Age at menarche in Nigerian athletes

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Human Physiology
• Reproductive Health

Background:

• Menarcheal age is a key indicator of female reproductive development.
• Previous studies suggest a link between athletic training and menarcheal timing.
• Understanding these factors is crucial for female athlete health and performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the age at menarche in Nigerian female athletes versus non-athletes.
• To determine if pre-menarcheal athletic training influences menarcheal age.
• To compare current menarcheal ages in Nigerian women to historical data.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study involving 418 elite female athletes and 512 non-athletes from Nigeria.
• Retrospective data collection using recall procedures to determine age at menarche.
• Statistical analysis to compare mean menarcheal ages between groups (p < .05 significance level).

Main Results:

• The overall mean age at menarche for athletes (14.13 years) was significantly higher than for non-athletes (13.57 years).
• Athletes who commenced physical activity before menarche had a significantly delayed mean age at menarche (14.41 years).
• The mean age at menarche for the general Nigerian female population was lower than previously recorded thirty years ago.

Conclusions:

• High-level athletic participation is associated with a delayed age at menarche in Nigerian females.
• Initiating physical activity before menarche may further postpone its onset.
• A secular trend towards an earlier menarcheal age in the general Nigerian female population may be reversing or stabilizing.