I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy.
THE (FEMALE) ATHLETE'S STRUGGLE
Menstrual Cycles and Amenorrhea
A problem among both elite and amateur female athletes is the loss of their menstrual cycle. Many lose their cycle in pursuit of losing weight to become faster and lighter. Initially, after losing your cycle it is reported that you can get better but eventually the effects will cause injury and dangerous health problems. A steady cycle is a sign of a healthy body, an absent cycle is the sign of a body that is lacking.
What is a menstrual cycle?
The menstrual cycle is a hormonal process in the female body. It controls the release of hormones in the body that keep it healthy and readies it for pregnancy.
Menstruation - 3-7 days: Shed uterine lining (endometrium)
10-22 days: Body readies egg and the uterine lining thickens
Ovulation: Egg is released ready for fertilization
13-15 days: Body produces hormones, estrogen, and progesterone to support egg in early pregnancy
If pregnancy does not occur then the sac producing hormones breaks down, leading to a drop in hormone levels acting as a catalyst for menstruation.
Read more about how the menstrual cycle works here.
The menstrual cycle is important as it supplies your body with hormones that regulate bodily functions in the immune, musculoskeletal, and other basic functions.
Amenorrhea: The prolonged loss of your menstrual cycle (90+ days)
The loss of your menstrual cycle is called amenorrhea. Amenorrhea is a part of the Female Athlete Triad. The Female Athlete Triad is a syndrome that links low energy (potential eating disorder), menstrual dysfunction, and low bone density. Caused by inadequate nutrition, high-stress levels, and lack of menstrual cycles. Inadequate nutrition lowers energy levels. High stress lowers estrogen with leads to skipped or nonexistent periods.
What are the consequences of prolonged amenorrhea?
If you don’t have a period your body likely doesn’t have the raw material to produce a period and you are missing estrogen that protects the bones. Low estrogen and a lack of menstruation cause low bone mineral density. Having low bone mineral density means that your bones are weaker and can get stress fractures easily. There is a high risk of osteopenia, osteoporosis, and stress fractures. It can also cause immune system disorders, anemia, and thyroid problems. It can also cause muscle strains. In general, amenorrhea causes a higher risk of injury.
Long term loss of your menstrual cycle can cause severe drops in heart rates. Many athletes who have lost their period likely have also poor diet and electrolyte imbalances. This combined with low heart rate can lead to deadly heart problems, heart rhythm, cardiac events.
How can one prevent amenorrhea?
To ensure that your menstrual cycle remains regular first you need to track it to figure out what regular is for you. Some people have their cycle every 35 days while others get it every 25 days. Each woman is different. This can be done by an inconspicuous shape on your calendar or by using an app specifically for tracking your cycle.
Eat sufficient nutrients. One of the major causes of amenorrhea is a deficit in your diet. Eat enough calories to balance out the ones lost in training and exercises. Eat a balanced diet of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. Make sure to have enough calcium in your diet, by greens or by a supplemental pill. If your doctor determines that you have low estrogen levels they might prescribe an oral birth control pill.
Watch for lingering injuries. These could be stress fractures caused by low mineral bone density.
What are the causes of amenorrhea?
If you lose your menstrual cycle it is likely a byproduct of a high imbalance between energy intake and energy output. If you are not eating enough calories to make up for the ones expended then you are running a calorie deficit. At some point, the deficit gets so large and the body runs out of previous energy stores that it no longer has the ability to produce the materials and energy needed to maintain normal bodily functions. The constant deficit leads to hormonal issues and irregular or total loss of menstruation.
How can one reregulate their menstrual cycle?
The process to get back your menstrual cycle depends on what caused you to lose your cycle and how long you have not had your cycle. Most athletes will need diet changes to gain the right fats, carbohydrates, and macronutrients. The main cause of amenorrhea is a lack of the right nutrients being consumed. Depending on the severity of the deficit some athletes or women, in general, may need to consult a dietician to make a plan in order to ensure that they consume the right nutrients. If amenorrhea was caused by eating disorders or other mental disorders then a psychologist or psychiatrist might need to be consulted to aid in behavior changes.