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Osteoporosis and the Female Athlete Triad

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Osteoporosis Rehabilitation

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Abstract

Over the past four decades, an increase in the number of girls and women participating in sports has led to growing concerns about a series of three interrelated disorders observed by those involved in caring for the health of this cohort. This group includes parents, coaches, athletic trainers, team physicians, and administrators at the high school and college level and, to a certain extent, at the level of professional sports. Broadly defined, the components are (1) energy availability (EA) from optimal energy availability to an end point of low energy availability with or without eating disorders; (2) menstrual function from amenorrhea (normal menses) to an end point of amenorrhea (delayed menses or cessation for a period of 3 months); and (3) bone mineral density (BMD) from optimal bone density to an end point of osteoporosis. Although this book focuses on osteoporosis, it is important to understand that each of these components has implications for the next. Energy deficiency associated with eating disorders has a causal role in the development of menstrual irregularities; both energy deficiency and the hypoestrogenic environment linked to amenorrhea affect BMD. In addition, recent research suggests that this hypoestrogenic state could lead to endothelial dysfunction, resulting in cardiovascular disease, an association that could turn the triad into a tetrad.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Christina V. Oleson

  2. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University/Magee Rehabilitation Hospital, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Tracy E. Ransom

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Correspondence to Christina V. Oleson .

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Oleson, C.V., Ransom, T.E. (2017). Osteoporosis and the Female Athlete Triad. In: Osteoporosis Rehabilitation. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-45084-1_19

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