Female Athlete Triad Research Paper

Females have very complex bodies, we are able to bare children, menstruate, and go through menopause just to name a few. Being a woman it’s very important to care for our bodies, but sometimes this isn’t the case. The female athlete triad refers to the interrelationships among energy availability, menstrual function, and bone density. (Pg. 1867) These three topics greatly affect a female athlete or frequent exerciser. The clinical problems that occur are eating disorders, functional hypothalamic amenorrhea, and osteoporosis.
Active women and girls with low energy levels are susceptible to amenorrhea, and osteoporosis which cause serious health risks. These disorders can be better prepared for with prevention education, early diagnosis,

and treatment. When a female’s energy availability is too low, physiological mechanisms reduce the amount of energy used for cell maintenance, thermoregulation, growth and reproduction. (Pg. 1869) A main cause of low energy would be the lack of a nutritious diet. A healthy diet consists of fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy.
In sports that require a lean physique like swimming and gymnastics, some woman tend to have abnormal eating characteristics. For example, anorexia and bulimia. Anorexia is an eating disorder characterized by restrictive eating in which the athlete sees themselves as overweight and afraid to gain weight, even though they are below the percentile for their age and body weight. Bulimia, another eating disorder in which the athlete repeats a cycle of overeating or binge-eating and then fasting or over exercising.
Osteoporosis is defined as a skeletal disorder compromised bone strength predisposing a person to an increased risk of fracture. (pg. 1869) With osteoporosis, it is diagnosed in terms of bone mineral density (BMD) a level in which the risk for fracture is considered unacceptable. Women that are post menopause are at higher risk for developing this disorder, and should visit their doctor regularly.
When dealing with the menstrual function, it can be described as amenorrhea, which is the absence of menstrual cycles lasting more than three months. In studies done with female monkeys they were able to restore the menstruation to regular cycles with an increased diet and no change to exercise regimens.
If a female athlete is diagnosed with a disorder found within the triad, they should be seen by a health care professional, dietitian and trainer. The coach and members of the family should be notified so they too can help provide support. However a key step in preventing any part of the triad from occurring is by educating female athletes.