Hello Everyone! Although i said we were done highlighting the eating disorders specifically there is still one specific aspect I would like to cover. This is known as the female athlete triad. This is a consequence of when girls who play a sports or are excessively active and don’t balance their bodies’ needs in comparison to the activities they are partaking in. This condition involves disordered eating, amenorrhea, and osteoporosis. Amenorrhea is a medical term that means lack of menstrual cycle. Athletic individuals can have just one or any combination of the three. This is all based on the relationship of bone mineral density, energy availability, and menstrual function. Remember when I discussed that negative energy balance? That is part of the female athlete triad. If not here is what we highlighted. We said that individuals that don’t eat enough (food is energy) and then partake in excessive excercise have a negative energy balance because they are not putting in as much as they are putting out. This can lead to many serious problems such as all three factors of the female athlete triad. This is a tricky condition because most of the problems associated are pathophysiologically related to one another and makes it hard to treat. This condition also goes without detection easily. The best way to identify this problem is through regular screening exams. The next step, like any other eating disorder, is to break down the bad habits they have developed. This is often hard because they link these bad habits to success in their sports or athleticism. Nutrition counseling, support groups, and therapy can all be recommended treatment for this problem. It is important to note that just because you are an athlete and may have a lean body with little body fat you do not necessarily have an eating disorder. If you are eating healthy and practicing proper training and stress management you will be successful in a healthy manner!
Until next time!
Sources:
1) http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/sports/triad.html
2) Textbook, Concepts of Fitness and Wellness 8th Ed. By Charles B. Corbin, Gregory Welk, William R. Corbin, and Karen A. Welk. Published by McGraw Hill in 2009
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