Collegiate Athlete Study

A quasi-experimental one group pre-test/post-test design will be utilized in the current investigation among collegiate cross-country and track and field athletes from a Historically Black College and University (HBCU). Members of the men's and women's varsity cross-country teams and track & field teams at this HBCU will be asked to participate in this IRB approved study. Participants who decide to enroll in the study will be asked to sign consent forms.

A 4-question Male Athlete Triad Cumulative Risk Assessment or the 6-question Female Athlete Triad Cumulative Risk Assessment will be completed by each participant.

Participants will have Complete Blood Counts (CBCs), ferritin levels, and Vitamin D levels assessed via blood drawn by phlebotomists. Specimens will be sent to Quest Labs for analysis and results will be uploaded into a secure database.

Athletes will be asked to complete the modified Nutritional/Exercise Survey, which will ask information regarding their daily energy intake, exercise energy expenditure, consumption of macronutrients and food groups, as well as eating patterns, dietary restrictions, and supplement use. The survey will be administered and stored by Qualtrics, a password-protected encrypted platform.

In addition to questions about food intake, each athlete will be asked about the amount and intensity of all aerobic and anerobic exercise they do weekly - including resistance training. Each type of activity will be assigned a specific metabolic equivalent (MET) value. The total MET value per athlete will be based on an athlete's body weight and their total number of exercise hours according to the American College of Sports Medicine's Compendium of Physical Activity.

Participants will meet with a dietitian to further assess their dietary intake, complete a 24-hour dietary recall, and evaluate the athletes' nutrition habits. Information from the dietary consultation, 24-hour recall, and nutrition/exercise survey will be combined to calculate an athlete's risk of energy deficiency.

Athletes will also complete a DEXA scan and undergo an indirect calorimetry assessment. Information from these tests, including the athletes' fat mass, muscle mass, full body Z-score and lumbar spine Z-score (as measures of bone density), and resting metabolic rate will be uploaded into a secure database.

Participants will be given "Calorify Pro Kits" which require them to drink a small sample of doubly labeled water (DLW) then collect 3 urine samples over the course of 1 week, daily weights for 3 weeks, and food intake data. Data from this DLW process, which is currently the gold standard for energy expenditure, will be used to objectively measure energy availability in addition to information collected from dietitians and survey results. All data will be uploaded into a secure database.

Participants will be asked to wear Oura rings on their nondominant hands for 6 weeks initially. Once they return from winter break to start their outdoor season they will be asked to wear the Oura ring for an additional 12 weeks. The Oura rings will track their active vs total caloric expenditure as well as provide ancillary data regarding their sleep effectiveness, basal body temperature, and heart rate.

Once all data have been collected, athletes with iron deficiency or iron deficiency anemia or suboptimal Vitamin D will be notified and given supplements to take daily for 3 months. They will also complete surveys regarding their energy level and quality of life. After 3 months of taking the supplements, the participants will have their blood levels and bone mass reassessed.