Introduction
The Athlete’s Triad is a syndrome of three interrelated components, specifically nutrition, bone health, and menstrual function. In addition, each pillar can have irreversible consequences, and all can progress in degree of severity. These problems often contribute to athletic injuries and general health issues. In this way, the impact of low energy availability as a significant cause of Female Athlete Triad development should be explored.
The Effects of “Low Energy Availability” on the Development of the Female Athlete Triad
Most of the Western world faces excessive energy intake and inactivity, leading to obesity and its associated health risks. On the other side of the spectrum, there is a small but significant group of people who are not deficient in physical activity but are not getting enough energy either. This is often due to the pursuit of high athletic performance. Athletes are unique in their high nutritional requirements that support their sports results, prevent injury, and, most significantly, their overall health and well-being (Loveless, 2017). For this reason, it is essential that their diet matches their training load and also their daily life.
Low energy availability with or without an eating disorder may be due to decreased energy consumption with food or expanded energy expenditure during exercise. Therefore, when energy availability is low, it reduces the amount of energy available for body function. Some athletes may follow restrictive diets or use pills or laxatives (Daily and Stumbo, 2018). Others may be diagnosed with an eating disorder, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or other specific or unspecified eating or nutrition behaviors.
With the growth of female participation in sports, the incidence of the triad of disorders characteristic of female athletes has also increased. Although most athletes do not meet the clinical criteria for a diagnosis of an eating illness such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa, many demonstrate impaired eating habits, such as starvation, and avoid certain foods (Maya and Misra, 2022). By restricting diet, the athlete can exacerbate the problem of low energy availability.
Due to extreme exercise or dietary limitations, deficient caloric input leaves too little power for the body to achieve standard operations, such as holding a regular menstrual process or healthy bone viscosity. One of the earliest and most interesting observations of menstrual dysfunction in athletes was published by R. Frisch and J. McArthur in 1974. They argued that the onset of first menstruation was only possible when a “critical threshold” of fat tissue equal to 17% of total body weight was reached and when fat tissue was decreased by 22% of total body weight (Maya and Misra, 2022). According to the theory of R. Frisch and J. McArthur, hypothalamic sensitivity to gender steroids is impaired when a critical adipose tissue content is reached. Based on these observations, low body weight is considered the most convincing explanation for reproductive dysfunction in female athletes.
Conclusion
Hence, the female athletic triad is a particular case of a deficit regime in people with high physical activity. A widespread non-obvious problem is the energy balance problem, which affects the development of the other components of the triad. Triad is observed in women with exercise levels that exceed available energy levels. Treatment of the Female Athlete’s Triad begins with enhancing energy supply by increasing food intake or reducing energy expenditure. Women with an eating disorder or eating pattern need a consultation with a nutritionist.
Reference List
Daily, J. P. and Stumbo, J. R. (2018) “Female athlete triad”, Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice, 45(4), 615-624.
Gross, C., & Joy, E. (2020) “Female athlete triad”, Current Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Reports, 8(3), 199-206.
Loveless, M. B. (2017) “Female athlete triad”, Current Opinion in Obstetrics and Gynecology, 29(5), 301-305.
Maya, J. and Misra, M. (2022) “The female athlete triad: review of current literature”, Current Opinion in Endocrinology & Diabetes and Obesity, 29(1), 44-51.