Adolescent females and young women who are involved in high levels of training who have amenorrhoea (menstruation stops) and disordered eating habits are at high risk of developing osteopaenia or osteoporosis.^74-79

It is known that athletes who continue to menstruate (have periods), tend to have normal or increased bone density whereas athletes who do not menstruate have reduced bone density.⁸⁰ However the effects of cessation of menses on the skeleton can be affected by the type of sport. For example, high impact loading such as gymnastics can partially offset the negative effects of menstrual disturbances. Hence the emphasis on treatment should be to restore normal menstrual patterns. This may require making a change to training regimes and attention to diet ensuring that there is adequate intake of a wide variety of foods.⁷⁶ It may also be necessary to consider the use of the oral contraceptive pill in young women to restore oestrogen levels to normal and thereby menstruation.^81,82 However, at present it is not clear how effective the use of the oral contraceptive is in improving bone mass in athletes with diminished bone mass.

Content updated February 20, 2006