works contained in Trujillo’s anthology as Machado envisions a worldmaking process that one composes through autonomous self-love and self-partnership to nurture female narrative and solidarity.

How prepartum appearance-related attitudes influence body image and weight-control behaviors of pregnant Japanese women across pregnancy: Latent growth curve modeling analyses

A thin female physique is idealized in modernized societies, leading many pregnant women to experience body dissatisfaction and avoid weight gain, as pregnancy directs their body away from the sociocultural ideal of thinness. However, not all pregnant women report body dissatisfaction and/or weight-control behavior. We aimed to discern how prepartum weight-related attitudes—thin-ideal internalization, drive for thinness, and appearance comparison tendency—influence changes in negative attitudes toward a pregnant body, body image, and weight-control behavior across pregnancy. Data were longitudinally collected from 208 Japanese pregnant women (Mage = 27.0, SD = 1.74) across three pregnancy periods. Results indicated that overall, negative attitudes toward appearance change during pregnancy, weight-control behaviors, and restrained eating significantly changed across pregnancy. Moreover, those with higher prepartum thin-ideal internalization showed greater decreases in negative attitudes toward appearance change during pregnancy and greater increases in body dissatisfaction, whereas those with higher prepartum drive for thinness and appearance comparison tendency showed greater decreases in restrained eating across pregnancy. Our findings suggest that pregnant women with certain prepartum weight-related attitudes may experience an aggravation of body dissatisfaction while following dietary regimen during pregnancy. Thus, prevention programs may selectively help them reduce their negative body image during pregnancy.

Substantial Fat Loss in Physique Competitors Is Characterized by Increased Levels of Bile Acids, Very-Long Chain Fatty Acids, and Oxylipins.

Weight loss and increased physical activity may promote beneficial modulation of the metabolome, but limited evidence exists about how very low-level weight loss affects the metabolome in previously non-obese active individuals. Following a weight loss period (21.1 ± 3.1 weeks) leading to substantial fat mass loss of 52% (−7.9 ± 1.5 kg) and low body fat (12.7 ± 4.1%), the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based metabolic signature of 24 previously young, healthy, and normal weight female physique athletes was investigated. We observed uniform increases (FDR < 0.05) in bile acids, very-long-chain free fatty acids (FFA), and oxylipins, together with reductions in unsaturated FFAs after weight loss. These widespread changes, especially in the bile acid profile, were most strongly explained (FDR < 0.05) by changes in android (visceral) fat mass. The reported changes did not persist, as all of them were reversed after the subsequent voluntary weight regain period (18.4 ± 2.9 weeks) and were unchanged in non-dieting controls (n = 16). Overall, we suggest that the reported changes in FFA, bile acid, and oxylipin profiles reflect metabolic adaptation to very low levels of fat mass after prolonged periods of intense exercise and low-energy availability. However, the effects of the aforementioned metabolome subclass alteration on metabolic homeostasis remain controversial, and more studies are warranted to unravel the complex physiology and potentially associated health implications. In the end, our study reinforced the view that transient weight loss seems to have little to no long-lasting molecular and physiological effects.

“If a Woman Knows Cult Secret, She Must Never Tell”: Ritual Consecration, Secrecy, and Female Power in Egungun Pageantry Among the Yoruba

“If a Woman Knows Cult Secret, She Must Never Tell”: Ritual Consecration, Secrecy, and Female Power in Egungun Pageantry Among the Yoruba

Weight loss practices and eating behaviours among female physique athletes: Acquiring the optimal body composition for competition.

