Female Athlete Triad

The female athlete triad is a condition that may occur when female athletes do not consume adequate calories to maintain good health. This often occurs in athletes that participate in long distance running, dancing, or gymnasts.

Low-energy availability is when an individual does not eat enough calories to support normal body functions such as: thermoregulation, reproduction, and cellular maintenance. It was once believed that eating disorders (ie- anorexia nervosa, bulimia) were the root cause, but now scientists recognize low-energy availability can occur with or without clinical eating disorders.

Menstrual cycle dysfunction is either a lack of menses for more than 3 months or irregular menses with cycles longer than 35 days. Normal menses can be maintained even in heavily training athletes if the energy needs and intake are balanced.

Loss of bone mineral density occurs because bone is broken down due to hormonal imbalances (menstrual cycle dysfunction), and less bone is made because of poor nutrition (low-energy availability). This results in brittle bones that have a higher risk of stress fractures, breaks, and osteoporosis.