Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Amenorrhea in Olympic marathon runners.

A R Glass1, P A Deuster, S B Kyle

  • 1Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland.

Fertility and Sterility
|November 1, 1987
PubMed
Summary

Heavy exercise can cause secondary amenorrhea in women. This study found that elite marathon runners had a lower incidence of amenorrhea than previously predicted, suggesting training intensity may have less impact than thought.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Research agenda for physical activity promotion to enhance health and performance in the military community.

BMJ military health·2023
Same author

Role of nutrition in human performance in military populations.

BMJ military health·2023
Same author

Comparing functional outcomes in minimally invasive versus open inguinal hernia repair using the army physical fitness test.

Hernia : the journal of hernias and abdominal wall surgery·2022
Same author

Risk factors for musculoskeletal-related occupational disability among US Army soldiers.

BMJ military health·2021
Same author

Plasma HSP70 levels correlate with health risk factors and insulin resistance in African American subjects.

Experimental and clinical endocrinology & diabetes : official journal, German Society of Endocrinology [and] German Diabetes Association·2014
Same author

Glucocorticoid receptor density correlates with health risk factors and insulin resistance in Caucasian and African American subjects.

Experimental and clinical endocrinology & diabetes : official journal, German Society of Endocrinology [and] German Diabetes Association·2012

Area of Science:

  • Sports Medicine
  • Exercise Physiology
  • Reproductive Health

Background:

  • Secondary amenorrhea is a known risk for women engaging in strenuous physical activity.
  • The exact mechanisms behind "runner's amenorrhea" remain unclear.
  • Understanding amenorrhea in elite athletes is crucial for their health and performance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence of amenorrhea in a high-level group of female marathon runners.
  • To compare physiological and training characteristics of amenorrheic versus eumenorrheic elite runners.
  • To assess the relationship between training intensity and amenorrhea in national-caliber athletes.

Main Methods:

  • Studied female runners participating in the 1984 U.S. Olympic Marathon trials (average 70 miles/week).

Related Experiment Videos

  • Compared amenorrheic runners with eumenorrheic marathon runners.
  • Analyzed age, body weight, body fat percentage, training mileage, race performance, and serum hormone levels (prolactin and cortisol).

    • Main Results:

    • 19% of the elite female marathon runners experienced amenorrhea.
    • Amenorrheic runners were significantly younger, lighter, and leaner than their eumenorrheic counterparts.
    • No significant differences were found in training mileage, race completion, or post-race prolactin levels; basal cortisol was slightly higher in the amenorrheic group.

    Conclusions:

    • Training intensity above a certain threshold appears to have minimal impact on the development of runner's amenorrhea.
    • Elite national-caliber marathon runners may have a lower incidence of amenorrhea than previously estimated.
    • Younger, lighter, and leaner body composition are associated with amenorrhea in this elite running population.