A new study published by the National Athletic Trainers' Association indicates that eating disorders are not more prevalent among female student-athletes than among women who did not participate in athletics.

Some research in recent years has pointed to a possible relationship between athletics participation and disordered eating, a component of the "female athlete triad." The triad, a health concern unique to female athletes, also includes menstrual disorders and osteoporosis.

But the new study, conducted by Mark Reinking and Laura Alexander at Saint Louis University, debunks that theory. The 2002-03 study compared both athletes and non-athletes and, among athletes, those who participated in sports where weight and appearance are considered a factor (swimming and diving, cross country, and cheerleading) and those who participate in sports where weight is not as essential (basketball, volleyball, soccer, field hockey and softball). Non-athletes were defined as women who did not compete on an intercollegiate team and reported exercising an average of four or fewer times per week.

The study results showed that female athletes who participated in "lean" sports such as swimming and cross country did display disordered eating symptoms at a higher rate than their counterparts in sports such as basketball and softball or their non-athletics peers.

The study involved 146 women: 84 athletes and 62 who did not participate in competitive sports. Of the athletes, 16 participated in the "lean" sports, while 68 were in other sports.

The athletes reported a significantly better body image than their non-athletics peers, with women who participated in sports in which weight is a factor having a slightly less positive self-image than the other athletic women. The majority of women in the survey wished to be thinner.

"As anticipated, based on the emphasis on leanness in our culture, all groups of the female collegiate students studied wished to be thinner than their actual body weight," Reinking said. "The non-athlete group had a significantly lower desired body weight than the athletes, and the lean-sport athletes had a significantly lower desired actual body weight than the non-lean sport athletes."

The study also measured the dissatisfaction the women had regarding their body shape and size. The athletes were more satisfied with their appearance than the non-athletes; however, athletes in lean sports were less satisfied than their non-lean sport counterparts. The study showed that 12.9 percent of non-athletes were at risk for eating disorders, while 7.1 percent of the athletes had the same risk. The percentage was higher among lean-sport athletes.

"Making sense out of the research on disordered eating in athletes is difficult because study results have been divergent," Reinking said.

He said past research suggests that the risk of disordered eating is greater among female athletes than male athletes and is greater in sports that emphasize leanness or body image. However, he said, the risk of disordered eating does not outweigh the benefits a young woman receives from participating in intercollegiate sports, particularly in sports like basketball and volleyball.

His study suggests that in sports that don't emphasize leanness, he said, "the positive effects of athletics participation outweigh the pressures of competitive collegiate athletics with regard to eating behaviors."