Monica Torstveit

Universitetet i Agder | UIA

Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs) was first introduced in 2014 by the International Olympic Committee’s expert writing panel, identifying a syndrome of deleterious health and performance outcomes experienced by female and male athletes exposed to low energy availability (LEA; inadequate energy intake in relation to exercise energy expendit...

Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs) is common among female and male athletes representing various sports at different performance levels, and the underlying cause is problematic low energy availability (LEA). It is essential to prevent problematic LEA to decrease the risk of serious health and performance consequences. This narrative review...

Purpose: To examine high school students' disclosure of sexual harassment and abuse (SHA), and awareness of reporting systems and support mechanisms in school among students, leaders, and coaches. Method: Norwegian 17-year-old high school elite athletes (n = 630), recreational athletes (n = 307), and reference students (n = 263) responded to an...

Background: Previous research on the association between sports participation and body composition has shown mixed findings. The family home is considered one of the most influential environments on childhood obesity. Thus, the association between sports participation and body composition in children may be influenced by an obesogenic home environ...

Low energy availability (LEA) occurs inadvertently and purposefully in many athletes across numerous sports; and well planned, supervised periods with moderate LEA can improve body composition and power to weight ratio possibly enhancing performance in some sports. LEA however has the potential to have negative effects on a multitude of physiologic...

Female endurance athletes are considered a high-risk group for developing Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs). Due to the lack of educational and behavioral intervention studies, targeting and evaluating the effects of the practical daily management of REDs, we developed the Food and nUtrition for Endurance athletes—a Learning (FUEL) program...

Oslo, Norway

Sevilla, Spain

Purpose: To examine the 12-months prevalence and 12-months prospective change in reported sexual harassment and abuse (SHA)-victimization among young elite athletes, recreational athletes, and reference students in three different social settings and identify the perpetrators. Methods: In total, 919 adolescents responded to an online questionnai...

Background Mediation analysis is important to test the theoretical framework underpinning an intervention. We therefore aimed to investigate if the healthy body image (HBI) intervention’s effect on eating disorder (ED) symptomatology and use of muscle building supplements was mediated by the change in risk and protective factors for ED development...

Oral presentation

Relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S) is a complex syndrome describing health and performance consequences of low energy availability (LEA) and is common among female endurance athletes. Various underlying causes of LEA have been reported, including disordered eating behavior (DE), but studies investigating the association with exercise addic...

A questionnaire-based screening tool for male athletes at risk of low energy availability (LEA) could facilitate both research and clinical practice. The present options rely on proxies for LEA such screening tools for disordered eating, exercise dependence, or those validated in female athlete populations. in which the female-specific sections are...

Abstract Background Use of dietary supplements (DS) and muscle enhancing dietary supplements (MEDS) is frequent among students despite the lack of evidence of effects and health risks related to consumption. We need to increase our understanding of students’ motivation, examine potential gender differences, and explore explanatory factors, to addre...

Introduction Endurance athletes with high training loads and weight focus have increased risk of low energy and carbohydrate (CHO) availability. This is the first study aiming to investigate the timing of CHO intake in relation to training load in athletes with symptoms of relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S). Materials and Methods Female e...

Objective To investigate the immediate and 12-months effects of a school-based intervention aiming to reduce risk and enhance protective factors for eating disorder development in high school boys and girls. Method In total, 4,149 adolescents from 30 high schools were eligible for inclusion and 2,446 consented to participate and were randomly allo...

Objective: This study aimed to estimate the number of weekly users of protein, creatine, and dieting supplements and to explore whether weekly use was related to eating disorder (ED) risk factors, exercise, sports participation, and immigrant status. Methods: In total, 629 and 1060 high school boys and girls, respectively, self-reported weekly freq...

The syndrome of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) includes wide-ranging effects on physiological and psychological functioning, performance, and general health. However, RED-S is understudied among male athletes at the highest performance levels. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate surrogate RED-S markers prevalence in Norwegi...

Sports participations have the potential for both positive and negative health outcomes. We hence aimed (i) to assess systematically reviewed associations between organized sports participation in children and adolescents and their health, and (ii) to assess qualitative syntheses of experiences among children and adolescents concerning organized sp...

Background Body image is considered a core issue for public health and associates with university students’ overall health. Due to positive associations between exercise and body image, it has been suggested that students within an exercise science program might be more body appreciative compared to other students. On the other hand, the strong soc...

Purpose: The overall aim of the present study was to explore the experiences of older adult exercisers participating in an individualized training program lasting 3 months preparing for completing a triathlon competition. Methods: Fourteen older Norwegian adults (median age (interquartile range, IQR) for males (N=10) and females (N=4) were 70.0 (65...

INTRODUCTION It is well documented that cardiorespiratory fitness will significantly improve with systematic endurance training in older individuals (1). However, limited knowledge exists regarding the effects of sports related activities in this age group. There seems to be an increased tendency today, also for older adults, to exercise and compet...

