Female Athlete Triad: Past, Present, and Future

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Endocrinology
• Women's Health

Background:

• Title IX spurred increased female sports participation.
• The female athlete triad was first defined in 1992, requiring an eating disorder, amenorrhea, and osteoporosis.
• The initial definition led to underdiagnosis as not all criteria were always met.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the evolution of the female athlete triad definition.
• To highlight the diagnostic challenges and unknown prevalence under the current definition.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of the female athlete triad definition and prevalence studies.
• Comparison of the 1992 and 2007 diagnostic criteria.

Main Results:

• The 1992 definition had a prevalence of 1%–4% in athletes.
• The 2007 definition expanded the criteria to a spectrum of low energy availability, menstrual dysfunction, and low bone mineral density.
• The actual prevalence of the female athlete triad under the current definition is unknown.

Conclusions:

• The 2007 revised definition of the female athlete triad is more inclusive.
• Further research is needed to determine the true prevalence of the female athlete triad in athletic populations.