Some Female Athletes May Be Risking Their Health Over a Myth
Some Female Athletes May Be Risking Their Health Over a Myth
June 4, 2001 -- Surprising new evidence is showing that elite athletes can suffer from the same health problems that plague young women who suffer eating disorders like anorexia nervosa. A triple threat of inadequate nutrition, skipped periods (or amenorrhea), and osteoporosis -- known as "Female Athlete Triad" -- threatens some of our "fittest" young women. And it's now been linked to the early stages of cardiovascular disease.
"This is not a message that women shouldn't exercise," says study leader Anne Zeni Hoch, DO. "But we need to educate the public about this triad, and we need to change the myth that when a woman athlete stops having her period, it's okay. Parents and coaches may think it's normal, but we know it's absolutely not. It has implications for the woman's bones and heart."
Hoch is assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation, and of orthopaedic surgery, at Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. She spoke with WebMD from Baltimore, where she presents her findings this week at the American College of Sports Medicine's annual conference.
Amenorrhea -- the premature ceasing of monthly menstrual periods -- is common in anorexics and bulimics. Poor diet and excessive exercise are to blame. But while most people see amenorrhea as something negative when it stems from an eating disorder, they fail to recognize it as a threat when it occurs in seemingly healthy, athletic young women. That's a big mistake, says Hoch.
Her team compared two groups of elite female athletes -- 10 with amenorrhea, 11 with normal periods. "They were runners from the local college in Milwaukee," she tells WebMD. "We looked at how strong their bones were and also at their [blood vessel] function -- a measure of cardiovascular disease."
While the women with normal periods had strong, healthy bones and blood vessels, those with amenorrhea not only had lower bone density, leaving them vulnerable to fracture, but "they had the vasculature of a 50-year-old, postmenopausal woman," she says. "They were unhealthy."
Hoch tells WebMD it's not entirely clear why some of the athletes stopped menstruating and others didn't. "The physical stress of intense exercise and the emotional stress of competition are factors," and there are genetic variables, she says. But overall, "the biggest risk factors for amenorrhea were poor diet and not taking in enough calories. These are things we can prevent."
Some Female Athletes May Be Risking Their Health Over a Myth
June 4, 2001 -- Surprising new evidence is showing that elite athletes can suffer from the same health problems that plague young women who suffer eating disorders like anorexia nervosa. A triple threat of inadequate nutrition, skipped periods (or amenorrhea), and osteoporosis -- known as "Female Athlete Triad" -- threatens some of our "fittest" young women. And it's now been linked to the early stages of cardiovascular disease.
"This is not a message that women shouldn't exercise," says study leader Anne Zeni Hoch, DO. "But we need to educate the public about this triad, and we need to change the myth that when a woman athlete stops having her period, it's okay. Parents and coaches may think it's normal, but we know it's absolutely not. It has implications for the woman's bones and heart."
Hoch is assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation, and of orthopaedic surgery, at Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. She spoke with WebMD from Baltimore, where she presents her findings this week at the American College of Sports Medicine's annual conference.
Amenorrhea -- the premature ceasing of monthly menstrual periods -- is common in anorexics and bulimics. Poor diet and excessive exercise are to blame. But while most people see amenorrhea as something negative when it stems from an eating disorder, they fail to recognize it as a threat when it occurs in seemingly healthy, athletic young women. That's a big mistake, says Hoch.
Her team compared two groups of elite female athletes -- 10 with amenorrhea, 11 with normal periods. "They were runners from the local college in Milwaukee," she tells WebMD. "We looked at how strong their bones were and also at their [blood vessel] function -- a measure of cardiovascular disease."
While the women with normal periods had strong, healthy bones and blood vessels, those with amenorrhea not only had lower bone density, leaving them vulnerable to fracture, but "they had the vasculature of a 50-year-old, postmenopausal woman," she says. "They were unhealthy."
Hoch tells WebMD it's not entirely clear why some of the athletes stopped menstruating and others didn't. "The physical stress of intense exercise and the emotional stress of competition are factors," and there are genetic variables, she says. But overall, "the biggest risk factors for amenorrhea were poor diet and not taking in enough calories. These are things we can prevent."