Abstract

Athletes who are amenorrhoeic through training often have low serum estradiol with associated low bone mineral content at highly trabecular sites. This increases the probability of skeletal injury, in particular stress fractures, and may predispose to the earlier onset of osteoporotic fractures. Athletic amenorrhoea is often associated with increased training intensity, loss of body weight and fat, low caloric intake or a combination of these factors. Other predisposing factors are delayed menarche, onset of training close to menarche, and menstrual dysfunction before the initiation of serious training. Chronic athletic amonorrhoea should not be considered a benign condition and amenorrhoeic athletes should be advised of the skeletal hazard and encouraged to induce normal menses through changes in diet and training and to seek medical advice when necessary. Verf.-Referat