Little is known about weight loss practices and eating behaviours in female physique athletes. This study investigated the weight loss history, practices, and key influences during the pre-competition period in a large cohort of female physique athletes stratified by division and experience level. Eating attitudes and behaviours were assessed to identify whether athletes were at risk of developing an eating disorder. Using a cross-sectional research design, female physique athletes (n = 158) were recruited and completed an anonymous online self-reported survey consisting of two validated questionnaires: Rapid Weight Loss Questionnaire and Eating Attitudes Test-26. Irrespective of division or experience, female physique athletes used a combination of weight loss practices during the pre-competition phase. Gradual dieting (94%), food restriction (64%) and excessive exercise (84%), followed by body water manipulation via water loading (73%) were the most commonly used methods. Overall, 37% of female physique athletes were considered at risk of developing an eating disorder. Additionally, 42% of female physique athletes used two pathogenic weight control methods with 34% of Figure novice athletes indicating binge eating once a week or more. The coach (89%) and another athlete (73%) were identified as key influences on athletes' dieting practices and weight loss. The prevalence of athletes identified with disordered eating symptoms and engaging in pathogenic weight control methods is concerning. In future, female physique athletes should seek advice from registered nutritionists to optimise weight management practices and minimise the risk of developing an eating disorder.

Mitochondrial bioenergetic pathways in blood leukocyte transcriptome decrease after intensive weight loss but are rescued following weight regain in female physique athletes.

Prolonged periods of energy deficit leading to weight loss induce metabolic adaptations resulting in reduced energy expenditure, but the mechanisms for energy conservation are incompletely understood. We examined 42 healthy athletic females (age 27.5±4.0years, body mass index 23.4±1.7kg/m2 ) who volunteered into either a group dieting for physique competition (n=25) or a control group (n=17). The diet group substantially reduced their energy intake and moderately increased exercise levels to induce loss of fat mass that was regained during a voluntary weight regain period. The control group maintained their typical lifestyle habits and body mass as instructed. From the diet group, fasting blood samples were drawn at baseline (PRE), after 4- to 5-month weight loss (PRE-MID), and after 4- to 5-month weight regain (MID-POST) as well as from the control group at similar intervals. Blood was analyzed to determine leukocyte transcriptome by RNA-Sequencing and serum metabolome by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) platform. The intensive weight loss period induced several metabolic adaptations, including a prominent suppression of transcriptomic signature for mitochondrial OXPHOS and ribosome biogenesis. The upstream regulator analysis suggested that this reprogramming of cellular energy metabolism may be mediated via AMPK/PGC1-α signaling and mTOR/eIF2 signaling-dependent pathways. Our findings show for the first time that prolonged energy deprivation induced modulation of mitochondrial metabolism can be observed through minimally invasive measures of leukocyte transcriptome and serum metabolome at systemic level, suggesting that adaptation to energy deficit is broader in humans than previously thought.

Erratum: Campbell et al. 2018.

In the article, Campbell, B. I., Aguilar, D., Conlin, L., Vargas, A., Schoenfeld, B., Corson, A., Gai, C., Best, S., Galvan, E., & Couvillion, K. (2018). Effects of High Versus Low Protein Intake on Body Composition and Maximal Strength in Aspiring Female Physique Athletes Engaging in an 8-Week Resistance Training Program. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 28(6), 580–585, https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2017-0389, the acknowledgements did not indicate that author Brad J. Schoenfeld serves on the advisory board for Dymatize Nutrition. The online version of this article has been updated so that the acknowledgements include the following statement: B.J. Schoenfeld serves on the advisory board for Dymatize Nutrition. He was not involved in the data collection process for the study; his contribution was to help in the interpretation of findings and write-up of the manuscript.

Nutritional Recommendations for Physique Athletes.

The popularity of physique sports is increasing, yet there are currently few comprehensive nutritional guidelines for these athletes. Physique sport now encompasses more than just a short phase before competition and offseason guidelines have recently been published. Therefore, the goal of this review is to provide an extensive guide for male and female physique athletes in the contest preparation and recovery period. As optimal protein intake is largely related to one’s skeletal muscle mass, current evidence supports a range of 1.8-2.7 g/kg. Furthermore, as a benefit from having adequate carbohydrate to fuel performance and activity, low-end fat intake during contest preparation of 10-25% of calories allows for what calories remain in the “energy budget” to come from carbohydrate to mitigate the negative impact of energy restriction and weight loss on training performance. For nutrient timing, we recommend consuming four or five protein boluses per day with one consumed near training and one prior to sleep. During competition periods, slower rates of weight loss (≤0.5% of body mass per week) are preferable for attenuating the loss of fat-free mass with the use of intermittent energy restriction strategies, such as diet breaks and refeeds, being possibly beneficial. Additionally, physiological and psychological factors are covered, and potential best-practice guidelines are provided for disordered eating and body image concerns since physique athletes present with higher incidences of these issues, which may be potentially exacerbated by certain traditional physique practices. We also review common peaking practices, and the critical transition to the post-competition period.

