Eating attitudes and behaviors characteristics in high-level Kenyan female and male distance runners

Background East African middle- and long-distance runners have dominated international running events for decades. This success is likely derived from the combination of genetics, training, environment, lifestyle, and social factors. Physiological capacity and training regimes-histories have been reported extensively, however, research addressing lifestyle factors is relatively scant. Examination of eating behaviors and attitudes is based upon small sample sizes, and nutritional behaviors are compared and framed relative to European or Western country cohorts. Methods Therefore, we chose to conduct surveys of select aspects of eating attitudes and behaviors with a focus on DE/ED (disordered eating/eating disorder) risks in a group of high-level Kenyan female and male distance runners (Athletes; n = 50) in comparison to healthy, but Sedentary ( n = 58), Kenyan females/males. Participants visited our laboratory areas (Eldoret or Nairobi) and were provided with an eating attitudes and behaviors questionnaire (EAT-26) to complete. Results Within the three EAT-26 sub-scores, only the Dieting and Oral Control components displayed significant differences. Specifically, the female Sedentary group had higher scores ( p 0.01) than the female Athletes for Dieting; while the male Athlete group had higher scores for Oral Control ( p 0.05) than the male Sedentary group and also there was a trend in male Athletes group to have a higher proportion of individuals with ≥20 points on the EAT-26 (i.e., diagnostic cut-point for increased risk of DE/ED. Conclusions A greater Oral Control component sub-score is associated with “self-control of eating and the perceived pressure from others to gain weight.” The very slightly elevated sub-score observed in this score and the trend of a greater 20-point proportion do suggest, to a small degree, that our male Athletes might be at an increased risk of DE/ED behaviors. However, female Athletes displayed lower risk than their respective Sedentary counterparts.