As female athletic participation has increased, the positive effects of exercise on health have become evident. However, with this growth in sports activity, a set of health problems unique to the female athlete has emerged. The female athlete triad and its components can occur in females of all ages in every sport. The Female Athlete Triad poses serious health risks, both short and long term, to the overall well-being of affected individuals. Sustained low energy availability can impair health, causing many medical complications within the skeletal, endocrine, cardiovascular, reproductive, and central nervous systems. With the surge of females participating in athletics within the past 10 to 15 years, it is both conceivable and likely that the prevalence of this syndrome will continue to grow. Therefore, it is imperative that appropriate screening and diagnostic measures are enacted by a multidisciplinary team of health care providers, counselors, teachers, and dieticians in order to provide the proper care to affected athletes. Initial awareness should take place within the educational confines of elementary and high schools. Screening for female athletes exhibiting risk factors for the triad should also take place at the time of sports physicals. If one component of the triad is identified, the clinician should take the time to effectively workup the other. Treatment for each component of the triad includes both pharmacological and nonpharmacological measures, with emphasis placed upon increased energy availability and overall improved nutritional health. Using this all-encompassing type of approach, sports medicine practitioners should feel empowered to continue to promote the lifelong well-being of female athletes in the years to come.
Athletes* ; Central Nervous System ; Counseling ; Female ; Female Athlete Triad Syndrome ; Health Personnel ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Nutritionists ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Sports ; Sports Medicine

The past three decades have seen a dramatic increase in female participation in athletics. The presentation of female athlete in 2008 Beijing Olympic Game increased up to 42.4% of total competitors. Despite the increased participation in female athletics, sports medicine research focusing on female athletics is still in its early stages. The unique anatomic, physiologic, and biomechanical characteristics of female need special attention. In general, females are shorter in stature, shorter femur, wider pelvis, larger knee valgus, narrower shoulder, and more lax in soft tissue. Females tend to have more fat, less muscle mass, and lower bone mineral density than equally trained males. Female athletes also have a concern about the pregnancy and cyclic hormonal changes with menstruation. The important musculoskeletal conditions for female athlete are scoliosis, shoulder instability and frequent knee problems including anterior cruciate ligament injury. Medically, female athlete triad composed with disordered eating, athletic amenorrhea, and premature osteoporosis is a major problems to evaluate and needs the early management.
Amenorrhea ; Anterior Cruciate Ligament ; Athletes ; Athletic Injuries ; Bone Density ; Eating ; Female ; Female Athlete Triad Syndrome ; Femur ; Humans ; Knee ; Male ; Menstruation ; Muscles ; Osteoporosis ; Pelvis ; Pregnancy ; Scoliosis ; Shoulder ; Sports ; Sports Medicine

The past three decades have seen a dramatic increase in female participation in athletics. The presentation of female athlete in 2008 Beijing Olympic Game increased up to 42.4% of total competitors. Despite the increased participation in female athletics, sports medicine research focusing on female athletics is still in its early stages. The unique anatomic, physiologic, and biomechanical characteristics of female need special attention. In general, females are shorter in stature, shorter femur, wider pelvis, larger knee valgus, narrower shoulder, and more lax in soft tissue. Females tend to have more fat, less muscle mass, and lower bone mineral density than equally trained males. Female athletes also have a concern about the pregnancy and cyclic hormonal changes with menstruation. The important musculoskeletal conditions for female athlete are scoliosis, shoulder instability and frequent knee problems including anterior cruciate ligament injury. Medically, female athlete triad composed with disordered eating, athletic amenorrhea, and premature osteoporosis is a major problems to evaluate and needs the early management.
Amenorrhea ; Anterior Cruciate Ligament ; Athletes ; Athletic Injuries ; Bone Density ; Eating ; Female ; Female Athlete Triad Syndrome ; Femur ; Humans ; Knee ; Male ; Menstruation ; Muscles ; Osteoporosis ; Pelvis ; Pregnancy ; Scoliosis ; Shoulder ; Sports ; Sports Medicine