Bone mineral content of young female former gymnasts

Intense physical exercise and diet restriction could result in delayed puberty and have a negative influence on the acquisition of peak bone mass during puberty. Nineteen young women who had been in elite gymnastic training during their prepubertal and pubertal years were investigated with regard to their health, menstrual data and bone mineral areal mass (BMA). Twenty-one women of comparable age served as controls. The age of menarche of the "former" gymnasts and the controls was 14.8 +/- 1.8 and 12.1 +/- 1.4 years, respectively. Fourteen of the gymnasts had been or were using oral contraceptives (OCs) and most of the non-users now had regular menstrual periods. During the years preceding the study, physical activity among the "former" gymnasts had gradually declined. Although the gymnasts had had a delayed puberty, no difference was found in total body or spinal BMA compared to the healthy controls. Their normal BMA in early adulthood could reflect a catch-up due to a combination of decreasing athletic activity, normal menstrual cycles and intake of OCs.