Re: Female Athlete Triad
From: Harvey S. Marchbein, M.D. (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Sat, 16 Jun 2001 22:20:19 -0500 (CDT)
Calcium is important but without estrogen (presumed from lack of
periods), bone loss will ensue. The problem is that you stop building
bone by about age 25.
Unless you increase calories to increase weight, increase body fat % and
regain periods, you already know what you risk. Discuss this with your
doctor and the possibility of birth control pills to help with estrogen
levels and periods while increasing your weight.
Hope this helps and write back anytime for more information.
HSM
At Fri, 15 Jun 2001, Beth wrote:
>
>Hi, I'm 18 years old and have had only one period in the last 10 months.
>I usually weigh around 115 lbs. and I'm 5'5". I run a lot and regualte
>my caloric intake. After first hearing about the female athlete triad
>from a program on tv, I've been reading a lot about eating disorders,
>amenorrhea and related conditions. I am horrified by the possible
>effects of amenorrhea and the female athlete triad. I found out about
>low bone density, osteoporosis, stress fractures and other irreversible
>conditions that are very serious. I had no idea what I was (and still
>am) doing to my body. Had I known then what I now know, I may have
>increased my caloric intake or lessened my physical activity the first
>or second time my period was absent. It angers me that we (athletes)
>were never warned or informed of this, especially through all three
>varsity sports I was involved with in high school. Now that I have
>maintained this lifestyle and weight for what seems a very long time,
>I'm having trouble accepting the fact that I need to gain some weight.
>It's absolutely ridiculous how I have developed this subconscious fear
>of gaining weight. I am curious about my calcium intake. It is the one
>thing I have never restricted. In fact I probably get 2-3 times the
>RDA. So, my question is, does my attention to calcium cobat my
>amenorrhea (the effects) at all? I suppose this was partly intended for
>you all like me who may not know what you're doing to your bodies as I
>didn't. Please read up on it. I apologize for the length of this post
>(if anyone makes it to the end). Have a nice day :)
--
Harvey S. Marchbein, M.D. FACOG, FACS
Great Neck, New York
**Note: Opinions expressed here are for educational purposes only
and, as such, do not constitute a physician-patient relationship.
This information is not intended to supplant the need for you to
consult with your physician prior to choosing therapeutic options
and/or interventions.
**Private emails cannot be entertained due to time constraints,
consequently no private emails will receive a response.
**Thank you for your understanding ;-)
Please be aware that all e-mail on this forum is archived and can be viewed at
http://forums.obgyn.net/womens-health,
http://forums.obgyn.net/pregnancy-birth or
http://forums.obgyn.net/young-women
and is accessible to anybody on the
internet including internet search engines. This should be taken into
consideration before sending postings of a personal or confidential nature.
![[ Young Women's Health Forum ]](/images/young-women-forum.gif)