Exercise Induced Amenorrhea

by Kris Pitcher

I'm not bragging, but I'll turn 42 next month. And with approximately 30 years of experience...I thought I knew a lot about my period. Cue crickets... Well, as it turns out that film strip in sixth grade didn't teach me everything I needed to know. Not exactly.

A lot of female athletes and figure/fitness/bodybuilding competitors especially deal with interruptions in their menstrual cycle. Guys, don't leave just yet. You might learn something here.

Secondary amenorrhea is the absence of three or more consecutive menstrual cycles. Yeah! I can't wait, right?! Well, maybe, and maybe not. Amenorrhea happens in between 2-5% of the general population, and in up to 44% of exercising women.

Some of the things associated with causing exercise-induced amenorrhea are low percent body fat, rapid weight loss, sudden onset of vigorous exercise, nutritional deprivation, disordered eating and energy imbalance. It can also be brought on by psychological and physical stress.

Sounds a bit like contest prep to me. One interesting thing, which I did not learn in the film strip, is that normal menstrual cycle functioning requires regulated feedback systems involving the hypothalamus, the anterior pituitary gland and the ovaries. Everything needs to be in working order and sending the right signals. Makes perfect sense, I just never thought about it.

So what if you miss a few periods? The primary concern is that this situation mimics menopause due to low estrogen. Estrogen is important for increasing our absorption and uptake of calcium. It helps us deposit calcium into our bones. So, the idea is prolonged secondary amenorrhea may result in premature osteoporosis.

I can tell you from experience, because I know you want to hear all about my period, that post competition within one month of eating healthy fats, increased energy intake, and decrease in exercise...that girl was back in action. And this has pretty much been my experience with each contest prep I've done. The key is getting your healthy fats back in - you need fat to make hormones.

The good news according to Constance M. Lebrun, M.D., FACSM is that many of the earlier thoughts about detrimental effects of excessive exercise on the female reproductive system have been largely dispelled.

It's widely agreed the health benefits associated with regular exercise outweigh the potential risks. There are a number of ways to treat secondary amenorrhea and you should always consult your physician for care. Now you know a little bit more about it. Period.