This semester, the Exercise and Nutrition Research Group (ENRG) in the Department of Nutrition completed the PERFORM Study with Case Western Reserve University athletes. The project focused on preventing and educating about Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S)—a condition caused when athletes fail to consume enough energy to meet training demands, affecting both performance and long-term health—by examining fueling practices, performance outcomes and metabolic health.
“The main goal of this research project was to better understand the relationship between student-athletes’ nutrition habits, metabolic health and factors related to their fueling practices for athletic performance,” Department of Nutrition faculty member Dr. Kristyen Tomcik said. “By expanding the study to include several varsity teams, we’re also able to compare and contrast across different athlete populations and demographics. Ultimately, our goal is to use this project as a model for integrating research into CWRU’s athletic framework, creating a sustainable system for ongoing nutrition monitoring and education.”
The research team included Department of Nutrition faculty members Tomcik, Professor Lindsay Malone and Professor Katie Nabors; Pennington Biomedical Research Center researcher and CWRU Nutrition alumnus Dr. Jacob Mey; CWRU Medical School students and Nutrition/Athletics alumni Clarence ‘Tre’ Armstrong (Baseball) and Hannah Kassaie (Tennis); CWRU Nutrition MS student Alex Sanchez; and undergraduate Nutrition students Maya Khan, Lindsey Petersen and Sajan Patel.
During testing week, athletes rotated through a series of assessments designed to provide a comprehensive picture of their health and performance. These evaluations included two forms of body composition testing—bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and a novel tablet-based 3D image scan—along with strength and power assessments. Athletes also completed nutrition and health questionnaires to offer insight into their fueling habits and training routines.
“The PERFORM study was born out of a desire to provide nutrition support to Division III athletes who may not get the same support and resources as Division I athletes,” Malone said. “RED-S can impact performance as well as health outcomes off the field of play. Collegiate athletes have a number of unique constraints that may make them more susceptible to RED-S including scheduling, food availability, knowledge, etc. We thought our team and approach could help identify and reduce these constraints.”
The researchers recognized a significant gap in the resources available to Division III athletes compared to those in Division I programs, which motivated their focus on the Division III population.
“Division I and professional athletes commonly have more resources and support including special dining halls to accommodate athletes, staff dietitians, and mobile fueling stations for games and practices,” Malone said. “Our aim in studying our CWRU athletes is to identify how we can mimic some of this support using the resources we have and zero on how we can best support our athletes.”
Second-year women’s soccer player Kinzly Gootman participated in the study and appreciated the detailed data and insights she received.
“The nutrition study helped me understand body composition more and why it matters for athletes and health overall,” Gootman said. “By comparing statistics across the season, I got to understand how the season affects my body and how nutrition is a crucial piece of athletic performance to maintain muscle mass and fuel performance.”
Gootman believes the information gathered through the study will benefit not only athletes, but also coaches, programs and administrators.
“The information collected can help researchers, dietitians, and coaches understand how to best support athletes throughout their season to yield the best performance,” Gootman said.
Looking ahead, ENRG hopes to expand their research to include all athletes on campus and provide broader nutrition and health resources.
“Our goal is to continue expanding sports nutrition offerings to all the teams on campus,” Malone said. “We have to be strategic about how many teams we take on given our staff, resources and time constraints. Ideally, we’d like to see all athletes on campus have access to nutrition education and resources throughout the season—including but not limited to: body composition testing, fueling and hydration stations, dietitians, metabolic testing, etc.”