Bone density in eumenorrheic female college athletes

Bone mineral density in triathletes over a competitive season

“…Several cross-sectional studies have found that children, adolescents and young adults (college students) who are involved in competitive swimming have lower bone mineral density at several sites, including the lumbar spine and hip, than athletes engaged in impact loading sports (Risser et al, 1990;Grimston et al, 1993;Fehling et al, 1995;Nichols et al, 1995). In comparing the bone mineral density of swimmers and non-athletes, several studies have found that swimmers have similar (Nilsson and Westline, 1971;Orwoll et al, 1989;Fehling et al, 1995;Dook et al, 1997) or lower (Risser et al, 1990;Nichols et al, 1995;Taaffe et al, 1995) bone mineral density at various sites.…”

“…In comparing the bone mineral density of swimmers and non-athletes, several studies have found that swimmers have similar (Nilsson and Westline, 1971;Orwoll et al, 1989;Fehling et al, 1995;Dook et al, 1997) or lower (Risser et al, 1990;Nichols et al, 1995;Taaffe et al, 1995) bone mineral density at various sites. The results of these cross-sectional studies suggest that activities such as swimming and cycling provide insufficient skeletal loading, compared with resistance or weight-bearing activities, to promote bone mineral density growth and may actually impede the achievement of maximal peak bone density.…”

A Comparison of Body Composition between Eumenorrheic and Amenorrheic Adolescent Cross-Country Runners

“…These findings illustrate the association between gymnastics training and increased BMD, suggesting that the high BMD values observed in gymnasts are due primarily to the activity itself rather than selection bias. To further support the concept of bone specificity, Risser, Lee, & Leblanc (1990) found in a study of volleyball and basketball players, whose sports placed stress on the heel, had greater calcaneus and lumbar BMD than their controls (Botwinick, et al, 1989).…”

“…In states of relative estrogen deficiency, the bone's adaptive response to mechanical loading fails to maintain an appropriate bone mass and architecture (Whalen and Carter, 1988). Consequently, amenorrheic runners have significantly lower bone density than eumenorrheic runners Risser, et al, 1990), and are more susceptible to short-term injury, such as stress fractures, and, long-term, are at greater risk of osteoporosis (Johnson, Because excessive training has traditionally been noted as the key component influencing amenorrhea, Williams, et al (1995) conducted a study to determine whether the typical decrease in LH pulse frequency observed in amenorrheic athletes was due to the effects of exercise itself, or to a deficit in energy when training volume was suddenly increased. In the study, four normally menstruating women (Mean Age + SD = 28.2 + 1.3 yrs) completed three different 8-day treatments.…”

“…It is an issue that must be of concern to female athletes. Although this problem has been researched considerably using collegiate and post-collegiate athletes (Loucks, 1985;Rencken, Chestnut, & Drinkwater, 1996;Risser, Lee, & Leblanc, 1990), there has been relatively little research in this area directed toward high school female athletes. In fifty-five studies cited in a literary review by Gutin and Kasper (1992) investigating the relationship of vigorous exercise to bone mineral density (BMD), none of the subjects were less than 18 years old.…”