Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 16, 2026
06:48
Author Spotlight: Advancements in 3D Optical Imaging for Comprehensive Body Composition Assessment in Modern Research
Published on: June 7, 2024
2.1K
Exercise, Body Weight, and Amenorrhea in Professional Ballet Dancers
The Physician and Sportsmedicine
|December 22, 2017
Summary
Professional ballet dancers experience high rates of menstrual dysfunction, including amenorrhea, linked to intense exercise and low body weight. Symptoms often resolve with weight gain or reduced training intensity.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Gynecology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Menstrual dysfunction is a concern in female athletes.
- Ballet dancers engage in extreme physical training.
- Understanding reproductive health in dancers is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of menstrual dysfunction in professional female ballet dancers.
- To identify factors associated with menstrual dysfunction in this population.
Main Methods:
- A gynecological questionnaire was administered to 32 professional female ballet dancers.
- Hormone levels were measured in a subset of participants before and after exercise.
Main Results:
- 37% of dancers reported a history of amenorrhea (loss of menstruation).
- 47% experienced other menstrual dysfunctions like delayed menarche or oligomenorrhea.
- Dysfunction correlated with strenuous exercise and low body weight.
- Hormone levels remained within normal ranges.
Conclusions:
- Professional ballet dancers exhibit a high prevalence of menstrual dysfunction.
- Strenuous exercise and low body weight are significant contributing factors.
- Menstrual dysfunction in dancers is often reversible with lifestyle adjustments.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Anorexia Nervosa
1.4K
Anorexia nervosa is a complex and severe eating disorder characterized by an intense fear of weight gain, an unrelenting pursuit of thinness, and a distorted body image. It often leads to dangerously low body weight relative to an individual's age and height. This disorder is marked by significant physical and psychological consequences, making it one of the most life-threatening psychiatric illnesses.
Symptoms and Physical Effects
Individuals with anorexia nervosa commonly exhibit extreme...
Symptoms and Physical Effects
Individuals with anorexia nervosa commonly exhibit extreme...
1.4K
01:29Bone Disorders
5.6K
Aging and its effect on bone remodeling is the most common cause of bone disorders. In young and healthy people, bone deposition and resorption happen at an equal rate to maintain optimal bone health.
Bone deposition is also affected by the levels of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone that promote osteoblast activity and bone matrix synthesis. When the level of these hormones decreases due to aging, it causes a reduction in bone deposition. As a result, bone resorption by osteoclasts...
Bone deposition is also affected by the levels of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone that promote osteoblast activity and bone matrix synthesis. When the level of these hormones decreases due to aging, it causes a reduction in bone deposition. As a result, bone resorption by osteoclasts...
5.6K
01:21Rigid Body Equilibrium Problems - II
8.1K
A rigid body is in static equilibrium when the net force and the net torque acting on the system are equal to zero.
Consider two children sitting on a seesaw, which has negligible mass. The first child has a mass (m1) of 26 kg and sits at point A, which is 1.6 meters (r1) from the pivot point B; the second child has a mass (m2) of 32 kg and sits at point C. How far from the pivot point B should the second child sit (r2) to balance the seesaw?
Consider two children sitting on a seesaw, which has negligible mass. The first child has a mass (m1) of 26 kg and sits at point A, which is 1.6 meters (r1) from the pivot point B; the second child has a mass (m2) of 32 kg and sits at point C. How far from the pivot point B should the second child sit (r2) to balance the seesaw?
8.1K
01:28Menopause
5.0K
Menopause, a natural biological process marking the end of a woman's fertility, typically occurs between the fifth and sixth decade of life. This phase is characterized by the exhaustion of the ovarian follicle pool, leading to less responsive ovaries despite the high levels of Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Luteinizing Hormone (LH). The consequential decrease in estrogen production results in symptoms like hot flashes, heavy sweating, headaches, hair loss, muscle pains, vaginal...
5.0K