(34) NO ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE LEAFQ, BODY COMPOSITION OR SONOGRAPHIC MEASURES IN DIVISION I FEMALE VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS

Purpose: To investigate the association of the LEAFQ with body composition and sonographic measures in DI volleyball players across the competitive season. Methods: 16 female division I female volleyball athletes (age=19.8±1.1, HT=174.9±8.1cm, BM=73.2±9.1kg, BF%=22.9±7.3%) participated in low energy availability for female’s questionnaire (LEAFQ), including domains of gastrointestinal distress, injury, and menstrual function, while body composition measures included lean body mass, body fat percentage, body weight. Sonographic testing included bilateral measures of the origin and insertion of the bone (when relevant) and cross-sectional area of the supraspinatus, patellar tendon, achilles, and plantar facia. Chi squared tests were run comparing pre and post season differences between variables of interest (α < 0.05). Data presented as mean ± SD. Results: No significant associations were found between LEAFQ and the variables of interest differences as well (p < 0.05). Conclusions: No relevant findings were observed (p > 0.05) between LEAFQ, body composition, and sonographic findings despite the fact that 50% of the subjects were at heightened risk for LEA at both pre and post timepoints and >95% suffered from gastrointestinal upset. Furthermore, there was no relationship (p > 0.05) between pre/post differences between variables. Practical Applications: Exposure to LEA has been shown to have system wide deleterious effects that include gastrointestinal upset, injury, menstrual cycle dysfunction, as well as negative effects on soft tissue health. While no relationships were observed with the LEAFQ in this population, the practical nature, efficiency, and objectivity along with its validation in endurance athletes make it a relevant tool to assess LEA risk exposure. Acknowledgements: Thank you to Winston Salem State University Physical Therapy for the their assistance with this study