Menstrual history as a determinant of current bone density in young athletes

Article Abstract:

Until recently the reduction or cessation of menses in young athletes had been considered a side effect of little consequence. Amenorrheic women have reduced vertebral bone mineral density and have been reported to be more susceptible to stress fractures. Furthermore, the reduction in bone mass may be only partially reversible. In order to elucidate factors influencing this reduction in bone mass, 97 young athletes were examined using single- and double-photon absorptiometry, a noninvasive method of directly determining mineralization for different parts of the skeleton. The resulting data were compared with menstrual patterns (on a 1 to 9 scale), body weight, subcutaneous fat, exercise schedule, and other factors. Results showed that the loss of bone mineralization was limited to the spine, and thus was not a generalized loss of mineral. The loss of bone mineral correlated with abnormal menstruation, with the women experiencing the greatest irregularity having the greatest reduction in vertebral mass. Body weight had a beneficial effect; heavier women experienced less mineral loss than their lighter peers. This effect of body weight could not be attributed to fat. The authors suggest that either the larger women have a tendency toward greater bone mass to begin with, or that the extra load of supporting greater weight may, in fact, be beneficial for the spines of these women. There are reports that athletic women who moderate their exercise and gain weight will return to normal menses, although some bone changes may be irreversible. The authors suggest that for athletic women unwilling to moderate their activities some form of therapy may be advisable to prevent loss of bone mass. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Complications and side effects, Athletes, Menstruation disorders

---

Women walking for health and fitness: how much is enough?

Article Abstract:

Moderate exercise may be as effective at reducing a woman's risk of heart disease as vigorous exercise. Fifty-nine sedentary, premenopausal women between the ages of 20 and 40 were divided into four groups. Three groups walked approximately 5 kilometers (km) five days a week for 24 weeks, but they walked at different speeds. Sixteen walked aerobically, 12 walked briskly and 18 strolled. The fourth group - the controls - did not exercise at all. After 24 weeks, blood levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, which are associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, increased in all of the women who walked - compared with the controls - regardless of their pace. The aerobic walkers developed greater cardiovascular fitness than the brisk walkers and the strollers. Moderate exercise can reduce the risk of heart disease even though it may not improve cardiovascular fitness.

Cardiovascular diseases, Prevention, Walking

---

Bone density at multiple skeletal sites in amenorrheic athletes

Article Abstract:

Female athletes who have stopped menstruating are likely to have low bone density in many different parts of the skeleton. Researchers used X-ray absorptiometry to measure bone density at various parts of the skeleton in 49 female athletes, 29 of whom had not had more than one period in the past 12 months. This condition is known as amenorrhea. Bone mineral density was significantly lower in the spine, hip, thigh bone and shin bone in the women with amenorrhea compared to those with normal periods. Many of these bones are weight-bearing bones, indicating that exercise can not overcome the effects of amenorrhea.

Physiological aspects, Bone density, Women athletes

Similar abstracts:

• Abstracts: Partial hypoparathyroidism: a variant of transient congenital hypoparathyroidism. Increased transient tachypnea of the newborn in infants of asthmatic mothers
• Abstracts: Alfentanil pharmacokinetics in preterm infants. Treatment of sepsis with IgG in very low birthweight infants. Ciprofloxacin in neonatal Enterobacter cloacae septicaemia
• Abstracts: Impaired function of macrophage Fc gamma receptors in end-stage renal disease. Erythropoietin for the treatment of porphyria cutanea tarda in a patient on long-term hemodialysis
• Abstracts: Assessing the risk of recurrence in breast cancer. The influence of margin width on local control of ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast

This website is not affiliated with document authors or copyright owners. This page is provided for informational purposes only. Unintentional errors are possible.