Disordered eating behaviours in female physique athletes

Despite substantial growth in participation rates in physique sports, little is known about the modern day female physique athlete. The extreme physique traits of successful female physique athletes suggest this population may be particularly at risk of developing disordered eating (DE). The aim of this study was to determine if female physique athletes across the main divisions of bikini, fitness, figure and bodybuilding were at risk of DE and to explore possible associated risk factors. Furthermore, we aimed to investigate differences in incidence of DE across divisions given differences in physique requirements. Female physique athletes (n = 348) were recruited using targeted methods and completed an online survey based on validated questionnaires, including the Drive for Thinness, Body Dissatisfaction, and Bulimia subscales of the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI), Pathogenic Weight Control Measures (PWCM), and the Cognitive Dietary Restraint subscale of the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ-CDR). Athletes scoring above the cut off values for one or more of the EDI subscales or engaged in at least one of the most concerning PWCM (binge eating, laxative use, and self-induced vomiting) were considered at risk of DE. Approximately half of the participants were identified with DE (46.6%), independent of division, with 27.3% exhibiting clinical and 19.3% having subclinical DE. Furthermore, approximately half (48.9%) of participants engaged in at least one of the most concerning PWCM within the past three months, with a smaller proportion (5.2%) engaging in all three PWCM. Weak but significant correlations were found between some EDI subscales and reason for sport participation, BMI and body composition goals. Drive for thinness and body dissatisfaction were positively associated with use of PWCM. In conclusion, a high proportion of female physique athletes were identified with DE, with a concerning number of athletes engaging in harmful PWCM.

A Narrative Review on Female Physique Athletes: The Physiological and Psychological Implications of Weight Management Practices

Physique competitions are events in which aesthetic appearance and posing ability are valued above physical performance. Female physique athletes are required to possess high lean body mass and extremely low fat mass in competition. As such, extended periods of reduced energy intake and intensive training regimens are used with acute weight loss practices at the end of the precompetition phase. This represents an increased risk for chronic low energy availability and associated symptoms of relative energy deficiency in sport, compromising both psychological and physiological health. Available literature suggests that a large proportion of female physique athletes report menstrual irregularities (e.g.,amenorrhea and oligomenorrhea), which are unlikely to normalize immediately postcompetition. Furthermore, the tendency to reduce intakes of numerous essential micronutrients is prominent among those using restrictive eating patterns. Following competition, reduced resting metabolic rate, and hyperphagia, is also a concern for these female athletes, which can result in frequent weight cycling, distorted body image, and disordered eating/eating disorders. Overall, female physique athletes are an understudied population, and the need for more robust studies to detect low energy availability and associated health effects is warranted. This narrative review aims to define the natural female physique athlete, explore some of the physiological and psychological implications of weight management practices experienced by female physique athletes, and propose future research directions.

Molecular Pathways Mediating Immunosuppression in Response to Prolonged Intensive Physical Training, Low-Energy Availability, and Intensive Weight Loss.

