ECSS Paris 2023: OP-SH01
Objective Sport injury and disordered eating are timely and impactful issues in distance running. Yet, despite growing recognition of the sociocultural complexity of these issues, the nexus between them has not yet been explored. Taking a sociocultural perspective, this study aims to critically explore the relationship between sport injury and disordered eating in distance runners across their athletic careers. Methods Ten distance runners participated (M age: 25.7) who had endured a range of injuries throughout their career (e.g., acute, chronic, overuse, career-ending). Life story interviews (N=28) and visual methods (i.e., photographs) were used to assist the participants in telling their stories. Data were analysed using dialogical narrative analysis and represented through creative non-fiction. Methodological rigour was strengthened through member reflections, reflexivity, and critical friends. Results Five creative non-fiction stories were constructed: Is it good for me?, I knew Id gone too far, Maybe it wasnt too late for me?, Is this what normal feels like?, and I love food too much. These stories illustrated how embodiment of sociocultural practices influenced the thoughts, feelings, and behaviours of athletes throughout their careers, revealing the complex interplay between sport injury and disordered eating. Discussion The ways in which this study extends literature is threefold: (1) by bridging the fields of the psychology of sport injury and disordered eating in sport, we have offered a nuanced and novel understanding of the sociocultural factors underpinning distance runners experiences, (2) the use of two methods of data collection enabled a more in-depth understanding of participant experiences rather than relying solely on verbal articulation, (3) the use of creative non-fiction provides an innovative approach to knowledge dissemination, enabling broader engagement and application in athlete education. To this end, the stories challenge the dominant performance narratives, highlighting their embodiment, resistance, and reimagining. Sharing these stories holds promise to promote interdisciplinary ways of working in research and practice.
Read CV Freya DavisECSS Paris 2023: OP-SH01
Introduction Even though athletes need sufficient restorative sleep to cope with the demands of competitive sport, they often experience a sleep deficit due to late competitions, intense training sessions, and dual demands (Walsh et al., 2021). Behavioral strategies such as sleep hygiene, sleep extension and daytime naps are frequently employed to reduce this sleep deficit (Cunha et al., 2023). Besides these strategies, studies indicate that psychological determinants like the satisfaction of basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, relatedness; Ryan & Deci, 2000) during the day may also improve sleep quality (Campbell et al., 2015). This study aims to investigate this relationship in a cohort of competitive athletes (N=66). Methods At the beginning of the study, 66 competitive athletes (M=21.06 years, SD=5.05; 74.2% female) from individual and team sports answered one-time questionnaires on general sleep quality (PSQI) and satisfaction of needs in the sleep (BPNSS-S) and in the sports domain (PNSEG). Of those, 48 athletes (M=20.00 years, SD=4.44; 66.7% female) took then part in a two-week sleep tracking. The participants wore actigraphs (Motionwatch 8) for 14 nights to measure objective sleep parameters (e.g., sleep onset latency, sleep duration, sleep efficiency). Individual sleep deficit and subjective sleep quality were recorded via morning sleep logs. In daily evening logs, athletes reported their daily basic need satisfaction, pre-sleep arousal and training load. Results The results showed that better general sleep quality (PSQI) was associated with the satisfaction of needs in sleep (autonomy: r=-.46, p<.001; competence: r=-.49, p<.001; relatedness: r=-.30, p=.013) and in sport (autonomy: r=-.246, p=.046 ; competence: r=-.266, p=.031). Multilevel analyses revealed that daily need satisfaction reduced cognitive pre-sleep arousal on the same evening (p=.001 – p<.001). A higher global need satisfaction led to higher subjective sleep quality and duration (p=.037 – p<.001) as well as lower individual sleep deficit and sleep onset latency (p=.032 – p=.001). Discussion The results indicate that general basic psychological need satisfaction can be interpreted as a protective factor regarding athletes’ sleep quality and therefore support the assumptions of the “Basic Psychological Need Theory”. This study helps to unravel the sleep dynamics of athletes and to highlight potential interventions for optimizing athletes sleep such as the adaptation of training and sleep schedules according to athletes’ satisfaction of psychological needs.
Read CV Patricia FrytzECSS Paris 2023: OP-SH01
INTRODUCTION: Calls for sex-specific athlete support have increased discussion and apparent uptake of menstrual cycle tracking (MCT), although there is limited guidance for its use in sport. This project explores athletes’ and practitioners’ perspectives and experiences of MCT and presents a user-informed framework to guide practitioners when implementing MCT. METHODS: The framework is based on the outcomes of three conceptually related studies; 1) a survey of practitioners (n = 141) on current MCT and education practices in high performance sport, 2) semi-structured interviews with athletes (n = 6) and practitioners (n = 8) exploring factors influencing the implementation of MCT, and 3) an investigation into the efficacy of an education intervention for athletes (n = 45) as a strategy to support MCT. RESULTS: The survey shows few practitioners require (9%), while some encourage (36%), athletes to track. Practitioners who educated athletes/staff on menstrual-related topics were more likely to encourage athletes to track (p=.004) and discuss menstrual health (MH) with support staff (p<.001). Interviews with athletes and practitioners highlighted the barriers and challenges that prevent the uptake or limit the effectiveness of MCT. At a societal level, menstrual stigma and lack of MH knowledge create discomfort in MCT and related communication. At an organisational level, competing health and performance priorities and practical constraints (i.e., time, resources, expertise) prevent or disrupt MCT. Finally, at an individual level, athletes’ attitudes towards MH and practitioners’ ability to provide support to athletes may influence compliance with and effectiveness of MCT. Following two education workshops athletes answered significantly more MH questions correctly, made less ‘I am not sure’ responses, and rated their knowledge higher (p<.001), with improvements retained 3 months post-intervention. Likelihood to communicate with teammates increased post-intervention (p=.01) and was maintained, while there was no change in their likelihood to communicate with support staff (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: It is likely that education promotes opportunities for communication and helps athletes and staff understand why MCT is conducted. Addressing factors such as organisational priorities and individual attitudes should also be a priority, as is menstrual stigma, knowledge, and attitudes of both athletes and coaching staff. As such, the proposed framework highlights how social, organisational, and individual factors contribute to the implementation and effectiveness of MCT, and how promoting education and communication may assist across each of these factors.
Read CV Mikaeli CarmichaelECSS Paris 2023: OP-SH01