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Athletic girls more likely to have impaired bone structure if menstrual cycle stops

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Weakening of bone structure that occurs in young female athletes who have stopped menstruating can make them predisposed to breaking a bone regardless of the amount of weight-bearing exercise, according to a recently presented study.

“Given the high number of young women and girls involved in athletic activities and the fact that up to 24% of young female athletes may lose their periods, this finding represents a significant public health concern,” study author Madhusmita Misra, MD, stated in an Endocrine Society release. Misra presented the results at the at the 93rd Annual Meeting of the Endocrine Society in Boston.

Invetigators studied the bone density and microarchitecture of 34 endurance athletes from 15 to 21 years of age. All were involved in running or other weight-bearing activities, and compared with 16 non-athletic controls. In the experimental group, 16 athletes had no periods and 18 had normal menstruation. In assessing bone structure, the investigators used high-resolution peripheral quantitative CT.

“Bone microarchitecture may provide information regarding bone health independent of bone mineral density,” Misra stated in the release. “Your bone density score may not reveal the full risk of poor bone strength.”

The study found that bone structure is abnormal in nonmenstruating athletes when compared with menstruating athletes and non-athletes. Athletes who still got their menstrual periods did not have impaired bone structure. Nonmenstrating athletes were reported as having impairments in the cortical and trabecular bone at both sites studied: the tibia and one of the non-weight-bearing long forearm bones near the wrist.

“Our results are of particular concern to teenagers and young women, who are at a time in their lives when they should be actively accumulating bone and optimizing peak bone mass,” Misra stated.

Reference:

• www.endo-society.org
• Disclosure: This study was funded by the National Institute of Child Health Development.

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