Female athlete triad is a syndrome in which disordered eating (or low energy availability), amenorrhoea/oligomenorrhoea, and decreased bone mineral density (osteoporosis and osteopenia) are present.
Is female athlete triad syndrome a dangerous health issue?
The female athlete triad is a potentially serious condition affecting many young women. Low bone density is a dangerous consequence of the triad, and the degree of low BMD in young patients is greatly dependent on age of onset and duration of amenorrhea. 47 Low energy availability plays a crucial role in menstrual function and bone health ...
How to effectively prevent the female athlete triad?
Prevent the female athlete triad:
- Do not be afraid to ask for help at any time: Talk to your coach, trainers, friends, or family if you have problems with your health. ...
- Do not compare yourself to others: Focus on your own ideal body weight and sports performance. ...
- Eat healthy foods: Healthy foods may help you feel better and have more energy. ...
How can the female athlete triad be prevented?
The Female Athlete Triad (Care of the Young Athlete)
- Energy availability. Energy availability issues (not having enough energy to fuel the body) occur when athletes eat fewer calories than their bodies need for growth, development, and exercise.
- Menstrual problems. ...
- Preparticipation screening for the female athlete. ...
- Weak bones. ...
Are You at risk for the female athlete triad?
Some girls who play sports or exercise intensely are at risk for a problem called female athlete triad. Female athlete triad is a combination of three conditions: disordered eating, amenorrhea, and osteoporosis. A female athlete can have one, two, or all three parts of the triad.
What are the three components of female athlete triad?
The female athlete triad was recognized in 1992 and is defined as a spectrum disorder of three interrelated components: (1) low energy availability due to disordered eating, eating disorder, or lack of nutrition relative to caloric expenditure; (2) menstrual dysfunction; and (3) low bone mineral density (BMD).
What sport is female athlete triad?
Female athletes, especially those who play sports that look for thinness — such as dancing, gymnastics, cheerleading, figure skating, distance running, and rowing — are more likely to have the triad. Other things that make someone more likely to have the triad include: focusing on one sport at a young age.
What is the female and male athlete triad?
In 2019, the Female Athlete Triad Coalition renamed the organization the Female and Male Athlete Triad Coalition to refect upon a similar condition with symptoms including bone stress injuries with a combination of low energy availability, low BMD, and hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, which suggestively is described as ...
What is a triad in sports?
The female athlete triad is a combination of three interrelated conditions that are associated with athletic training: disordered eating, amenorrhea and osteoporosis.
What causes female athlete triad?
The main cause of the female athlete triad is an energy imbalance. This imbalance causes you to use more energy than you consume. This results in symptoms of excess fatigue, irregular periods, and, ultimately, bone loss. Females who are very active may have this problem.
How is female athlete triad tested?
How Do Doctors Diagnose the Female Athlete Triad (TRIAD)?Assessment of your child's current diet, exercise routine and menstrual cycle.Physical exam.Blood tests, which include checking nutrient and hormone levels.A dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) test (imaging test that measures bone density)
What is a male athlete triad?
DEFINITION OF THE MALE ATHLETE TRIAD The Male Athlete Triad is a syndrome of 3 interrelated conditions, including energy deficiency/low EA, impaired bone health, and suppression of the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis (Figure 1).
What causes male athlete triad?
Energy deficiency is the main cause of the Triad. An energy deficiency is an imbalance between the amount of energy consumed and the amount of energy expended during exercise. The primary cause of the Female and Male Athlete Triad is energy deficiency.
Which is considered the female athlete triad quizlet?
What is the female athlete triad? The interrelationship between energy availability, menstrual function, and bone mineral density.
How are female triads treated?
The optimal treatment for the triad needs to address the low energy availability or nutritional status of the athlete [3]. Nutritional counseling and increased diet and meal plan to restore normalization of body weight is essential for resumption of menses and improved bone health.
How does the female athlete triad affect performance?
Occasionally, a female athlete who focuses on being thin or lightweight may eat too little or exercise too much. Doing this can cause long-term damage to health, or even death. It can also hurt athletic performance or make it necessary to limit or stop exercise.
Why do female athletes not have periods?
Summary. Amenorrhoea is the absence of menstrual periods. Women who are elite athletes or who exercise excessively on a regular basis are at risk of developing athletic amenorrhoea. Causes are thought to include low levels of body fat and the effects of exercise-related hormones on the menstrual cycle.
What is the female athlete triad?
The female athlete triad (the triad) refers to a constellation of 3 clinical entities: menstrual dysfunction, low energy availability (with or without an eating disorder), and decreased bone mineral density (BMD). This complex disorder was first coined by the American College of Sports Medicine in 1992 after many experts in ...
What is the best approach to the triad?
Currently, the best approach to the triad is early detection and prevention. Preparticipation physical examinations are a particularly good time to screen for signs and symptoms. An athlete presenting with 1 component of the triad should always be evaluated for the other 2.
How much energy do athletes need to get through menses?
Athletes may need to increase energy availability to at least 30 kcal/kg of fat-free mass per day to resume menses.81LH levels were measured in 29 regularly menstruating sedentary women (18-30 years old) with controlled levels of energy expenditure and intake.
