Should High School Athletes Be Screened for Female Athlete Triad?
The International Olympic Committee Medical Commission (2006) released guidelines for the female athlete triad which is comprised of disordered eating, amenorrhea (absent menstrual periods), and osteoporosis (reduced bone mass). One recent study was implemented to evaluate 170 California high school girls who competed in one of eight interscholastic sports for these conditions. The athletes completed questionnaires about their menstrual history and their attitudes about food and eating behaviors. Bone density was measured with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Over 20% of this group had at least one condition in the female athlete triad. One-fourth reported menstrual irregularities (infrequent, very light or absent periods); 18% had indications of disordered eating; and nearly 22% had low bone mass. Ten had two of the conditions, and two athletes (1.2%) had all three. Disordered eating is typically evident before the other conditions, and abnormal bone density development during
