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Effect of transition period on athletic performance of women athletes

Examining physical and hormonal changes from adolescence to adulthood

先生2

Professor Takao Akama

Professor Takao Akama, Associate Professor Suguru Torii, and graduate student Yuka Tsukuhara of the Faculty of Sport Sciences have been selected for a project under the Japan Sports Agency to strategically reinforce competitiveness of women athletes. They will investigate the relationship between the physical changes, including hormone secretion level, during a transitional period from adolescence to adulthood in women athletes and athletic performance.

The purpose of this research is to provide coaches and athletes themselves with a scientific basis for women athletes seeking peak performance. The subjects are women track & field athletes, but the research results and methods are expected to be applied for other areas of sports as well.

The most important goal for athletes is to improve physical capabilities, but stagnant results during transition period have occasionally been observed among women athletes in the past. An interfering factor aside from changes in lifestyle and training routines at the collegiate level is the physical changes in women’s body from adolescence to adulthood. At this stage in life, physical and hormonal changes affect athletic performance, but almost no extensive research has been done on this topic previously. This project will contribute new knowledge to the field of sports.

まとめ

Left: Woman athlete in transition period, Right: DEXA Scan to calculate bone density and muscle mass

The research will take place in a two-year period in the 2016 and 2017 academic years. Our target will be women track & field athletes in transition periods. We will conduct longitudinal studies by taking data on physical change (weight, BMI, body fat, muscle mass of different body parts, etc.) and hormonal changes every 6 months, as well as the living condition and training menus to analyze how physical and hormonal changes are related to athletic performance.

If criterion for an ideal physical condition to improve and maintain performance become clear, the amount of training and nutritional support necessary to reach this standard can be specified. In addition, hormonal secretion is influenced by factors such as diet, the surrounding environment, training routines, and stress; therefore, monitoring hormones in women athletes will help identify the appropriate hormone level for maximized performance.

The results of this research, with a published thesis to be available, is planned to be presented at the Women Athlete Support Conference (tentative name) and academic conferences such as the Japan Society of Clinical Sports Medicine Conference. Professor Akama hopes their findings will contribute to Japan winning medals during the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. Enhancing international competitiveness of Japanese women athletes is expected from society. This project will not only make major contributions for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but it will hopefully develop sports in Japan.

◆For more information, contact Professor Takao Akama, Faculty of Sport Sciences at Waseda University: [email protected]

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