Author: Sommer Hamilton
Dr. Julia Wang and Dr. Imani Gardener presented a program called “Health Issues and the Female Athlete” as part of the educational program of their fellowship on Wednesday, Mar. 5.
“Occidental College is a clinical instruction sight for the Kaiser Permanente, Sunset [and] Sports Medicine Fellowship program,” Head Athletic Trainer John Sweet said. “The fellows (physicians) assist in providing sports medicine care for the athletes at Oxy. The fellowship is a one-year residency program for physician to be able to sit for a Medical Quality Assurance exam in Sports Medicine.”
Wang, who is Board Certified in Emergency Medicine, began the presentation with a discussion of the eating habits of athletes. Wang discussed the nutritional needs of female athletes versus the nutritional needs of women who are less active. She covered the physical and mental causes and effects of eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia and binge eating. The major focus of discussion was the female athlete triad, which encompasses the three biggest health risks to female athletes: eating disorders, osteoporosis and amenorrhea, the absence of menstruation.
Wang concluded the presentation with a discussion of amenorrhea and its association with very low levels of body fat. Low body fat can be due to anorexia, which-in female athletes-can be the result of participation in sports that emphasize leanness and appearance rather than muscle mass and bulk.
Gardener is Board Certified in Family Medicine and led the middle portion of the presentation, focusing on another aspect of the female athlete triad, osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is the thinning of bone tissue and loss of bone density over time. The hormone shutdown that contributes to osteoporosis makes post-menopausal women and female athletes especially vulnerable. Pre-menopausal athletes who have a low Body Mass Index and who do not get enough calcium and vitamin D are at an increased risk for developing osteoporosis.
Gardener and Wang also answered questions from the audience about how to maximize vitamin D and calcium absorption and the importance of getting enough supplements and sunshine. They discussed the roles of food and sleep in the healing process. The doctors answered audience members’ questions about the validity of fad diets such as Atkins, saying that the science behind many of these diets makes sense, but that it does not work when put into practice because of people’s total nutritional needs. Wang and Gardener discussed vitamins, “carb-loading” and healthy vegetarianism. The doctors discussed the optimal types of meals to eat before and after workouts and competitions. The water versus Gatorade issue was settled in water’s favor for workouts less than 60 minutes in duration and Gatorade’s favor for longer sessions.
The event had low student attendance, with only four students present. Athletic training staff constituted the majority of the attendees, with one coach attending as well. The small size of the audience allowed for more individual participation and for all of the trainers to contribute to the discussion. They spoke of plans for a similar presentation in the future, which would focus on the male athlete. The organizers were hopeful that the future event will attract more people so that students, especially student athletes, can take advantage of the trainers’ expertise.
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