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Exercise‐Induced Amenorrhea and Bone Health in the Adolescent Athlete
Author(s) -
Warren Michelle P.,
Chua Abigail T.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1196/annals.1429.025
Subject(s) - amenorrhea , hypoestrogenism , female athlete triad , medicine , primary amenorrhea , physical therapy , athletes , population , endocrinology , disordered eating , hormone , psychiatry , eating disorders , pregnancy , biology , environmental health , genetics
Female participation in high school athletics has increased 800% in the last 30 years. The problem of exercise‐induced amenorrhea was initially thought to be analogous to hypoestrogenism, but recent studies suggest that nutritional issues underlie most of the pathophysiology and that the mechanism is different from that seen in the primary hypogonadal state. Exercise‐induced amenorrhea can be an indicator of an energy drain, and the presence of the other components of the female athlete triad—bone density loss and eating disorders—must be determined as well. Addressing skeletal problems related to nutritional and hormonal deficiencies in this population is of very high priority.