Graduate Research Papers

Availability

Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Abstract

It is well documented that a high number of female athletes experience detrimental health effects as a result of the "female athlete triad"-a set of conditions including osteoporosis, disordered eating, and amenorrhea. While the health effects of disordered eating and osteoporosis are heavily studied and well-known, even to the general population, the long-term consequences of amenorrhea are relatively unknown.

There is much evidence and documentation that women who engage in exercise and sport are likely to experience amenorrhea. Research has also shown that exerciseinduced amenorrhea can lead to a host of reproductive problems, including luteal phase defects, hormonal disruptions, and annovulation. These conditions can lead to many other health problems, such as the aforementioned osteoporosis, but they can also cause infertility, which can be devastating for women intent on becoming pregnant.

This paper contains a review of the current literature regarding the effects of exercise and stress on the female reproductive system, namely amenorrhea. Women who exercise experience amenorrhea at a higher rate than sedentary women. It is hypothesized that exercise-induced amenorrhea does have a detrimental impact on the future fertility of female athletes.

Year of Submission

2009

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Division of Health Promotion and Education

First Advisor

Kara Johnson

Comments

If you are the rightful copyright holder of this graduate research paper and wish to have it removed from the Open Access Collection, please submit an email request to scholarworks@uni.edu. Include your name and clearly identify the thesis by full title and author as shown on the work.

Date Original

2009

Object Description

1 PDF (vi, 47 pages)

Language

en

Download

Comments?

Share

COinS