Although seen as a disease of middle age, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the third leading cause of death in individuals 15-24 years of age. There is limited data on risk in female athletes overweight or obese classified by body mass index (BMI) ¡Ý25 kg/m2. The objective of this study was to compare CVD risk status and diet quality between female Division I student athletes (SA) and sedentary students (SS) with BMI ¡Ý24.5 kg/m2. Secondary objectives included evaluating the influence of total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), BMI, percent body fat (% BF), and dietary quality on CVD risk. Thirty-seven college women (20 SA; 17 SS) 19.7 + 1.2 years old with a mean BMI of 28.6 kg/m2 (range 24.7-39.6) participated. Primary analysis was a composite CVD risk score (cCVDs): resting blood pressure, waist circumference, fasting triglycerides, high density lipoprotein (HDL), blood glucose, and C-reactive protein. The remainder of the lipid profile and resting heart rate (RHR) were also assessed. The cCVDs was not significant between the two groups (p=0.373), however, total cholesterol, TC:HDL, low density lipoprotein, % BF, and RHR were significantly lower in SA. Significantly fewer SA (35%; 7/20) versus SS (71%; 12/17) had > 2 risk factors. Neither group¡ ̄s diet met heart health guidelines. BMI and % BF were positively correlated with cCVDs in SA. Overall, the SA had a lower prevalence of CVD risk factors and a superior risk factor profile compared to the SS which was likely due to the significantly lower % BF and higher TDEE in the SA.
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