(801) 314-4100
5848 South 300 East
Murray, Utah 84107Map

TOSH

The fundament of a healthy and successful human being is formed during the developing years. Adolescence spans the years from 10 to 21, and is marked by enormous changes in biologic, social, psychological, and cognitive functions. Therefore, adolescence is a time of great vulnerability, as the influence, support, and protection from home and the family must give way, at least to some extent, to the pressure and expectations of peers, coaches, teachers, academic performance and athletic scholarships.

The messages given to our teenagers through the media and today's champions are clear: Winning at all cost is no longer an option - it is an expectation. Dieting, disordered eating, obesity, athletic injuries and anabolic steroid/dietary supplement abuse are all on the rise in the high school population.

In the athletic female, the Female Athlete Triad (disordered eating, menstrual irregularities, low bone mass) is also prevalent. This is of concern because health issues associated with such behaviors and conditions are likely to be carried over from adolescence to adulthood in the form of chronic disease (e.g. adult obesity, diabetes type II, cardiovascular disease, clinical eating disorders, osteoporosis, degenerative joint disease, cancer, liver and kidney disease). In addition, acute effects such as low self-esteem, poor scholastic and athletic performance, injuries, and psychological changes can disrupt a student's life, career in school and sport, and challenge family and friends.

The BEST Study is a series of research projects designed to assess unhealthy behaviors and conditions, identify their risk factors, and develop integrative preventative approaches. BEST is aimed at the high school population and welcomes all students and their parents to participate.

About the B.E.S.T. Study
The BEST Study will address unhealthy behaviors and conditions, identify risk factors, and develop integrative approaches that provide the building blocks for a healthy lifestyle. Programs will target nutrition, physical activity, and safe exercise training. BEST research projects are planned to begin throughout 2004/2005, with the development and implementation of programs to be started in the fall of 2005. The following projects will form the basis for the development of such programs.
  • Eating, Sports, and Health in Females - The Female Athlete Triad Assessment and monitoring of all female students with regards to sports participation, injuries, eating behaviors, and general health, with particular interest on The Female Athlete Triad, over the course of one school year.
  • ACL Injury Risk Factors in Soccer and Basketball Assessment of soccer and basketball female and male athletes with regards to biomechanical and nutritional factors that may impose risks for lower extremity injury such as an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear.
  • Anabolic Steroid and Dietary Supplement Abuse Assessment of all male students with regards to the use of dietary supplements and anabolic steroids, and the student's knowledge and reasons for using these products.
Long-Term Goal: Program Development and Implementation
Based on the results from our projects, we aim to develop integrative approaches that provide education, tools, and skills to all students, parents, and teachers that incorporate healthy lifestyles with better eating and safer training.

Eating, Sports, and Health in Females - The Female Athlete Triad
A large proportion of collegiate and elite female athletes suffer from disordered eating patterns, menstrual irregularities, and injuries - a syndrome called the Female Athlete Triad.

Much less is known of the younger female attending high school. The young female undergoes a critical period for growth and maturation. Sports participation may help in this process, as it improves cardiovascular, muscular, and skeletal health, promotes interaction among peers, and enhances self-esteem and self-efficacy. If a young female suffers from disordered eating, is under- or overweight, she may experience serious health problems that counteract these benefits. Increasing awareness and education about the negative aspects of dieting and disordered eating and the benefits of balanced nutrition and regular physical activity and safe training on health and performance will help females make better choices for many years to come.

The purpose of this project is to assess eating behaviors, sports participation, and general health in young females over the course of one school year. In particular, we are interested in the syndrome called the Female Athlete Triad (TRIAD), however, we will integrate all students and address unhealthy behaviors related to nutrition and activity patterns on a broad spectrum.

Our long-term objective is to develop and implement prevention programs that promote better eating and safer training (B.E.S.T.) for all students within the high school population.

