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[Menstrual characteristics in college athletes]
Nihon Sanka Fujinka Gakkai Zasshi
|February 1, 1984
Summary
Endurance exercise impacts college athletes' menstrual health, increasing prolonged menstruation and hypomenorrhea. Irregular cycles were more common in intensely training athletes, affecting their perceived physical condition.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Exercise Physiology
- Reproductive Health
Context:
- Investigated menstrual characteristics in 311 college students (174 athletes, 137 non-athletes).
- Classified athletes into hard (Group A) and moderate (Group B) physical activity groups.
- Compared athletes' menstrual history with non-athlete controls (Group C).
Purpose:
- To examine the influence of endurance physical exercise on menstrual characteristics in college athletes.
- To identify differences in menstrual dysfunction incidence between athletes and non-athletes.
- To understand athletes' perceptions of menstrual cycle phases and desire for cycle regulation.
Summary:
- Athletes exhibited higher incidences of prolonged menstruation and hypomenorrhea compared to non-athletes.
- Intensely training athletes (Group A) showed a significantly higher incidence of irregular menstrual cycles than controls (Group C).
- Athletes reported optimal physical condition in the late follicular/ovulatory phases and poor condition in the late luteal/menstrual phases.
Impact:
- Highlights the need for physicians to address menstrual dysfunction in athletes.
- Suggests potential benefits of managing or controlling the menstrual cycle for athletic performance.
- Informs strategies for supporting female athletes' reproductive health within training regimens.