[Sports and adolescence: the effect of competitive athletics on menstrual function]

A group of 381 girls, 12 up to 19-years-old, engaging in competitive sports (athletics, basketball, dancing, gymnastics, swimming, ski-ing, tennis, volley-ball) was examined. Age at menarche and menstrual characteristics were correlated with the body weight, the competitive practice start age, the kind of the sport and the amount of training hours/week. Collected data were compared with the ones from a pool of 387 girls of equivalent mean age, not playing any sport. Delay of menarche and larger frequency of menstrual disorders, found among athletes, turned out to be directly proportional to the amount of time devoted to training and to the kind of performed sports. Irregular cycles are more frequent in athletes having a normal or lower body weight and do not normalise proceeding in sporting activities.