Research Article
Prevalence of the Attributes of the Female Athlete Triad in Competitive Nigerian Female Athletes
Jane Sharon Akinyemi*
,
Grace Olapeju Otinwa
Issue:
Volume 13, Issue 4, December 2025
Pages:
85-94
Received:
20 September 2025
Accepted:
9 October 2025
Published:
30 October 2025
DOI:
10.11648/j.ajss.20251304.11
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Abstract: The Female Athlete Triad syndrome describes three interrelated conditions: low energy availability with or without disordered eating, menstrual dysfunction, and poor bone health, inclusive of low bone density and bone stress injury. Sports participation for female athletes has risen exponentially; however, investigations into the health and wellbeing of female athletes from Africa are extremely limited because these groups are noticeably absent from the Triad literature. This research gap can have negative health implications, on the Female Athletes in Nigerian athletes. Purpose: To investigate the prevalence of Triad components in competitive Nigerian female university athletes as well as explore hematological markers. Methods: n=71, (21.8±0.3yrs) and BMI (22.5±0.6 kg/m2) female athletes from the University of Lagos, during the Nigeria University Games Competition, completed a Health, Exercise Nutritional Survey questionnaire to provide demographics, medical history, exercise, and dietary practices. Athletes consented to a complete blood count (CBC) assessment: white blood cell (WBC), hematocrit (HCT), red blood cell (RBC), hemoglobin (HGB) and platelets. Results: Exercise frequency was 4.6±0.3 days/wk., overtraining, 6.8%, age at menarche 12.8±0.1 yrs., and gynecological age 9.2 ±0.5 yrs. Factors reflecting energetic status include (20/71): 28% reported eating a low-fat diet, (27/71) 38% dieted to lose weight to change their body composition and to improve performance, (2/71) 3% reported a history of anorexia and Bulimia. Prevalence of oligomenorrhea was (11/71) 15% while amenorrhea was (14/71) 19%. Stress fracture was reported to be (9/71) 13% and (3/71) 4%, had a family history of osteoporosis. (24/71) 34% refrained from training due to injuries during the past year and (7/71) 9.8% reported illness due to exercise. CBC measures showed RBC (3.95±0.06 1012/L), HGB (10.64±0.11 g/dL), HCT (32.68±0.31%) WBC (5.20±0.14 109/L) and platelets (245.17±8.2 *109/L), demonstrating that RBC and WBC are within the normal range while HGB, HCT and platelets are abnormal. Athletes in endurance sports had a decreased hematocrit (HCT). Conclusion: A significant percentage of Nigerian female athletes participating in the NUGA Games demonstrated factors reflective of poor energy intake, menstrual dysfunction and bone health including a history of stress fractures and absence from sport due to injury. The prevalence of factors observed suggests the need to advance screening tools and education efforts to include randomized clinical trials, optimize health of athletes and provide information for future investigation into the Triad among Nigerian athletes.
Abstract: The Female Athlete Triad syndrome describes three interrelated conditions: low energy availability with or without disordered eating, menstrual dysfunction, and poor bone health, inclusive of low bone density and bone stress injury. Sports participation for female athletes has risen exponentially; however, investigations into the health and wellbei...
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Research Article
Diabetes Mellitus Diagnosis Differences Between Students With Long and Short Sport Hours: An Independent-samples t-Test Report
Xiuxian Liu,
Xilong Liu*
Issue:
Volume 13, Issue 4, December 2025
Pages:
95-99
Received:
24 October 2025
Accepted:
14 November 2025
Published:
4 December 2025
Abstract: Background: The global prevalence of diabetes mellitus has raised significant public health concerns, with preventive strategies focusing on modifiable risk factors such as physical activity. As a physiotherapy student with cross-cultural educational experience in both Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Western exercise physiology, I developed a particular research interest in exploring the relationship between exercise duration and diabetes indicators. This interest was further motivated by personal family health concerns, as my father has been identified as a potential diabetic patient with Fasting Blood Glucose (FBG) levels fluctuating between 6.8-7.3 mmol/L. Objective: This study aimed to statistically determine whether students who engage in longer sports activities demonstrate significantly lower fasting blood glucose levels compared to those with shorter exercise durations. Methods: Employing an independent-samples t-test design, this research analyzed fasting blood glucose levels between two distinct groups: students exercising more than 5 hours per day (n=6) and those exercising less than 3 hours daily (n=8). The analysis was conducted with a significance level of α=0.05, using a one-tailed test based on theoretical expectations that longer exercise duration would correlate with improved glucose metabolism. Results: The results demonstrated a statistically significant difference between groups (t(12)=5.63, p<0.05), with a large effect size (Cohen's d=3.04). Students in the high-exercise group showed substantially lower fasting blood glucose levels compared to their low-exercise counterparts. Conclusion: The findings provide compelling evidence supporting the beneficial role of regular prolonged exercise in maintaining healthy glucose metabolism. This research contributes to the growing body of literature on exercise as a non-pharmacological intervention for diabetes prevention and management, while also establishing a foundation for future doctoral research in exercise physiology and metabolic disorders.
Abstract: Background: The global prevalence of diabetes mellitus has raised significant public health concerns, with preventive strategies focusing on modifiable risk factors such as physical activity. As a physiotherapy student with cross-cultural educational experience in both Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Western exercise physiology, I developed ...
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