The relationship between exercise, amenorrhoea, percentage body fat and disordered eating among adolescent female runners
Abstract
The American College of Sports Medicine first described the Female Athlete Triad a decade ago (ACSM, 1997:5). It is a life-threatening syndrome that is defined by disordered eating, amenorrhoea and osteoporosis (Thompson, 2007:129). Although physical exercise has many benefits, too much exercise can negatively affect the female athlete, causing amenorrhoea. When athletes restrict food intake and train hard, hormonal changes can affect the reproductive system and cause menstrual dysfunction. The first purpose of this study was therefore to determine if there is a relationship between body composition, disordered eating and menstrual dysfunction among a group of 14 - 25 year-old South African female athletes. The second purpose of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between training volume and menstrual dysfunction among a group of 14 - 25 year-old South African female athletes. Menstrual dysfunction was determined by a self-administered questionnaire and the incidence of disordered eating by the EAT-26 and the EDI questionnaires. Body composition was calculated by using the BOD POD. Menstrual dysfunction and training volume were determined by a self-administered questionnaire and by using the Exercise Dependence Questionnaire. N on-para metric statistics were obtained due to the small sample size and since subjects were recruited on the basis of availability. Descriptive statistics (mean ± SD) of all variables for the total group of female athletes were obtained and the three different groups were compared, using ANOVA and two-way frequency tables. Practically significant differences were determined. At the time of the survey, 6 athletes had not yet reached menarche, while two of the athletes only reached menarche at the age of 17 years. Practically significant differences were found between the inter-high athletes' age of menarche and the provincial and national athletes' age of menarche. However, no practically significant differences were found between the three groups in terms of menstrual regularity. No practically significant differences were found between the three groups in terms of height, weight. BMI and fat-free mass. The inter-high group had a practically significant higher percentage body fat than the provincial group. No practically significant differences were found between the three groups of athletes for all the subscales of the EDI, with the exception of the perfectionism subscaie. The national athletes had a practically significant higher score than both the inter-high and provincial athletes. No practically significant differences were found between the three groups of athletes regarding the EAT-26 as well as the three groups of athletes regarding their training sessions per week, frequency of training sessions per day or the duration of their training sessions. However, 30, 43% reported a change in their menstrual cycle during the training season and 23, 91% reported a change in their menstnjal cycle during the season and with an increase in their training volume. The total group of athletes was also redivided into groups according to their menstrual dysfunction to evaluate the influence of training volume on amenorrhoea. However, no practically significant differences were found between these three groups of athletes and their training sessions per week, frequency of training sessions per day or the duration of their training sessions. It can therefore be concluded that no relationship was found between body composition, disordered eating and menstrual dysfunction or between training volume and menstrual dysfunction among these groups of 14 - 25 year old South African female athletes.
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- Health Sciences [2060]