Exercise can have an effect on your menstrual cycle when factored with excessive energy expenditure, low body fat and disordered eating. Amenorrhea of at least three months is characteristic of the female athlete triad, a disorder that often goes unnoticed until more severe health problems arise. But excessive levels of exercise don't just effect your menstrual cycle; when a part of the triad, it can result in osteoporosis, says the American College of Sports Medicine (ASCM).
Exercise and Amenorrhea
A June 2000 article in the "American Family Physician" states that absence of menstruation is one of the easiest ways to determine if excessive amounts of exercise are to blame. Numerous factors contribute to interrupted periods, including low body fat, stress and burning far more calories than you need to burn. Amenorrhea caused by excessive training and changes in body weight starts in the part of the brain that governs the release of estrogen. Without enough estrogen, menstruation ceases. Moreover, decreased levels of this hormone have yet another profound effect on your body: your bones become more fragile.
Female Athlete Triad
An interrupted menstrual cycle, disordered eating and osteoporosis are the three components of the female athlete triad. Registered dietitian Natalie Digate Muth, spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise (ACE), states that the "full manifestation of the triad exists along a continuum," during which time women who exercise in moderation and eat healthfully eventually exhibit signs of anorexia. The "American Family Physician" article notes that the exact prevalence of this disorder isn't known; however, 3.4 to 66 percent of female athletes exhibit absence of menstruation. Between 2 to 5 percent of adult females in the general population experience amenorrhea.
Risk Factors
Exercise is more likely to effect the menstrual cycle of competitive female athletes who engage in sports that focus on low body weight, such as figure skaters, gymnasts, ballet dancers, swimmers and distance runners. Digate Muth further characterizes these high-risk women: they limit the number of calories they eat, exercise for long periods of time and eat vegetarian or limit themselves to only specific types of foods. But you don't need to be a trained athlete for excessive exercise to take its toll on your body; exercise addiction is a dangerous form of overtraining. Like an eating disorder, it's borne out of emotional or psychological needs, not necessarily out of the need to look good, according to ACE.
Treatment
The Female Athlete Triad Coalition points out that gaining a slight amount of weight -- between 1 and 3 kg, or 2 to 6 lbs. -- may be enough to regulate your menstrual periods. Some exercisers use birth control pills to jumpstart their periods; however, hormonal contraceptives don't slow down bone loss. Digate Muth states that the female athlete needs the help of a doctor, dietitian and mental health professional to address her disorder. Amenorrhea has numerous causes, and excessive exercise is only one of them. See your treating physician if you've missed three consecutive menstrual periods.
References
- American College of Sports Medicine; "Female Athelet Triad" ASCM Position Stand Now Available; October 2007
- Mayo Clinic: Amenorrhea (Causes)
- "American Family Physician"; The Female Athlete Triad; J. Hobart, D. Smucker; June 2000
- American Council on Exercise; I've been hearing a lot about "the female athlete triad." What is this and who gets it?; N. Smith; August 2010
- Female Athlete Triad Coalition: Ask the Expert
- American Council on Exercise: Too Much of a Good Thing