Intro Relative energy deficiency in sports (RED-S) is a syndrome that can impair athlete’s health and performance. Highly-trained cyclists are especially vulnerable to RED-S within the competitive season [1]. The following post-season period includes a transition phase with reduced training load to facilitate physical and mental recovery. Interest...

Cyclists often apply block periodization to high training volumes in meso-and macrocycles to optimize training adaptation and to prepare for competition. Body mass influences performance in many sports, including endurance disciplines, and conditions related to the syndrome Relative Energy Deficiency in Sports (RED-S) such as metabolic adaptations...

We examined both direct and indirect effects of the Healthy Body Image (HBI) intervention on positive embodiment among Norwegian high school students. In total, 2446 12th grade boys (43 %) and girls (mean age 16.8 years) from 30 schools participated in a cluster-randomized controlled study with the HBI intervention and a control condition as the st...

Objectives: Positive embodiment and healthy lifestyle habits seem to be related; therefore, stimulating positive embodiment should promote healthy lifestyle habits. In the current study, we delivered the Healthy Body Image (HBI) intervention among Norwegian high school students and examined the effects on healthy lifestyle habits. Methods: The H...

Objectives To enhance knowledge on pregnancy and return to sport in the postpartum period in elite female athletes. Methods 34 Norwegian elite athletes (33.1 years) and 34 active controls (31.5 years) were asked about training and competitive history, pregnancy-related issues, injuries, body dissatisfaction (BD), drive for thinness (DT), eating di...

Intensive training periods may negatively influence immune function, but the immunological consequences of specific high-intensity-training (HIT) prescriptions are not well defined. Purpose: To explore whether 3 different HIT prescriptions influence multiple health-related biomarkers and whether biomarker responses to HIT were associated with upp...

We examined the effects of the Healthy Body Image (HBI) intervention on positive embodiment andhealth-related quality of life among Norwegian high school students. The intervention comprised threeinteractive workshops, with body image, media literacy, and lifestyle as main themes. In total, 2,44612thgrade boys (43%) and girls (mean age 16.8 years)...

Objectives To explore associations betweenexercise dependence, eating disorder (ED) symptoms and biomarkers of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sports (RED-S) among male endurance athletes. Methods Fifty-three healthy well-trained male cyclists, triathletes and long-distance runners recruited from regional competitive sports clubs were included in th...

Objective: Excessive gestational weight gain is linked to risk of preeclampsia, but it is not clear whether the association is causal. The purpose of this paper was to examine gestational weight gain in the Norwegian Fit for Delivery study among women who developed preeclampsia compared to those who did not, and to further explore associations bet...

Intensified training periods may increase incidence of upper respiratory illness (URI) in athletes (Meeusen et al., 2013, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 45(1), 186–205). Many physiological and nutritional risk factors have been associated with increased risk of URI (Bermon et al., 2017, Exercise Immunology Review, 23, 8–50), including...

Background Randomized controlled trials targeting maternal dietary and physical activity behaviors during pregnancy have generally failed to accomplish reductions in the prevalence of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. Interventions carried out during pregnancy could thus be missing the mark in maximizing intervention health benefit. Objectiv...

Pre-pregnancy and early pregnancy dietary behavior in relation to maternal and newborn health in the Norwegian Fit for Delivery study – a post hoc observational analysis

Aims: First, to describe the rationale for developing a combined summary score, the Healthy and Sustainable Dietary and Physical Activity habits (HSDPA) score, incorporating four selected dietary and physical activity aspects: (a) the New Nordic Diet, (b) local and sustainable foods, (c) active transportation and (d) non-exercise outdoor activitie...

Adolescence is a pivotal time for investing in both present and future health. Thus, it is important to identify arenas for promoting positive adolescent health behaviours and preventing negative ones. The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between organized sports participation (OSP) and a broad range of lifestyle habits in Norw...

CONSORT 2010 checklist of information to include when reporting a randomised trial*.

Obesity prevalence has increased the past decades and has become a serious public health problem. The aim of this six-month assessor-blinded, parallel-group randomized controlled trial was to assess the effect of a tailored telephone and email-based exercise intervention on various measures of body composition in a sample of apparently healthy and...

Session Title: Correlates and Behavioral Aspects of Physical Activity in Youth and Teens Session Number: C-41 Session Viewing Date/Time: Thursday May 31, 2018 7:30 AM - 12:30 PM Presentation Time: 9:00am - 10:30am Poster Board Number: 146 ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Being physically active is associated with a positive body image (PBI)(1). Gyms offer a p...

Female hormones fluctuate in concentrations during the menstrual cycle. This has triggered speculations among athletes, coaches, as well as researchers about the hormonal changes that lead to variations in athletic performance and adaptation to training. Many athletes, as in the general population, use oral contraceptives. This has raised questions...

Background: To develop effective health promotional and preventive prenatal programs, it is important to understand perceived barriers to leisure-time physical activity during pregnancy, including exercise and sport participation. The aims of the present study was 1) to assess the effect of prenatal lifestyle intervention on the perceived barrier...