Exercise and exercise-induced weight loss have a beneficial effect on overall health, including positive effects on molecular pathways associated with immune function, especially in overweight individuals. The main aim of our study was to assess how energy deprivation (i.e., “semi-starvation”) leading to substantial fat mass loss affects the immune system and immunosuppression in previously normal weight individuals. Thus, to address this hypothesis, we applied a high-throughput systems biology approach to better characterize potential key pathways associated with immune system modulation during intensive weight loss and subsequent weight regain. We examined 42 healthy female physique athletes (age 27.5 ± 4.0 years, body mass index 23.4 ± 1.7 kg/m2) volunteered into either a diet group (n = 25) or a control group (n = 17). For the diet group, the energy intake was reduced and exercise levels were increased to induce loss of fat mass that was subsequently regained during a recovery period. The control group was instructed to maintain their typical lifestyle, exercise levels, and energy intake at a constant level. For quantification of systems biology markers, fasting blood samples were drawn at three time points: baseline (PRE), at the end of the weight loss period (MID 21.1 ± 3.1 weeks after PRE), and at the end of the weight regain period (POST 18.4 ± 2.9 weeks after MID). In contrast to the control group, the diet group showed significant (false discovery rate <0.05) alteration of all measured immune function parameters—white blood cells (WBCs), immunoglobulin G glycome, leukocyte transcriptome, and cytokine profile. Integrative omics suggested effects on multiple levels of immune system as dysregulated hematopoiesis, suppressed immune cell proliferation, attenuated systemic inflammation, and loss of immune cell function by reduced antibody and chemokine secretion was implied after intense weight loss. During the weight regain period, the majority of the measured immune system parameters returned back to the baseline. In summary, this study elucidated a number of molecular pathways presumably explaining immunosuppression in individuals going through prolonged periods of intense training with low-energy availability. Our findings also reinforce the perception that the way in which weight loss is achieved (i.e., dietary restriction, exercise, or both) has a distinct effect on how the immune system is modulated.

Fat-free Mass Characteristics of Muscular Physique Athletes.

Simple body composition models, such as two-compartment models, use assumptions which may be violated in specific athletic populations (e.g., the constancy of fat-free mass density [DFFM] and hydration [TBW:FFM]). The present analysis examined FFM characteristics of muscular physique athletes. Twenty-six athletes (16 males: 94.5 ± 9.9 kg, 12.2% ± 4.2% fat; 10 females: 63.8 ± 5.7 kg, 19.7% ± 4.9% fat) completed duplicate assessments of dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS), and single-frequency and multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (SFBIA; MFBIA). Fat-free mass was calculated via five-compartment (5C) model, and FFM characteristics (i.e. FFM, FFM mineral, FFM protein) were compared between sexes and between the sample and reference values (RV) from cadaver analysis. FFM5C was designated as the reference TBW:FFM model, and alternate models were produced using BIS, MFBIA, SFBIA, impedance-based equations, and DXA output. Males had lower TBW:FFM and FFM mineral, but higher FFM protein than females (P < 0.05). DFFM was significantly lower than RV in males (1.096 ± 0.006 g·cm, RV: 1.103 ± 0.013 g·cm; P < 0.001) and appeared higher in females (1.093 ± 0.012 g·cm, RV: 1.087 ± 0.021 g·cm; P = 0.17). TBW:FFM did not differ from RV in females (75.3% ± 4.0%; RV, 75.7% ± 4.4%; P = 0.74) or males (72.7% ± 1.9%; RV, 72.7% ± 3.1%; P = 0.97). Fat-free mass mineral was lower than RV in males (5.5% ± 0.4%; RV, 6.8% ± 0.8%; P < 0.001) and higher in females (6.5% ± 0.5%; RV, 6.1% ± 0.8%; P = 0.04). Fat-free mass protein was significantly greater than RV in males (21.9% ± 1.8%; RV, 20.6% ± 2.6%; P = 0.014), but the difference from RV in females was not statistically significant (18.3% ± 4.1%; RV, 17.1% ± 4.5%; P = 0.39). Alternate TBW:FFM models varied substantially in their agreement with RV. The FFM characteristics were shown to differ between male and female physique athletes. These results may have implications for optimal body composition assessment methods when atypical physique characteristics are present.

Effects of High Versus Low Protein Intake on Body Composition and Maximal Strength in Aspiring Female Physique Athletes Engaging in an 8-Week Resistance Training Program.

