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

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.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Quality of Life; Mental Health; Body Image; Fertility; Disordered Eating; Musculoskeletal Health

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.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 1500

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Anders Aksel Me; Phone Number: +4791568819; Email: andersame@nih.no

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Former male and female Norwegian elite athletes and a age matched controls from the general population

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Represented the national team at senior and/or junior level, (Non-organized sports) competed at national and/or international level. , >1 year since retirement , >18 years old,and a proficient level of Norwegian reading and writing skills

Exclusion Criteria:

-

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

3

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Former elite athletes from weight-sensitive sports; Former elite athletes from weight-sensitive sports. Including former elite athletes from weight-class, gravitational, aesthetic, and certain endurance type of sports.
Former elite athletes from less weight-sensitive sports; Former elite athletes from less weight-sensitive sports. Including team sports (e.g. handball, soccer, basketball)
General population; An age matched reference group for the groups of former elite athletes. Includes a sample from the general population without a background as an elite athlete.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Symptoms of eating disorders (Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire, EDE-Q)	This outcome measure will use the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) to assess the frequency and severity of eating disorder symptoms. The EDE-Q is a validated self-report questionnaire covering dietary restraint, eating concern, shape concern, and weight concern	January 2025 to June 2025
Pain, function, and overall well-being connected to musculoskeletal status (Musculoskeletal Health Questionnaire, MSK-HQ)	This outcome measure will use the Musculoskeletal Health Questionnaire (MSK-HQ) to assess self-reported musculoskeletal health. The MSK-HQ is a validated instrument covering key domains such as pain, function, and overall well-being in individuals with musculoskeletal conditions. It provides a comprehensive overview of the patient's musculoskeletal status, including symptoms and the impact on daily activities.	From January 2025 to June 2025
Menstrual function and history & fertility function and history (The Low Energy Availability in Males Questionnaire, LEAM-Q, Low Energy Availability in Females Questionnaire, LEAF-Q, and The Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study, MoBa)	Items from The validated Low Energy Availability in Females Questionnaire (LEAF-Q) will be included to assess menstrual function (Melin et al., 2014). Items from The Low Energy Availability in Males Questionnaire (LEAM-Q) (Lundy et al., 2022) will be included for assessing reproductive health among the male participants. In addition, questions from The Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) will be included to cover fertility status.	From January 2025 to June 2025

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Symptoms of Psychological Distress (Symptom Checklist-10, SCL-10)	This outcome measure will use the Symptom Checklist-10 (SCL-10) to assess the frequency and severity of common mental distress symptoms. The SCL-10 is a validated, abbreviated version of the SCL family of instruments (e.g., SCL-25, SCL-90) that covers core areas such as anxiety, depression, and somatic complaints. It provides an overall indication of the level of psychological distress and can be used for both screening and monitoring changes over time.	From January 2025 to June 2025
Alchohol and drug use (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test - Consumption, AUDIT-C and Drug Use Disorders Identification Test, DUDIT)	The AUDIT-C assesses alcohol consumption, drinking behaviors, and alcohol-related issues (Babor et al., 2001). The Drug Use Disorders Identification Test (DUDIT) will be included. The DUDIT assesses symptoms of substance abuse, as well as harmful use, and drug dependence.	From January 2025 to June 2025
Satisfaction With Life (Satisfaction With Life Scale, SWLS)	This outcome measure will use the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) to evaluate individuals' overall assessments of their own life satisfaction. The SWLS is a validated, brief questionnaire comprising five statements that respondents rate based on their level of agreement. It captures the cognitive judgment of one's life quality, providing a reliable indicator of subjective well-being and overall life satisfaction.	From January 2025 to June 2025
Cognitive Function (PROMIS® v2.0 Cognitive Function-Short Form 6a)	This outcome measure will utilize the PROMIS® v2.0 Cognitive Function-Short Form 6a to assess individuals' self-reported cognitive abilities. The PROMIS Cognitive Function-Short Form 6a is a validated, brief questionnaire designed to evaluate various aspects of cognitive performance, including memory, concentration, and mental clarity	From January 2025 to June 2025
Body Appreciation and Muscle Dysmorphic Disorder Symptoms (Body Appreciation Scale-2, BAS-2, and the Muscle Dysmorphic Disorder Inventory, MDDI)	The Body appreciation scale-2 (BAS-2) is a 10-item measure of an individual's acceptance, opinions and respect of their own body, The questionnaire is validated. Body satisfaction will be measured with the inclusion of the Muscle Dysmorphic Disorder Inventory (MDDI). The MDDI is a 13-item self-report measure which have three sub-scales assessing clinical features associated with muscle dysmorphia (MD), including drive for size, functional impairment, and appearance intolerance	From January 2025 to June 2025

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Experiences of harassment, maltreatment, and abuse.	To assess harassment, maltreatment and abuse a modified version of the questionnaire developed by Sølvberg et al (2022) will be included. This version will include questions regarding the participants experiences with harassment in their active career, and will include questions on physical, psychological, sexual (contact and non-contact), and neglecting harassment and/or abuse. Reference: Sølvberg N, Torstveit MK, Rosenvinge JH, Pettersen G, Sundgot-Borgen J. Sexual Harassment and Abuse among Young Elite Athletes, Recreational Athletes, and Reference Students: A Prospective Study. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2022 Nov 1;54(11):1869-1878. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000002972. Epub 2022 Jun 24. PMID: 35763597; PMCID: PMC9584052.	From January 2025 to June 2025

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Norwegian School of Sport Sciences

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): January 30, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2025
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 30, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 16, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 23, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): March 25, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 25, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 23, 2025
• Last Verified: January 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Quality of life; Mental health; Reproductive health; Behavioral; Fertility; Anxiety and depression; Personality traits; Musculoskeletal health; Disordered eating; Body acceptance; Elite athletes; Somatic health; Harassment; Weight regulation
• Other Study ID Numbers: 841008

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No