Results: Age of gymnasts was positively associated with BMD at all measured sites (p <0.001; r=0.62-0.68). Weight was positively associated with BMD at all measured sites (p <0.001; r=0.82-0.90). Lean body mass was positively associated with BMD at all measured sites (p <0.001; r=0.74-0.87). Body fat percentage was positively associated with BMD at all measured sites (p <0.001-p=0.01; r=0.39-0.54). However, calcium intake was not significantly associated with any of the BMD sites. Sunlight exposure and indirect estimates of vitamin D were not significantly associated with any of the BMD sites; all r-values indicated a weak positive association with BMD. Of the gymnasts who had experienced menses (n=15), those with regular menstrual periods (n=8) had significantly higher BMD values at the arm, leg, trunk, rib, and spine, and total body than those who did not have regular menstrual periods (n=7). There was no significant difference in BMD for gymnasts who had regular periods at the pelvis. A regression analysis was performed. The predictors total BMD values from the regression equation were the following: regular menses, height, weight, percent kilocalorie requirement consumed from predicted kilocalorie needs, calcium intake with supplements, lean body mass, hourly deficits >300 kilocalories from predicted kilocalorie needs, and hourly surpluses >300 kilocalories from predicted kilocalorie needs.

Figural sculpture of a life-sized gymnast . The combination of materials, fiberglass and red cotton fabric. Dimensions 103x 205x 50 cm , 2012.

Precompetitive anxiety (PCA) is problematic for young gymnasts and may have an influence on a multitude of factors like self-confidence, perceived level of self-efficacy, and athlete's performance in a competition. The objective of this 2-part study was to discover how earlier competitive experience influences the young gymnasts' level of anxiety, perception of control, and self-efficacy. An additional goal was to explore the potential impact of Guided imagery (GI) and Autogenic training (AGT) in reducing precompetitive anxiety. In the first study, 80 USAG Junior Olympic female gymnasts between the ages of 7 and 16 (40 compulsory level and 40 optional level) participated. The purpose was to test differences in levels of PCA, locus of control, and self-efficacy among optional level and compulsory level gymnasts. An independent samples t test and a Mann-Whitney nonparametric test showed that optional level gymnasts had higher cognitive anxiety, lower confidence level, and higher internal locus of control compared with compulsory level gymnasts, with no significant mean difference in somatic anxiety and self-efficacy. For the second study, 30 participants were divided into 3 treatment groups: (a) AGT group, (b) GI group, and (c) control group. Results of repeated measure ANOVAs revealed that mean anxiety scores decreased over time for the autogenic group as compared to the control and guided imagery group. The internal LOC mean scores were lower for the autogenic group, compared to the other groups, but internal locus of control did increase over time for the autogenic group. The social significance of this study suggests that enhanced performance and enjoyment in sports may allow athletes to remain active in sports while teaching them life-long strategies to reduce anxiety and stress in their lives.

Injuries in the female gymnast are common and it is important to understand the biomechanical factors responsible for injury. The Back Walkover maneuver requires one of the greatest amounts of lumbar hyperextension compared to other common gymnastic maneuvers. During the Back Walkover large lateral and vertical impact forces follows on the spine. The spine and muscles around the spine have to absorb generally large forces; therefore the loads on the back and certainly on the lower back are of significant interest. Additionally, it takes a lot of strength and a vast range of motion to perform gymnastic maneuvers such as The Back Walkover. It is of interest to study mechanical loads on a female gymnast since they show higher occurrences of stress-related pathologies of the lumbar spine. Therefore the purpose of this project was to examine the loads on the spine during the gymnastic maneuver Back Walkover. Tests on a single female gymnast were made at the sports engineering lab at the University of Adelaide in Australia. Using the 3D-camera system; Optitrack Motion Capture System and Kistler Force Plate, positional data for two dimensions, X-direction (anterior-posterior) and Z-direction (vertical), and ground force were received. Data received were progressed into a graph, diagrams and biomechanical calculations where forces for the vertebrae L1 were calculated in vertical and horizontal direction. The received forces were compared to vertical and horizontal forces in L1 during standing position. Together with developed videos this assisted to model the loads of the spine (L1) during the gymnastic maneuver the “Back Walkover”. The study has led to a deeper knowledge for the community about the risks for female gymnasts and has widened the experience of the project participant, as the project aimed.

Bakgrund: Psykisk ohälsa är idag ett vanligt hälsoproblem hos unga svenska kvinnor. Ett växande intresse finns även för den psykiska hälsan hos elitidrottare eftersom forskning har identifierat en rad idrottsspecifika stressorer som ökar risken för psykisk ohälsa. Self-efficacy är en annan faktor som har visats kunna påverka elitidrottarens idrottsliga prestation och är tillsammans med ett gott psykiskt mående viktigt för att elitidrottaren ska lyckas. Syfte: Att undersöka förekomst och grad av generaliserat ångestsyndrom (GAD) och self-efficacy (SE) till att nå idrottsspecifika mål hos unga svenska kvinnliga elitgymnaster samt dess korrelation. Metod: Studien är en tvärsnittsstudie med en kvantitativ ansats. Generaliserat ångestsyndrom mättes med en elektronisk version av GAD-7 och SE med General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES). Deltagarna rekryterades genom ett icke slumpmässigt bekvämlighetsurval och datan analyserades i det statistiska dataprogrammet SPSS. Resultat: 48 deltagare rekryterades till studien och av dessa rapporterade 54,3 % någon grad av GAD. Deltagarna hade ett medianvärde på 29 poäng för SE till att nå idrottsspecifika mål. Det fanns en signifikant, svag och negativ korrelation mellan GAD och SE till att nå idrottsspecifika mål. Konklusion: Studiens resultat går i linje med tidigare forskning som visar att GAD är vanligt förekommande hos kvinnliga elitidrottare. Ett svagt negativt samband kunde visas mellan GAD och SE till att nå idrottsspecifika mål hos de unga, kvinnliga svenska elitgymnasterna. Dock behövs mer forskning på en större population rekryterade från ett slumpmässigt urval för att resultatet ska kunna generaliseras. / Background: Mental illness is a common health problem among young Swedish women. There is also a growing interest for the mental health of elite athletes as previous research has identified several sport-specific stressors that can increase the risk of mental illness. Self-efficacy is another factor that has been shown to affect athletic performance and is, as well as a good mental state, important for an elite athlete to succeed.  Aim: To investigate the prevalence and severity of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and self-efficacy (SE) to achieve sport-specific goals in young Swedish female elite gymnasts and its correlation. Methods: The study is a cross-sectional, non-randomized study with a quantitative approach. GAD was measured using an electronic version of GAD-7 Scale and SE with the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES). Results: 48 participants were recruited and out of these, 54,3% reported some degree of GAD. The participants had a median value of 29 points for SE to achieve sport-specific goals. There was a significant, weak and inverse correlation between GAD and SE to achieve sport-specific goals. Conclusion: The results of the study are in line with previous research that identifies GAD as a common health problem among female elite athletes. A significant, weak and inverse correlation could be shown between GAD and SE to achieve sport-specific goals. However, more research is needed on a larger population recruited from a randomized sample for the results to be generalized.