Missing the menstrual cycle is a quite common problem in athletic women. But just because it is common, it does not mean it should be accepted. Often, it is one of the first signs of Low Energy Availability.
Today, I am taking a clip from a MindPump podcast ep. 2149 with a 30 y.o. fit, athletic lady as an example to point out some things that I feel need to be added.
If you want to know more about Relative Energy Deficiency in Sports, check danweiss.eu/reds
Mentioned in the episode:
- Mountjoy M, Sundgot-Borgen J, Burke L, et al. International Olympic Committee (IOC) Consensus Statement on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S): 2018 Update. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. 2018;28(4):316-331. doi:10.1123/ijsnem.2018-0136
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David LA, Maurice CF, Carmody RN, et al. Diet rapidly and reproducibly alters the human gut microbiome. Nature. 2014 Jan;505(7484):559-563. DOI: 10.1038/nature12820. PMID: 24336217; PMCID: PMC3957428.
- Emily A Southmayd , Energy Deficiency Suppresses Bone Turnover in Exercising Women With Menstrual Disturbances, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Volume 104, Issue 8, August 2019, Pages 3131–3145, https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2019-00089
- Fahrenholtz IL, Sjödin A, Benardot D, et al. Within-day energy deficiency and reproductive function in female endurance athletes. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2018;28(3):1139-1146. doi:10.1111/sms.13030
- Sierra APR, Fontes-Junior AA, Paz IA, de Sousa CAZ, Manoel LAdS, Menezes DCd, Rocha VA, Barbeiro HV, Souza HPd, Cury-Boaventura MF. Chronic Low or High Nutrient Intake and Myokine Levels. Nutrients. 2023; 15(1):153. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15010153
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