Background: Body dissatisfaction and disordered eating raise the risk for eating disorders. In the prevention of eating disorders, many programmes have proved partly successful in using cognitive techniques to combat such risk factors. However, specific strategies to actively promote a positive body image are rarely used. The present paper outline...

In persons with anorexia nervosa (AN), compulsive exercise and osteopenia are common symptoms. Although treatment of osteopenia besides weight regain is lacking, maximal strength training (MST) has been found to be effective in other populations. Such training has not been prescribed to those with AN due to uncertainty of tolerance. We therefore ex...

Endurance athletes are at increased risk of relative energy deficiency associated with metabolic perturbation and impaired health. We aimed to estimate and compare within-day energy balance (WDEB) in male athletes with suppressed and normal resting metabolic rate (RMR) and explore if within-day energy deficiency (WDED) is associated with endocrine...

Despite documented health benefits for mother and baby, physical activity (PA)-level tends to decline in pregnancy. Overweight/obese and physically inactive women are two selected groups at increased risk of pregnancy complications. Thus, efficient strategies to maintain or increase PA-level in pregnancy and the postpartum period, especially among...

SPSS-file with all relevant data underlying the findings in the present paper. (SAV)

Introduction: The beneficial effects of physical activity during pregnancy for the mother and offspring have been reported by several studies but there are conflicting results concerning the possible effect of physical activity on the course of labor and risk of cesarean delivery. This study presents secondary analyses from the Norwegian Fit for D...

Background The effectiveness of prenatal lifestyle intervention to prevent gestational diabetes and improve maternal glucose metabolism remains to be established. The Norwegian Fit for Delivery (NFFD) randomized, controlled trial studied the effect of a combined lifestyle intervention provided to a general population, and found significantly lower...

Background Use of ultra-processed foods has expanded rapidly over the last decades and high consumption has been positively associated with risk of e.g. overweight, obesity and type 2 diabetes. Ultra-processed foods offer convenience as they require minimal time for preparation. It is therefore reasonable to assume that such foods are consumed more...

Sanda B, Vistad I, Haakstad LAH, Berntsen S, Sagedal LR, Lohne-Seiler H, Torstveit MK. Reliability and concurrent validity of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire short form among pregnant women. Background The International Physical Activity Questionnaire short-form (IPAQ-SF) is frequently used to assess physical activity (PA) level i...

Background Up-to-date research on musculoskeletal- and neuromotor fitness (MSMF) is lacking. The aims of the present paper were to a) establish normative values of MSMF by gender and age, and b) to assess how much of the variance in MSMF can be explained by obesity in adults. MethodsA random selection of 726 Norwegians (20–65 years) participated in...

Background: Previous studies have reported a positive association between scoring on healthy Nordic diet scales and the intake of healthy foods and nutrients, and also with higher intake of meat, sweets, cakes, and energy in general. These studies have used the same food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) responses for constructing the diet score as fo...

There is a global need to diminish climate gas emissions, and a simultaneous call for enhanced levels of physical activity. Increased physical activity entails reduced risk for overweight and chronic diseases, as well as a potential to reduce transport's major contribution to global CO2 emissions. However, increased physical activity level also imp...

Pregnancy is characterised by large weight gain over a short period, and often a notable change in mode of transportation. This makes pregnancy suitable for examining the plausible, but in the scientific literature still unclear, association between active transportation and weight gain. We hypothesize that women continuing an active mode of transp...

Objective: To examine the effect of a prenatal lifestyle intervention on postpartum weight retention (PPWR). Design: Randomised controlled trial. Setting: Healthcare clinics in southern Norway. Population: Healthy, nulliparous women with body mass index ≥19 kg/m(2) , age ≥18 years, and singleton pregnancy of ≤20 gestational weeks. Methods:...

Objective: To examine whether a lifestyle intervention in pregnancy limits gestational weight gain (GWG) and provides measurable health benefits for mother and newborn. Design: Randomised controlled trial. Setting: Healthcare clinics of southern Norway. Population: Healthy, non-diabetic, nulliparous women, aged ≥18 years, with a body mass in...

Background: Exercise programmes have shown to be important for the prevention of fractures in patients with established osteoporosis. However, few studies have evaluated the effect of such programmes for women with low bone mineral density (BMD) (osteoporosis or osteopenia) who have already suffered a fracture. Studies have indicated that exercise...

There is a growing interest in the New Nordic Diet (NND) as a potentially health promoting, environmentally friendly, and palatable regional diet. Also, dietary scores are gaining ground as a complementary approach for examining relations between dietary patterns and various health outcomes. A score assessing adherence to the NND has earlier been p...

The prevalence of obesity presents serious public health challenges worldwide and is most commonly estimated by the categorization of body mass index (BMI). The purpose of this study was (i) to describe the sensitivity of BMI, waist circumference (WC) and fat mass percentage in the classification of overweight and obesity and (ii) to describe the p...

A strong inclination to engage in a sport activity may provoke intrapersonal conflict. Yet, few studies have explicitly investigated such activity-related conflict in light of self-regulation of activity engagement. In the present research, we explored intrapersonal conflict measured as discrepant self-guides in relation to obsessive passion, harmo...