Aspiring female physique athletes are often encouraged to ingest relatively high levels of dietary protein in conjunction with their resistance training programs. However, there is little to no research investigating higher versus lower protein intakes in this population. This study examined the influence of a high versus low-protein diet in conjunction with an 8-week resistance training program in this population. A total of 17 females (21.2 ± 2.1 years; 165.1 ± 5.1cm; 61 ± 6.1kg) were randomly assigned to a high-protein diet (HP: 2.5g·kg-1·day-1; n = 8) or a low-protein diet (LP: 0.9g·kg-1·day-1, n = 9) and were assessed for body composition and maximal strength prior to and after the 8-week protein intake and exercise intervention. Fat-free mass increased significantly more in the HP group as compared with the LP group (p = .009), going from 47.1 ± 4.5 to 49.2 ± 5.4kg (+2.1kg) and from 48.1 ± 2.7 to 48.7 ± 2kg (+0.6kg) in the HP and LP groups, respectively. Fat mass significantly decreased over time in the HP group (14.1 ± 3.6 to 13.0 ± 3.3kg; p < .01), but no change was observed in the LP group (13.2 ± 3.7 to 12.5 ± 3.0kg). Although maximal strength significantly increased in both groups, there were no differences in strength improvements between the two groups. In aspiring female physique athletes, a higher protein diet is superior to a lower protein diet in terms of increasing fat-free mass in conjunction with a resistance training program.

Physiological Changes Following Competition in Male and Female Physique Athletes: A Pilot Study.

The purpose of the current study was to evaluate changes in body composition, metabolic rate, and hormones during postcompetition recovery. Data were collected from natural physique athletes (7 male/8 female) within one week before (T1) competition, within one week after (T2), and 4-6 weeks after (T3) competition. Measures included body composition (fat mass [FM] and lean mass [LM] from ultrasongraphy), resting metabolic rate (RMR; indirect calorimetry), and salivary leptin, testosterone, cortisol, ghrelin, and insulin. Total body water (TBW; bioelectrical impedance spectroscopy) was measured at T1 and T2 in a subsample (n = 8) of athletes. Significant (p < .05) changes were observed for weight (T1 = 65.4 ± 12.2 kg, T2 = 67.4 ± 12.6, T3 = 69.3 ± 13.4; T3 > T2 > T1), LM (T1 = 57.6 ± 13.9 kg, T2 = 59.4 ± 14.2, T3 = 59.3 ± 14.2; T2 and T3 > T1), and FM (T1 = 7.7 ± 4.4 kg, T2 = 8.0 ± 4.4, T3 = 10.0 ± 6.2; T3 > T1 and T2). TBW increased from T1 to T2 (Δ=1.9 ± 1.3 L, p < .01). RMR increased from baseline (1612 ± 266 kcal/day; 92.0% of predicted) to T2 (1881 ± 329, 105.3%; p < .01) and T3 (1778 ± 257, 99.6%; p < .001). Cortisol was higher (p < .05) at T2 (0.41 ± 0.31 μg/dL) than T1 (0.34 ± 0.31) and T3 (0.35 ± 0.27). Male testosterone at T3 (186.6 ± 41.3 pg/mL) was greater than T2 (148.0 ± 44.6, p = .04). RMR changes were associated (p ≤ .05) with change in body fat percent (ΔBF%; r = .59) and T3 protein intake (r= .60); male testosterone changes were inversely associated (p≤ .05) with ΔBF%, ΔFM, and Δweight (r=-0.81--0.88). TBW increased within days of competition. Precompetition RMR suppression appeared to be variable and markedly reversed by overfeeding, and reverted toward normal levels following competition. RMR and male testosterone increased while FM was preferentially gained 4-6 weeks postcompetition.

