Competing and Amenorrhia

[believe&achieve]

Of all the reading and research I have done on female figure competition, today I learned that your body fat % drops so low at one point you stop mentruating. I have mixed emotions about this. Is this dangerous? Will it affect my fertility?

 

[Detour5]

Of all the reading and research I have done on female figure competition, today I learned that your body fat % drops so low at one point you stop mentruating. I have mixed emotions about this. Is this dangerous? Will it affect my fertility?

Hi,

it's true that can happen due to low body fat and the increased training. All it means is that your body is using it's energy for other things and is deciding that having a period is not high priority. It happens to some women but not all. It has happened to me, took around 6 months for my period to come back. As for fertility, I'm expecting my second child right now - got just under a month to go so don't worry. If your general health is good you needn't worry. Worrying excessively can also contribute to delayed period also.

Good luck

 

[Solo_builder]

In some female athletes, the synergistic effects of excessive exercise and disordered eating cause severe suppression of GnRH, leading to low estradiol levels. The female athletic triad, as defined by the American College of Sports Medicine, is characterized by disordered eating, amenorrhea, and osteoporosis. A 2009 study by DeSouza et al found that about half of exercising women could be amenorrheic.

To know more about Female Athlete Triad
Medscape: Medscape Access

 

[Detour5]

To know more about Female Athlete Triad
Medscape: Medscape Access

disordered eating (by which I take to mean eating disorder like anorexia, or bulimia or real restrictive calorie intake) need not be a factor in delayed menstruation. The low body fat alone can cause that. When athletes - including track athletes etc train harder they can also experience this. There is a difference between excessive exercise and hard training athlete.