The Female Athlete Triad is a syndrome occurring in physically active girls and women. Its interrelated components are disordered eating, amenorrhea, and osteoporosis. Pressure placed on young women to achieve or maintain unrealistically low body weight underlies development of the Triad. Adolescents and women training in sports in which low body weight is emphasized for athletic activity or appearance are at greatest risk. Girls and women with one component of the Triad should be screened for the others. Alone or in combination, Female Athlete Triad disorders can decrease physical performance and cause morbidity and mortality. More research is needed on its causes, prevalence, treatment, and consequences. All individuals working with physically active girls and women should be educated about the Female Athlete Triad and develop plans to prevent, recognize, treat, and reduce its risks.

To investigate the hypothesis that respiratory gas exchange and, in particular, the O(2) consumption (VO(2)) response to exercise is altered after a 21-day expedition to 6,194 m, five male climbers (age 28.2 +/- 2 yr; weight 76.9 +/- 4.3 kg; means +/- SE) performed a progressive and prolonged two-step cycle test both before and 3-4 days after return to sea level. During both exercise tests, a depression (P < 0.05) in VO(2) (l/min) and an increase (P < 0.05) in minute ventilation (VE BTPS; l/min) and respiratory exchange ratio were observed after the expedition. These changes occurred in the absence of changes in CO(2) production (l/min). During steady-state submaximal exercise, net efficiency, calculated from the rates of the mechanical power output to the energy expended (VO(2)) above that measured at rest, increased (P < 0.05) from 25.9 +/- 1.6 to 31. 3 +/- 1.3% at the lighter power output and from 24.4 +/- 1.3 to 29.5 +/- 1.5% at the heavy power output. These changes were accompanied by a 4.5% reduction (P < 0.05) in peak VO(2) (3.99 +/- 0.17 vs. 3.81 +/- 0.18 l/min). After the expedition, an increase (P < 0.05) in hemoglobin concentration (15.0 +/- 0.49 vs. 15.8 +/- 0.41 g/100 ml) was found. It is concluded that, because resting VO(2) was unchanged, net efficiency is enhanced during submaximal exercise after a mountaineering expedition when the exercise is performed soon after return to sea level conditions.

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