What is anorexia athletica?
Anorexia athleticais a term used by some researchers to describe a disordered eating pattern seen in the female athlete who has an intense fear of gaining weight, even though she is underweight.119Women with anorexia athletica reduce their energy intake and exercise excessively.
Do all components of the triad need to be present concurrently?
It is also important to realize that not all components of the triad need to be present concurrently for a female athlete to suffer negative health sequelae of the triad, as the 3 components may have different time sequences of presentation. Menstrual Dysfunction.
Can bisphosphonates be used in the triad?
The efficacy of bisphosphonates in a young er population may not be as robust, and evidence of their use in the triad is lacking. However, bisphosphonates may have a role in a very select, high-risk population and may be used in conjunction with a physician specializing in osteoporosis management in young athletes.
What is the female athlete triad?
The female athlete triad is a disorder that should be taken seriously. Most cases require treatment. A doctor will talk to you about healthy eating habits and lifestyle choices. You may need to change your diet. A nutritionist can help create an eating plan that provides enough vitamins and nutrients.
Why does the female athlete triad cause damage?
It can occur when your body doesn’t get the nutrients it needs to help bones grow. It can increase your risk of fractures, breaks, and other injuries. Your organs also can sustain damage due to a lack of nutrients. Without treatment, the female athlete triad can cause long-term health problems.
What are the health problems of female athletes?
Amenorrhea is a condition that occurs when you miss a period for 3 months or more in a row. Osteoporosis is a disease that makes your bones thin and weak. It can occur when your body doesn’t get the nutrients it needs to help bones grow. It can increase your risk of fractures, breaks, and other injuries. Your organs also can sustain damage due to a lack of nutrients.
What is the female athlete triad?
The female athlete triad is a group of three interrelated conditions experienced by active women:
Female athlete triad symptoms: Know the signs
Women experiencing the female athlete triad can feel a variety of symptoms, including:
Underfueling: The first leg of the female athlete triad
Remember when we mentioned the patient’s diet in the story above? She was eating a strict intake of fruits, vegetables and lean proteins that was calorically below what her body needed to fuel her training. Whether it’s “clean eating” or “just eating really healthy”, these descriptions from patients can be red flags.
Part two of the triad – menstrual cycle irregularity
As you can see, underfueling can cause big problems. When you don’t have enough fuel, your body starts to shut down systems that aren’t essential to your day-to-day survival.
Triad part three – low bone mineral density
Finally, when you do not consume adequate energy, your bones don’t get the resources they need to recover from stress and damage. Your estrogen levels, which are essential for all women’s bone health, also become affected. It all adds up to the final part of the triad – low bone mineral density.
Female athlete triad treatment: where to start
If you think the triad is affecting your health, getting in touch with a registered dietitian is key. Look for a dietitian who is part of a sports medicine team, like the Women’s Sports Medicine program at TRIA. This way, you’ll receive advice, treatment and planning that’s specifically designed with your lifestyle and goals in mind.
Talking to an expert about the female athlete triad
Women of all activity levels – not just those who consider themselves athletes – can experience the female athlete triad.
What are the components of the female athlete tricad?
The components of the Female Athlete Triad are related in the following way: Restrictive eating and excessive exercise can cause a woman to develop an energy deficit. This energy deficit or stress condition changes the body’s hormone levels. The reproductive system shuts down and the normal menstrual cycle is disrupted.
What is the term for a woman's bone loss?
Osteoporosis refers to bone loss and lack of bone formation which increases your risk of broken bones. We usually think of osteoporosis as a disease of old women. You might picture an elderly, frail woman with a humpback spine.
What is the female athlete triad?
The female athlete triad is a disorder that combines three conditions: low energy (due to abnormal eating habits), low bone mineral density (osteoporosis), and menstrual dysfunction (amenorrhea). It’s caused by overexercising and extreme dieting, and it has a range of negative impacts on women.
How does the female athlete triad affect women?
There are three main conditions that make up the female athlete triad, all of which are serious. Disordered eating often goes in hand with compulsive exercise and correlates with the body image issues which are prevalent in this condition.
How can you prevent the female athlete triad?
The female athlete triad often comes as a result of women taking their well-being or fitness goals too far. Often, if you’re doing this without supervision, it can be difficult to identify the point where you start to overexercise or over-restrict your food.
How to treat the female athlete triad
Many women who suffer from the female athlete triad don’t know it’s a recognised disorder, and that makes it hard to receive treatment. You may notice that your periods have become irregular or have stopped, but it can be difficult to recognise your disordered eating before you get to the stage of early-onset osteoporosis.
How to treat a child with a triad?
Common TRIAD treatments include: A new diet and nutrition plan to increase calorie consumption. Changes to your child’s exercise routine.
What tests are done to determine if a child has a tricep?
If the care team thinks your child might have the TRIAD, they might do one or more of the following tests: Assessment of your child’s current diet, exercise routine and menstrual cycle. Physical exam. Blood tests, which include checking nutrient and hormone levels.
