The International Olympic Committee has produced four powerful videos about the Female Athlete Triad for a healthy body image.
The Female Athlete Triad is a combination of three conditions: disordered eating, amenorrhea and osteoporosis.
For female athletes, the struggle of balancing a body’s needs, combined with competitive sport and training can have serious physical and mental effects.
Female athletes may respond to pressure and resort to excessive dieting to meet unrealistic weight or body fat levels.
Chief Medical Officer for the Vancouver 2010 Games, Dr. Jack Taunton believes that as a result, low energy availability, menstrual disturbances and bone density loss are definite risks.
“This is a critical subject. All too often, a variety of athletes believe they can perform better if they’re lighter. So they diet to lose weight, but they’ll feel the effects of injuries like stress fractures.
Losing bone density in your youth isn’t safe, because the chances of regaining it when you’re older is extremely difficult. The likelihood of experiencing bone fractures is particularly high, as is the risk of premature osteoporosis.
Proper nutrition, regular menstrual cycles and strong bone density is integral.”
For more information and to watch the video clips, go here.
If you or someone you know may need help, contact your doctor.
Photo: femaleathletetriad.org
