When you exercise excessively, you put yourself at risk for abnormalities in your menstrual cycle, including interruptions in your menstrual flow and missed periods. Although you don't have to stop exercise altogether, your doctor may discuss...
Successful athletes are typically ambitious, motivated and have a positive mindset for setting and accomplishing goals. The female athlete may to be swayed by body image and an obsession with weight loss and appearance, which can affect her...
Since Title IX passed in 1972 entitling girls to participate in sports, more and more young women are training and competing at a high level. For many female athletes, their intense training can cause their period to become irregular or stop...
Female endurance athletes may experience irregularities in their menstrual periods as intense exercise can affect hormone levels and cause missed periods. The changes in a woman's body that occur as a result of intense forms of exercise are known...
More than ever, girls and young women are encouraged to participate in sports and exercise, and with expanding opportunities for college scholarships and world-class ranking, competition can be fierce. To gain a competitive edge, some girls go to...
Female athletes participate in a wide range of sports at many different levels. Although regular physical activity and participation in sports help keep them healthy, it can also put women at risk of irregular or absent menstrual cycles and other...
Increasing bone density is important for both men and women. Women, however, are at higher risk for osteoporosis, a disease in which the bones become brittle due to poor density. Making regular exercise a part of your lifestyle is key to...
There are more female endurance athletes than ever before, according to Salvator J. Tirrito, M.D. Women may use less glycogen and more fat than men in longer, lower intensity exercise, which possibly gives them an advantage over men in these types...
Missed or light periods may be related to your exercise routine. High-intensity exercise could result in a drop of estrogen and affect your period's regularity. Long bouts of intense exercise also put you at risk for female athlete triad syndrome....
Osteoporosis results from a loss of bone mineral density and improper bone formation, which causes your bones to become thin, porous and weak. It is one of three conditions -- along with disordered eating and amenorrhea -- that make up the...
Gymnastics is a highly competitive sports that requires a great deal of dedication and training on the part of young girls. Overtraining can have serious effects on young gymnasts. Failure to balance the needs of a young girl's body coupled with...
For women, managing body weight can be an ongoing battle. Fluctuating hormone levels throughout the month can induce food cravings, water retention and emotional instability. To stay in control, we often step up our workouts while restricting our...
As a female athlete, you might feel pressure to conform to a certain body image, or you may believe that a lighter body will improve your speed and performance. If you have ever attempted extreme weight loss, however, you could be putting your...
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...
When you participate in vigorous forms of exercise, menstruation can stop or become irregular. High-intensity forms of exercise can reduce your hormone levels and stop your period. If you are concerned about not getting your period on a normal...
When you first get your period, it can take a while for your cycles to become regular as your hormones even out. Within the first couple years of the onset of menstruation, your cycles should become fairly regular. But, no matter how predictable...
Some female athletes have experienced menstrual cycle disturbances, but problems with the menstrual cycle are not normal and might be a bigger issue if not treated properly. If a woman is made aware of the health implications involved with a...
Athletes, regardless of the level at which they compete, require good nutrition to perform at their optimum during training and competition. Individual needs vary depending on gender, intensity of training and fitness goals. Lack of proper...
For female athletes and fitness enthusiasts, training hard is a sure route to peak performance and a healthy, athletic physique. Until it is not. For women, overexercising, particularly when accompanied by restricted nutrition, can lead to a...
Calcium is an essential nutrient, meaning that it must be obtained through dietary means for the normal growth, development and maintenance of the body. Both men and women need calcium, but women have higher requirements at different stages of...
Low bone density is one of the three symptoms of the Female Athlete Triad syndrome. Young women and girls following a hard training program combined with a strict diet should be aware of the three factors that complete the triad: disordered...
While popular American culture may portray thinness as a positive trait to be achieved, overachieving thinness can lead to numerous negative health effects, including death. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, underweight...
Proper nutrition is important for everyone, especially athletes. Without the right fuel, the body cannot perform at its best. Female teen runners are at risk for developing the "female athlete triad," in which nutrition plays a key role....
Different sporting activities have different effects on the skeletal system. The skeletal system consists of bones and ligaments and is responsible for posture and structural support of your body. Just like muscles, bones must be exercised to...
More than 10 million children in the United States participate in dance and around 15,000 young adults earn their living as dancers, according to NorwichBulletin.com. Dance is used in the performance arts, in competitions, as a social outlet or to...
Amenorrhea is the absence or delay of a menstrual period, according to the National Institutes on Health. Amenorrhea is rarely the result of a serious medical condition. Missed or late periods can occur as the result of excessive exercise or...
Even though periods are supposed to be predictable things, many women experience the occasional delayed or missed period for any number of reasons. Your menstrual cycle is regulated by your hormones, and if your hormones are "off" for any reason,...
The hormonal changes that occur throughout a woman's lifespan add challenges to the already difficult fat-reduction process. Dietary and exercise modifications that worked at one point in a woman's life may be less effective during her menstrual...
During your reproductive years, many life events can alter your menstrual cycle, including pregnancy, breastfeeding and perimenopause. Your hormones fluctuate as you get older, and you may find that your periods gradually or suddenly become closer...
