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The Female Athlete Triad

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Mental Health in the Athlete

Abstract

The female athlete triad (Triad) is comprised of three interrelated conditions: low energy availability (with or without disordered eating), menstrual dysfunction, and low bone mineral density. These three conditions occur on a spectrum ranging from optimal health to the end-stage outcomes of eating disorders, amenorrhea, and osteoporosis. The Triad is very common in athletes across all sports, but it is particularly prevalent in sports which emphasize leanness. Sports medicine physicians should be comfortable screening for all three components of the Triad. The end-outcomes of the Triad have long-lasting and serious health ramifications, so prompt identification and early treatment is crucial. Treatment should involve a multi-disciplinary approach that focuses on optimizing all facets of the Triad. If disordered eating or an eating disorder is diagnosed, the treatment team should include care from a mental health professional. First-line treatment for the Triad should focus on increasing or restoring energy availability using nonpharmacologic approaches. Return-to-play decision making for patients with the Triad can be complex. Clinicians may refer to the 2014 Female Athlete Triad Coalition Consensus Statement on Treatment and Return to Play for a risk assessment tool, which can assist with clinical decision making. There is increasing research which demonstrates the existence of a parallel condition in male athletes, characterized by low energy availability, hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, and decreased bone mineral density. Prevention efforts are important and should focus on increasing awareness of the Triad and fostering a healthy approach to exercise and nutrition at home and at school.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Stanford University, Department of Orthopaedics, Stanford, CA, USA

    Andrea Kussman

  2. UCLA Department of Family Medicine, Division of Sports Medicine, UCLA Department of Orthopaedics, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Aurelia Nattiv

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  1. Andrea Kussman
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  1. Department of Family Medicine and Department of Orthopaedics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA

    Eugene Hong

  2. Department of Family Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Ashwin L. Rao

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Kussman, A., Nattiv, A. (2020). The Female Athlete Triad. In: Hong, E., Rao, A. (eds) Mental Health in the Athlete. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44754-0_11

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