Women who exercise a lot and engage in extreme physical activity are prone to a condition known as the female athlete triad. This is a complex reaction of the body which needs to be addressed by a team of professionals, because it involves a lot of bodily functions. In most cases the women who suffer from this condition have an imbalanced diet and their body lacks certain nutrients.
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The female athlete triad
Female athletes can suffer from the triad, which involves eating disorders, amenorrhea and osteoporosis. Women who practice sports that have a high caloric consumption have very low body fat levels, which make them prone to hormonal imbalances and low mineral content in their bones.
The link between heavy training and low body fat percentage
According to Dr. Melepura, a healthy female athlete should have a body fat percentage of 16%-22%, which is already lower than the percentage of a healthy woman that is between 20%-25%. Fat deposits are essential for the body, as they are a source of energy and they protect the internal organs.
For a woman who is exercising a lot, burning a lot of calories in the process, the percentage of body fat can easily decrease if she is not eating healthy. This is because the body converts the fat deposits into energy. In the first stages, she will be losing weight. After the fat is burned out, the body starts to use proteins from its own muscle mass. By this time, the athlete will lose her strength and won’t be able to sustain a typical intense workout as she used to. Most women hide their issues with their weight, which makes this problem even worse.
Amenorrhea is far too common
Amenorrhea is the cessation of the menstrual cycle and is a common symptom seen in female athletes. This condition is controlled by the hormone levels, so any slight imbalance can lead to changes in the menstrual cycle of the woman. The percentage of amenorrhea in the public is between 2%-5%, but in female athletes is up to 66%. The condition is linked to anorexia and extreme sports, which push the body to its limits, resulting in a dysfunction of the hypothalamus. The estrogen levels drop, which leads to amenorrhea, as well as other health problems, such as osteoporosis.
Low bone density
As the hormone imbalance wreaks havoc on the body, it leads to low bone density. Women who don’t suffer from calcium deficiency can increase their bone density when they are lifting weights. But athletes who already suffer from eating disorders and amenorrhea have a hard time maintaining their bone density, because their bodies lack certain minerals. In time, this makes the athlete prone to fractures, due to their weak bones.
The treatment for female athletes triad should involve a psychologist, a nutritionist and an endocrinologist, given the complexity of this condition. As some competitions require the athletes to undergo a complete check up before they are accepted, in order to determine if they suffer from the triad, this condition should never be ignored.