E-mail
Print
Potential dangers for female athletes
Sports present precarious situations for students
By Mary Franzen
When was the last time you got your period? If its been a while, then maybe you have something to worry about besides the obvious fear of female college students everywhere “ a baby in the belly.
If you are a female athlete who exercises like theres no tomorrow and doesnt get the sufficient nutrition that is needed for your body, your bones and your heart may be in some trouble.
As a sports writer, when I attend games, I watch these women play their hearts out, sweating buckets and running more in those 40 minutes or so of game time than I ever have in my entire life. These women are probably the healthiest they ever will be in their lifetime and I envy them, but should I?
I thought to myself, is all this healthy? Exercising every day, dieting and being in great shape “ of course it is, right? Not always.
The catch is that some women will stop menstruating regularly or just stop all together. And as much as women would all love that, it is far too good to be true.
After speaking with Sophia Lal D.O., a fellow in womens sports medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin, she enlightened me to what the downsides are to being temporary infertile.
There is a hormone that is linked between menstruation and bone growth, namely estrogen, that will slow down the bone growth in females who have stopped menstruating. Not only will one stop developing into adulthood but it can go so far as to jump a 19-year-old woman into osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis, if you dont know, is a bone disease that weakens the bones and can create stress factors or as Lal put it turn your bones into Swiss Cheese. This makes the Female Athlete Triad; eating disorders, ceasing menstruation, and finally osteoporosis.
However their may be a fourth and even scarier factor. If these young women have stopped menstruating they have, in turn, walked right into early menopause.
The studies have found that these young girls with the Female Athlete Triad arteries in their heart are starting to harden which is step one of cardiovascular disease. Now what can be done? Of course, the obvious answer is to slow down and eat right, but these ladies tend to be stubborn about where their sport ranks in their life.
To help with regulating ones period, the pill is the best option; however, it wont help at all with the bones. The studies that were done at MCW have found that a simple vitamin can help restore bone health to the body. Vitamin B that contains folic acid combined with the pill should help these womens troubles and should calm their fears. I just think they should substitute running with watching Law & Order: SVU and eat a Big Mac.
> Comments