Who can enroll: All female students and female athletes. To enroll, download the PDF registration form or e-mail Nanna Meyer for a registration form.
 ACL Injuries in Soccer and Basketball
Over the last 8-10 years, research has shown that female athletes are 4-8 times more likely to sustain an injury to their lower body than their male counterparts. Research has also shown that training programs like Frappier's Acceleration Sports Training can be effective in reducing the risk of lower extremity injuries in both females and males.

In addition, sophisticated biomechanical testing techniques such as motion analysis, force measurements, and EMG have shown promise in identifying athletes who may be at a greater risk for injury. Thus, the goal of many state of the art sports medicine facilities is to use these sophisticated testing techniques to identify "at risk" athletes and provide safe and effective training programs that will hopefully reduce their likelihood for injury.

However, sophisticated testing techniques are costly and not feasible to provide to the majority of junior high and high school athletes. TOSH has obtained two new testing devices that show promise in their ability to identify "at risk" athletes and still allow for low-cost, wide-scale testing-making these tests feasible to administer to most, if not all, of the athletes within this "at risk" population.

The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of two new testing devices - the AccuPower and 3PQ - in identifying differences between male and female during standard lower extremity performance tests. A secondary purpose is to assess the performance of these devices in predicting the risk of injury in male and female high school athletes.

Our long-term objective is to develop prevention strategies that can screen at-risk female athletes and prepare them through better eating and safer training for the demands of athletic endeavors.

Who can enroll: All soccer and basketball athletes. To enroll, download the PDF registration form or e-mail Nanna Meyer for a registration form.
 Anabolic Steroid and Dietary Supplement Abuse
Dietary supplements, including ergogenic (performance-enhancing) aids, and the use of anabolic steroids are on the rise in adolescents. Data from a National Institute of Drug Abuse survey found that in the U.S. there is an increase in lifetime use of anabolic steroids in 10th graders (2.7% in 1999 vs. 2.0% in 1998). The same survey found that seniors show a decreased perceived risk of harm. In other words, adolescents are using more and fearing less.

More recent surveys show that as many as 11% of teenage males have used anabolic steroids and 2.5% of teenage females. One of the main reasons for young adults taking steroids and other ergogenic aids is to improve athletic performance and physical appearance. This mentality of "winning at all costs" and the overemphasis on a muscular body can quickly convince young individuals that short-cuts to success are socially acceptable, expected, and without consequence. Unfortunately, such behaviors result in long-term health complications ranging from acne, male breast development, increased aggression, and stunted growth to infertility, heart attack, stroke, and liver cancer.

Given the seriousness of steroid and dietary supplement abuse in adolescents, the purpose of this project is three-fold: The first part will involve developing a reliable questionnaire that can be used to assess dietary supplement and steroid use in high schools.

The second part of this project will assess how many high school students currently use dietary supplements and steroids, what they know about anabolic steroids and dietary supplements and why they use them.

Last, and most importantly, the information obtained will be used to develop an educational program designed to give athletes a better choice of enhancing performance through better eating and safer training.

Who can enroll: All students and athletes. To enroll, download the PDF registration form or e-mail Nanna Meyer for a registration form.
 How to enroll
We encourage all students and their parents to consider the participation in these projects. The projects will be integrated into the health and physical education curriculum in order for students to receive credit for participation.

Because most students are 18 years or younger, we must obtain parental consent as well as the consent of the student on the day of data collection. Please click on the link below to submit your address so that we can mail you the required paperwork.

Once you receive the paperwork, please take a moment and read the consent forms carefully, contact us with any questions you may have, and return the consent forms and your agreement for your daughter/son to participate in BEST. We apologize for the inconvenience regarding the paperwork, however, we are required to follow School District and Intermountain Health Care's Institutional Review Board guidelines. Please do not let this short time commitment on your part interfere with your daughter/son's participation in the BEST Study and the potential benefits they may receive.

Contact Information
Nanna L. Meyer, Ph.D.
801-314-4038
Nanna.Meyer@ihc.com
Stacie L. Wing-Gaia, M.S., R.D.
801-314-4031
Stacie.Winggaia@ihc.com
Steve Swanson, M.S.
801-314-4037
Stephen.Swanson@ihc.com

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