Dietary Intake, Body Composition, and Menstrual Cycle Changes during Competition Preparation and Recovery in a Drug-Free Figure Competitor: A Case Study

Physique competitions are events in which competitors are judged on muscular appearance and symmetry. The purpose of this retrospective case study was to describe changes in dietary intake, body mass/composition, and the menstrual cycle during the 20-week competition preparation (PREP) and 20-week post competition recovery (REC) periods of a drug-free amateur female figure competitor (age = 26–27, BMI = 19.5 kg/m2). Dietary intake (via weighed food records) and body mass were assessed daily and averaged weekly. Body composition was estimated via Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and 7-site skinfold measurements. Energy intake, body mass and composition, and energy availability decreased during the 20-week PREP period (changes of ~298 kcals, 5.1 kg, 6.5% body fat, and 5.4 kcal/kg fat free mass, respectively) and returned to baseline values by end of the 20-week REC period. Menstrual cycle irregularity was reported within the first month of PREP and the last menstruation was reported at week 11 of PREP. Given the potentially adverse health outcomes associated with caloric restriction, future, prospective cohort studies on the physiological response to PREP and REC are warranted in drug-free, female physique competitors.

The obesity penalty in the labor market using longitudinal Canadian data

A Canadian study of weight discrimination also known as the obesity wage-penalty. This paper adds to the limited Canadian literature while also introducing a causal model, which can be applied to future Canadian studies. A general working-class sample group is utilized with personal income, which removes many biases introduced in other studies. The evidence suggests that a 1-unit increase in lagged BMI is associated with a 0.7% decrease in personal for obese Canadian females. Similar to other studies, the male results are inconsistent. The evidence brought forward in this study can provide an effective financial incentive for health promotion among Canadians for law and policy makers. Beyond health reasons, these results can also be applied as empirical evidence of gender discrimination based on body image perception. The evidence suggests that male physique is not a contributing factor in income, but larger female physique is associated with lower personal income.

Creatine for women: a review of the relationship between creatine and the reproductive cycle and female-specific benefits of creatine therapy.

The creatine/phosphocreatine/creatine kinase circuit is instrumental in regulating high-energy phosphate metabolism, and the maintenance of cellular energy turnover. The mechanisms by which creatine is able to buffer and regulate cellular energy balance, maintain acid-base balance, and reduce the effects of oxidative stress have led to a large number of studies into the use of creatine supplementation in exercise performance and to treat diseases associated with cellular energy depletion. Some of these studies have identified sex-specific responses to creatine supplementation, as such; there is the perception, that females might be less receptive to the benefits of creatine supplementation and therapy, compared to males. This review will describe the differences in male and female physique and physiology that may account for such differences, and discuss the apparent endocrine modulation of creatine metabolism in females. Hormone-driven changes to endogenous creatine synthesis, creatine transport and creatine kinase expression suggest that significant changes in this cellular energy circuit occur during specific stages of a female's reproductive life, including pregnancy and menopause. Recent studies suggest that creatine supplementation may be highly beneficial for women under certain conditions, such as depression. A greater understanding of these pathways, and the consequences of alterations to creatine bioavailability in females are needed to ensure that creatine is used to full advantage as a dietary supplement to optimize and enhance health outcomes for women.

The psycho-behavioral correlates of a drive to be toned among female university students

Maladaptive psycho-behavioral concomitants of an increased drive for muscularity among men are well-documented (Pope et al., 1997). In recent years, media outlets aimed at women have promoted the idea that the ideal female physique is toned and strong, with sculptured abs. We suggest that the male drive to become muscular and the female drive to become toned are similar. However, less is known regarding the psycho-behavioral characteristics of women attempting to become toned. Our qualitative study examined women's beliefs and attitudes towards female muscularity. Twenty-two female university students ages 18 to 32 participated in focus groups addressing what it means for a woman to be toned and the physique enhancement strategies used by women today. Participants frequently indicated that being “in shape” is a feminine body ideal and being toned equates to empowerment and self-worth. Participants noted that weight-training and replacing meals with protein shakes or food supplements were typical physique enhancing strategies. We suggest that the drive to be toned can lead to women employing self-destructive physique enhancing strategies similar to those utilized by men who demonstrate an obsessive drive to become muscular. Therefore, researchers examining female body image concerns should be cognisant of muscle-enhancing attitudes and behaviors.