"Female Athlete Triad" ACSM Position Stand Now Available

Main Category: Sports Medicine / Fitness
Also Included In: Eating Disorders;  Women's Health / Gynecology;  Bones / Orthopaedics
Article Date: 03 Oct 2007 - 10:00 PDT

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The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) released its Position Stand on "The Female Athlete Triad," recognizing the relationships among energy availability, menstrual function and bone mineral density, which may manifest into eating disorders, amenorrhea (absence of menstrual period), and osteoporosis in at-risk female athletes.

Triad disorders are thought to be most common among female athletes in sports or activities which emphasize a lean physique or low body weight, such as gymnastics, swimming, or track and field.

The updated Position Stand makes new recommendations for screening, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment for the Triad. Among its recommendations, the Position Stand emphasizes:

- Low energy availability is an important factor that impairs reproductive and skeletal health in the Triad.

- For prevention and early intervention, education of athletes, parents and coaches, trainers, judges and administrators is a priority.

- Athletes should be assessed for the Triad at the pre-participation physical and/or annual health screening exam, and whenever an athlete presents with any of the Triad's clinical conditions.

- The treatment team should include a physician or other healthcare provider, a registered dietitian, and for athletes with eating disorders, a mental health counselor.

- The first aim of treatment for any Triad disorder is to increase energy availability by increasing energy intake and/or reducing energy expenditure.

- Athletes with eating disorders should be required to meet established criteria to continue exercising, and their training and competition may need to be modified.

- No pharmacologic agent adequately restores bone loss or corrects the metabolic abnormalities that impair health and performance in athletes with amenorrhea.

"We are making a clear statement that the benefits of exercise far outweigh the risks," said Aurelia Nattiv, M.D., FACSM, Chair of the writing committee. "But it is important the Triad is recognized and treated so it does not lead to long-term and possibly irreversible health outcomes, such as osteoporosis."

The Position Stand includes in-depth explanations of the three interrelated spectrums (energy availability, menstrual function, and bone mineral density), as well as sections on health consequences, prevalence, and risk factors. Prevention recommendations emphasize education, and ask national and international governing bodies of sports to put policies in place that eliminate potentially harmful weight loss practices or expectations.

"The Female Athlete Triad" replaces and updates the 1997 Position Stand of the same title.

The American College of Sports Medicine is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world. More than 20,000 international, national, and regional members are dedicated to advancing and integrating scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine.

Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise® is the official journal of the American College of Sports Medicine, and is available from Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

http://www.acsm.org